Order update email templates (UK English)

How to use these

Good order update emails, in one place

An order update email tells a customer that something has moved: their order is confirmed, on its way, ready to collect, or that a detail like the delivery address has changed. The best ones lead with the update, name the order clearly, and give the next step in a sentence or two. The templates below are written to do exactly that.

Every template uses placeholders in square brackets, such as [customer name], [order number], [tracking link] and [collection point]. These are illustrative gaps for you to fill in before sending. They are a writing convention, not merge tags or any automated field, so replace each one by hand or paste the template into a saved reply and edit it. Keep the brackets out of the message you actually send.

Where a template points the customer to a tracking page or a help page, use descriptive link text such as track your parcel with [carrier name] rather than a raw web address. It reads better, it is clearer about where the link goes, and it is kinder to anyone using a screen reader. The same goes for any link to your returns policy or contact page.

A quick checklist before you press send: does the first line state the update; is the order named so the customer can match it; is the next step or date obvious; and is there a clear way to reply if something is wrong. If all four are true, the email is doing its job.

Order confirmed

Order confirmed templates

Send these as soon as an order is placed and paid for. Tone: warm, reassuring and brief. The customer mainly wants proof you have their order and a sense of what happens next.

Standard order confirmation

Subject: Your order [order number] is confirmed

Hello [customer name], thank you for your order. We have received order [order number] placed on [order date] and payment has gone through, so there is nothing more for you to do right now. We are getting it ready and will email again the moment it is dispatched, usually within [dispatch timeframe, for example one to two working days]. If anything in your order looks wrong, just reply to this email and we will sort it before it ships. Thanks again from all of us at [brand name].

Confirmation with a delivery estimate

Subject: Order [order number] confirmed, arriving around [estimated date]

Hello [customer name], your order is confirmed and on our list to pack. Based on your [delivery method] choice, we expect it to reach [delivery address town or postcode] around [estimated delivery date]. That is an estimate rather than a promise, and we will send a tracking link as soon as it leaves us so you can follow it the rest of the way. If you need it by a particular date, reply and let us know and we will tell you honestly whether we can meet it.

Confirmation for a pre-order or backorder

Subject: Thanks for pre-ordering [product name], order [order number]

Hello [customer name], thank you for pre-ordering [product name]. We have reserved yours under order [order number]. As things stand we expect stock to arrive with us around [expected stock date], and we will dispatch your order within [dispatch timeframe] of it landing. We will email you the moment that happens. If the date slips for any reason, you will hear from us first, not last, and you are welcome to cancel for a full refund at any point before it ships.

Name the order in the first line

Customers often have several orders on the go. Putting the order number in the subject and the opening sentence lets them match your email to the right purchase straight away, which cuts the where is my order replies that follow a vague update.

Dispatched

Order dispatched templates

Send when the order leaves you. Tone: upbeat and practical. This is the email customers wait for, so make the carrier, the timing and the tracking obvious.

Standard dispatch notice

Subject: Good news, order [order number] is on its way

Hello [customer name], your order [order number] has left us and is on its way to [delivery address town or postcode]. It is travelling with [carrier name] and, all being well, should arrive within [delivery window, for example two to three working days]. We will share a tracking link in a moment so you can follow it. If you are out when it arrives, [carrier name] will usually [leave a card or attempt redelivery, adjust to your carrier]. Any questions, just reply to this email.

Dispatch for a split order

Subject: Part of order [order number] has been dispatched

Hello [customer name], one part of your order [order number] is now on its way with [carrier name], carrying [items in this parcel]. The remaining item, [delayed item], is following separately and we will email you the moment it ships. You will not pay any extra delivery for the second parcel. We are sorry your order is arriving in two parts; sending the ready items now means you are not waiting on everything at once.

Dispatch with a delivery-day heads-up

Subject: Order [order number] ships today, here is what to expect

Hello [customer name], we have packed and dispatched order [order number] today with [carrier name]. You should receive it on [expected delivery date], and [carrier name] may send you a delivery window on the morning of arrival. If that date does not suit, most carriers let you reschedule or redirect once tracking is live, and we will include the tracking link in the next email so you can do that. Thanks for shopping with [brand name].

Tracking

Tracking link templates

Send alongside or just after the dispatch notice. Tone: helpful and concise. The customer wants the link, the carrier and a realistic arrival window, and not much else.

Tracking shared

Subject: Track your order [order number]

Hello [customer name], here is the tracking for your order [order number]. You can follow your parcel with [carrier name] using the tracking page linked below. It can take a few hours for the first scan to show, so do not worry if it looks quiet at first. The expected arrival is [estimated delivery date]. Use the descriptive link, track your parcel with [carrier name], rather than a long web address, so the customer can see where it goes.

Tracking with delivery-window options

Subject: Your parcel is trackable, and you can change the delivery

Hello [customer name], your order [order number] is now trackable with [carrier name]. As well as following its progress, you can usually choose a safe place, change the delivery day or redirect to a [carrier name] pickup point from the tracking page. The current estimate is [estimated delivery date]. If the tracking has not updated after [time, for example forty-eight hours], reply to this email and we will chase it with the carrier for you.

Reassurance when tracking has stalled

Subject: An update on your order [order number]

Hello [customer name], thank you for your patience. We can see that tracking for your order [order number] has not moved since [last scan date], so we have raised it with [carrier name] to find out where it is. We expect an answer from them by [expected update date]. If your parcel has not arrived or moved by then, we will not leave you waiting; we will either resend the order or refund it, whichever you prefer. We are sorry for the wait and will be back in touch as soon as we hear.

Link to the carrier with words, not a web address

A line such as follow your parcel with [carrier name] is clearer and more accessible than a long tracking URL pasted into the email. It tells the reader exactly where the link leads, and it reads cleanly on a phone and to a screen reader.

Ready for collection

Ready for collection templates

Send when a click-and-collect or in-store order is ready. Tone: clear and welcoming. Give the location, the hours, what to bring, and how long you will hold it.

Click-and-collect ready

Subject: Order [order number] is ready to collect

Hello [customer name], your order [order number] is packed and waiting for you at [collection point], [collection address]. We are open [opening hours], so come along whenever suits. Please bring your order number and a form of photo identification so we can hand it over to the right person. We will hold your order for [holding period, for example seven days]. If you cannot collect within that time, just reply and we will hold it a little longer or arrange delivery instead.

Ready for collection with a named contact

Subject: Your order is ready, just ask for [team name] at [collection point]

Hello [customer name], good news, order [order number] is ready to collect from [collection point]. When you arrive, head to [department or desk] and quote your order number; the team there will have it ready. Our hours are [opening hours]. We will keep it aside for [holding period]. If someone else is collecting on your behalf, that is fine; please ask them to bring your order number and a note from you, or reply here to let us know their name in advance.

Collection reminder before the holding period ends

Subject: A reminder, order [order number] is waiting for you

Hello [customer name], a friendly reminder that your order [order number] is still waiting at [collection point]. We are holding it until [collection deadline], after which it goes back into stock and we issue a refund. If you would still like it, pop in during [opening hours] with your order number, or reply to this email and we will happily switch it to home delivery instead. No rush, we just did not want it to slip your mind.

Change of address

Change of delivery address templates

Use these when a customer asks to change where an order goes, or when you need to confirm a change. Tone: precise and reassuring. Address changes carry risk, so confirm the exact new address back to the customer and be honest about whether it is still possible.

Address change confirmed before dispatch

Subject: Delivery address updated for order [order number]

Hello [customer name], thank you, we have updated the delivery address for order [order number]. To be sure we have it right, your order will now go to: [new full delivery address, including postcode]. Nothing else has changed and your estimated dispatch date is still [dispatch date]. Please reply and let us know straight away if any line of that address is wrong, as we will not be able to change it once the parcel is with the carrier.

Address change requested after dispatch

Subject: About changing the address on order [order number]

Hello [customer name], thank you for letting us know. Your order [order number] has already been dispatched with [carrier name], so we cannot change the address from our side. The good news is that you can usually redirect it yourself from the [carrier name] tracking page, by choosing a new address, a safe place or a nearby pickup point. If the carrier does not allow a redirect for your parcel, reply and we will help you arrange a return and resend to the correct address. We are sorry for the extra step.

Asking the customer to confirm a mismatched address

Subject: Please confirm the delivery address for order [order number]

Hello [customer name], before we send order [order number] we want to check the delivery address, as the postcode and the rest of the address do not appear to match. Could you reply with the full, correct address, including the postcode, exactly as it should appear on the label. We will hold the order until we hear from you so it does not go to the wrong place. Thank you for your help; it only takes a moment and saves a parcel going astray.

Make them reusable

Turn these into saved replies in Solves

Solves does not auto-fill or send these for you. It keeps the wording one click away so your team writes once and reuses everywhere, editing the details before each send.

Paste once, reuse forever

Drop a template into a saved reply, name it clearly, such as Order dispatched, and the whole team can insert it into any ticket and edit the placeholders before sending.

About saved replies

Right wording per brand

Scope a saved reply to one brand or share it across the organisation, so each brand keeps its own tone while your team works from one queue.

Multi-brand support

Consistent across the team

Saved replies keep your order updates worded the same way whoever picks up the ticket, so customers get the same clear message every time.

All templates

Placeholders are a writing aid, not a feature

The square-bracket markers here are gaps for you to fill in by hand. Solves does not ship merge fields or an automation engine, so always replace each placeholder with the real detail and remove the brackets before you send.

FAQ

Order update email questions

What should an order update email include?

A good order update email confirms what has changed, names the order so the customer can match it to their account, gives the next step or date, and says what they need to do, if anything. Keep it short, lead with the update, and sign off with a clear way to reply. For dispatch and tracking, include the carrier and a tracking link in descriptive link text rather than a bare URL.

How formal should an order update email be?

Match the customer's tone and your brand voice, but err towards warm and plain. Most British shoppers prefer friendly and direct over stiff or overly chatty. Use the customer's name once near the top, avoid jargon, and never bury the actual update under a paragraph of thanks. A confirmation can be cheerful; a change-of-address acknowledgement should be reassuring and precise.

Are the square-bracket placeholders a Solves feature?

No. The [customer name], [order number] and similar markers in these templates are just illustrative gaps for you to fill in before sending. They are a writing convention, not merge tags or any automated field. Solves does not ship dynamic merge fields or an automation engine, so you replace each placeholder by hand, or paste a saved reply and edit it.

How do I send these without retyping them each time?

Paste the template you use most into a Solves saved reply, give it a clear name like Order dispatched, and your team can drop it into any ticket and edit the details before sending. Saved replies keep wording consistent across the team and can be scoped to one brand or shared across the organisation.

Should a collection-ready email mention how long the order is held?

Yes. Telling the customer how long you will hold a click-and-collect order, and what happens if they do not collect in time, prevents the most common follow-up question and the awkward conversation about a returned order. State the holding period, the location, opening hours and any proof of identity or order reference they need to bring.

Save these as Solves saved replies

Paste the order update templates you use most into saved replies, so your team writes them once and sends consistent updates from one shared queue.

See saved replies Browse all templates