📍 Where to find your tracking number
Open My Orders in the AliExpress app or website, tap the order, then Track Order / Logistics. The number appears once the seller ships — not when you pay.
- No number yet? The seller still has it. Most list a dispatch window on the product page.
- Several numbers on one order means the items shipped separately — each is tracked on its own.
- A number that returns nothing for a day or two is normal: it is created before the carrier scans the parcel.
🔤 What the statuses actually mean
- Order shipped / Shipment ready — a label exists. The parcel may still be with the seller.
- Departed from sorting centre / Arrived at facility — moving inside China.
- Left the country of origin / Handed over to airline — the long, quiet leg starts here.
- Arrived in destination country — it has landed in the UK and is entering the domestic network.
- Handed to local carrier — Royal Mail, Evri, Yodel or similar take over; local tracking begins.
- Out for delivery — arriving that day.
🤔 Why tracking goes quiet
The most common worry is a parcel that shows nothing for a week or two. That gap is almost always the international leg: it is scanned when it leaves China and again when it lands, with little in between. Silence is not the same as lost.
- Sea and rail freight are much slower than air and can be quiet for weeks.
- Customs holds pause scanning without producing an event.
- Some economy services simply do not scan in transit at all.
🚨 When to actually act
Every order carries a Buyer Protection period, shown on the order itself. If the deadline is approaching and the parcel has not arrived, open a dispute before it expires — you can always close it if the parcel turns up.
- Ask the seller first through the order chat; many extend protection voluntarily.
- Keep the tracking screenshot — it is the evidence that matters in a dispute.
- See refunds & disputes for the full process.
❓ FAQ
Why has my AliExpress tracking not updated for two weeks?
Usually because the parcel is on the international leg, which is scanned on departure and on arrival with little in between. Economy, sea and rail services can be quiet for weeks. Check the Buyer Protection date on the order and act before it expires.
Where is the tracking number on AliExpress?
My Orders, open the order, then Track Order or Logistics. It appears only after the seller ships.
Can I track an AliExpress parcel with Royal Mail?
Once the parcel is handed to a UK carrier, the AliExpress number often works on that carrier's own site too. Until then only the AliExpress or Cainiao tracking will show events.
My tracking says delivered but nothing arrived. What now?
Check with neighbours and any safe place first, then open a dispute on the order while it is still within Buyer Protection, attaching the tracking detail.
General guidance for UK buyers · carriers and timings vary by seller and service