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AfterShip is a multi-carrier shipment tracking platform that aggregates delivery data from 1,000+ couriers into one API, giving ecommerce brands a single feed for tracking statuses, checkpoints, and exceptions. Connecting AfterShip to Parabola lets ops, CX, and supply-chain teams pull tracking data into the same flows used for orders, returns, and fulfillment, so SLA reports, exception alerts, and carrier scorecards run on a schedule instead of by hand.

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Track with AfterShip

The Track with AfterShip step pulls data from AfterShip’s Tracking API. You can pull every active tracking, the most recent checkpoint per shipment, courier metadata, or notification settings, then join it with order data from your shop or ERP for a full order-to-delivery view.

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How to authenticate

AfterShip uses API key authentication.
1
Log in to your AfterShip account and open Settings in the bottom-left of the dashboard.
2
Click API Keys, then Create API key. Name the key, grant the permissions you need (aftership:tracking:read is enough for pulling tracking data), and click Save.
3
Copy the API key immediately, AfterShip only displays it once, and store it somewhere secure.
4
In Parabola, add a Track with AfterShip step, click Authorize, and paste the key when prompted.
5
Pick the AfterShip endpoint you want, Trackings, Checkpoints, Couriers, Notifications, then run the step.
Generate a separate API key per flow or team. Rotating keys quarterly and removing unused ones is a small habit that pays off the first time someone leaves the company or a key is exposed.

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Available data

AfterShip’s Tracking API exposes everything you need for post-purchase reporting and exception monitoring:
  • Trackings — full tracking records with tracking number, courier slug, current status (InfoReceived, InTransit, OutForDelivery, Delivered, Exception, Expired), origin and destination, estimated delivery date, transit time, and shipment tags.
  • Checkpoints — the full scan history for each tracking with timestamps, event descriptions, city/state/country, and coordinates.
  • Last checkpoint — the most recent scan event for each shipment, useful when you don’t need full history.
  • Couriers — courier names, slugs (the standardized identifiers like fedex or ups), service types, and the fields each courier requires for tracking detection.
  • Courier detection — let AfterShip identify the carrier automatically from a tracking number when the courier slug isn’t known.
  • Estimated delivery dates — AfterShip’s predicted delivery date based on courier performance and historical data.
  • Exceptions — failed delivery attempts, return-to-sender events, and reason codes for shipments in Exception status.
  • Notifications — email and SMS notification settings and send history for each tracking.

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Common use cases

  • Build a single tracking dashboard across carriers: Pull all active AfterShip trackings and join with orders from Shopify, Amazon Seller Central, or NetSuite to give CX one view of every outbound shipment regardless of courier.
  • Reconcile orders to tracking: Compare orders in your OMS or ERP against AfterShip trackings to flag missing tracking numbers, duplicate shipments, or orders where no carrier event has fired.
  • Report on delivery SLAs and transit times: Combine AfterShip checkpoint timestamps with promised delivery dates from your OMS or Fulfil to measure on-time rates, transit days by lane, and missed SLAs.
  • Build carrier scorecards: Roll up AfterShip statuses by courier slug to compare on-time rate, exception frequency, and regional performance across UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS for QBR-ready reports.
  • Alert CX on exceptions and delays: Filter AfterShip trackings to Exception or stuck-in-transit shipments, then post a Slack message or email to CX so they can reach out before the customer does.
  • Track returns visibility: Pull reverse-logistics trackings and join with RMA data in Shopify or your returns platform to monitor return transit and trigger refunds the moment a return is delivered to your warehouse.

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Tips for using Parabola with AfterShip

  • Schedule the flow on a tight cadence. Hourly is the right default for most CX and ops dashboards; every 15–30 minutes if you’re actioning exceptions live.
  • Use the courier slug as your join key. AfterShip standardizes carrier names as slugs (fedex, ups, usps-international). Use the slug, not the display name, when joining with carrier-specific data so casing and formatting don’t break the match.
  • Pull last checkpoint when you don’t need full history. The full Checkpoints endpoint can return dozens of rows per shipment. If you only need current status, the Last Checkpoint feed is dramatically lighter.
  • Filter to active trackings. Once a shipment hits Delivered or Expired, you usually don’t need to keep pulling it. Add a Filter rows step on status to keep your flow focused on shipments still in motion.
  • Convert timestamps to your reporting timezone. AfterShip returns timestamps in UTC. Normalize before any “today” or “this week” SLA logic.
  • Archive completed shipments. Push delivered trackings to Google Drive, Snowflake, or BigQuery so you keep history for trend analysis without bloating live flows.

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FAQ

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Does AfterShip support webhooks into Parabola?

The native step is API-pull only. For event-driven flows (status change, exception fired), point an AfterShip webhook at Parabola’s webhook trigger on a separate flow.

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Can I create new trackings in AfterShip from Parabola?

The Track with AfterShip step is read-only. To create or update trackings, use a Send to an API step pointed at AfterShip’s Tracking API with your API key.

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Which AfterShip plan do I need?

API access is included on AfterShip’s paid plans. Quota and rate limits depend on tier, see AfterShip pricing. Free tiers have limited API access, so confirm before building production flows.

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How do I pull only recent trackings or trackings with new events?

Pull the active trackings feed and add a Filter rows step on updated_at for the window you care about. For very large account, schedule the flow more frequently and filter to the last 30 minutes so each run stays fast.
With AfterShip and Parabola connected, the manual exports your CX team uses to chase down exceptions and the spreadsheets your ops team rebuilds for weekly carrier reviews run themselves, with output landing in the tools where your team actually works.
Last modified on May 18, 2026