Automate DPD Tracking: Real-Time Shipment Tracking with n8n and Make.com

Do you ship dozens of packages daily with DPD and spend hours manually checking tracking statuses and notifying customers? In this guide, we show you how to fully automate DPD shipment tracking - from automatic status checks to proactive customer notifications.

Why Automate DPD Tracking?

Typical E-Commerce Problems: Potential savings: With 100 shipments/day, you save 15-20 hours/week.

DPD Tracking Options Overview

1. DPD Webservice API (Official)

DPD offers an official API for business customers:

Access: DPD business customer account required

2. DPD Tracking Page (Scraping)

For smaller volumes without API access:

URL: https://tracking.dpd.de/parcelstatus?query={TRACKING_NUMBER}&locale=en_GB

Note: Scraping may violate terms of service - prefer the API.

3. Tracking Aggregators

Services like AfterShip, Shippo, or 17track aggregate multiple carriers:

Workflow 1: Automatic Customer Notifications

The Goal

Automatically notify customers via email/SMS when:

• Package shipped
• Package in destination country
• Package out for delivery
• Package delivered
• Problem/delay

The Workflow

New Order (Shopify/WooCommerce)
        |
    Create shipping label
        |
    Store tracking number
        |
    [Loop every 2 hours]
        |
    Query DPD status
        |
    Status changed?
        |
    Yes: Notify customer

Implementation with n8n

Step 1: Collect tracking numbers

// Node: Shopify Trigger - Order Fulfilled
// Extract tracking number from fulfillment

const trackingNumber = $json.fulfillments[0]?.tracking_number;
const carrier = $json.fulfillments[0]?.tracking_company;
const customerEmail = $json.email;
const orderId = $json.order_number;

return {
  trackingNumber,
  carrier,
  customerEmail,
  orderId,
  lastStatus: null,
  lastChecked: null
};

Step 2: Query status (with AfterShip)

// Node: HTTP Request
// Call AfterShip API

{
  "method": "GET",
  "url": "https://api.aftership.com/v4/trackings/dpd/{{ $json.trackingNumber }}",
  "headers": {
    "aftership-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
  }
}

Step 3: Detect status changes

// Node: IF
// Check if status has changed

const currentStatus = $json.data.tracking.tag;
const lastStatus = $('Get Last Status').item.json.lastStatus;

return currentStatus !== lastStatus;

Step 4: Send email

// Node: Send Email
// Status-specific message

const statusMessages = {
  'InTransit': 'Your package is on its way!',
  'OutForDelivery': 'Your package will be delivered today!',
  'Delivered': 'Your package has been delivered!',
  'Exception': 'There is an issue with your delivery.'
};

const subject = statusMessages[$json.status] || 'Update on your order';

Workflow 2: Shipping Dashboard with Real-Time Status

The Goal

A dashboard with all active shipments and their statuses:

• Overview of all packages
• Filter by status
• Alerts for problems
• Statistics (delivery times, etc.)

Implementation with Google Sheets + n8n

Step 1: Record shipments

Shopify Order Fulfilled
        |
    Google Sheets: New row
    - Order ID
    - Tracking Number
    - Customer
    - Ship date
    - Status: "Shipped"

Step 2: Regular status updates

Schedule Trigger (every 30 min)
        |
    Google Sheets: All active shipments
        |
    For each shipment: Query DPD status
        |
    Google Sheets: Update status

Step 3: Problem alerts

IF Status = "Exception" OR Delivery time > 5 days
        |
    Slack Alert to support team
        |
    Create ticket in Zendesk

Google Sheets Structure

Workflow 3: Proactive Delay Management

The Goal

Detect delays BEFORE the customer complains.

Logic

// Detect delay
const shipDate = new Date($json.shippedAt);
const today = new Date();
const daysInTransit = Math.floor((today - shipDate) / (1000 <em> 60 </em> 60 * 24));

const isDelayed = (
  (daysInTransit > 3 && $json.status === 'InTransit') ||
  ($json.status === 'Exception')
);

if (isDelayed) {
  return {
    action: 'proactive_outreach',
    message: 'We apologize for the delay...',
    compensation: 'discount_code_10'
  };
}

Automatic Compensation

Delay detected (> 5 days)
        |
    Generate discount code (10%)
        |
    Send apology email
        |
    CRM: Mark customer as "affected"

DPD API Integration (Technical)

API Authentication

// DPD Cloud API Authentication
const credentials = {
  cloudUserId: 'YOUR_USER_ID',
  cloudUserToken: 'YOUR_TOKEN',
  delisId: 'YOUR_DELIS_ID'
};

// Login Request
const loginResponse = await fetch('https://cloud.dpd.de/api/v1/login', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    name: credentials.cloudUserId,
    password: credentials.cloudUserToken,
    delisId: credentials.delisId
  })
});

const { authToken } = await loginResponse.json();

Tracking Query

// Query shipment status
const trackingResponse = await fetch(
  https://cloud.dpd.de/api/v1/tracking/${trackingNumber},
  {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': Bearer ${authToken},
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    }
  }
);

const tracking = await trackingResponse.json();
// tracking.statusHistory, tracking.currentStatus, etc.

Understanding Status Codes

Make.com Scenario: DPD + Shopify

Module Setup

Shopify -> Watch Fulfillments

HTTP -> Create AfterShip tracking

Google Sheets -> Store tracking

Schedule -> Check status every 30 min

Iterator -> For each tracking

HTTP -> Get AfterShip status

Router:

- Status changed -> Send email

- Problem -> Slack alert

- Delivered -> Send review request

Example Filter

// Only process status changes
Condition: {{previousStatus}} != {{currentStatus}}

Best Practices

1. Respect Rate Limits

2. Cache Tracking Data

Don't call the API for every request:

• Status "Delivered" -> Stop polling
• Status unchanged for 1h -> Longer interval

3. Manage Customer Expectations

// Communicate realistic delivery times
const estimatedDelivery = {
  'DE_DE': '1-2 business days',
  'DE_AT': '2-3 business days',
  'DE_EU': '3-5 business days'
};

4. Support Multiple Carriers

// Carrier router
const carrierAPIs = {
  'DPD': 'https://api.dpd...',
  'DHL': 'https://api.dhl...',
  'UPS': 'https://api.ups...',
  'Hermes': 'https://api.hermes...'
};

const apiUrl = carrierAPIs[$json.carrier];

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Investment

Savings

ROI: Automation pays off starting at just 50 shipments/day.

Advanced Integrations

DPD + Klaviyo (Email Marketing)

Tracking events as triggers for email flows:

• Delivered -> Review request after 3 days
• Delivered -> Cross-selling email after 7 days

DPD + Zendesk

Automatically create tickets for problems:

• Exception -> High priority ticket
• > 5 days transit time -> Medium priority ticket

DPD + Slack

Team notifications:

• Daily summary (X packages shipped, Y delivered)
• Instant alert for exceptions

Conclusion

DPD tracking automation is a quick win with high ROI:

• Fewer support inquiries
• Happier customers through proactive communication
• Detect and solve problems early

Next Steps

Analysis: How many shipments do you have per day?

Tool choice: DPD API directly or aggregator?

Pilot: Implement one workflow (e.g., delivery notification)

Scale: Add more statuses and carriers

We support you with shipping automation - from conception to integration.