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Integrate Bloomreach with AfterShip Tracking


Plans: All plans Platforms: All platforms


Overview


Bloomreach is a powerful customer engagement platform that unifies sales, transactional, customer, and product data to drive personalized, cross-channel marketing campaigns.
AfterShip Tracking and Bloomreach integration centralizes all email communications in one platform. When order statuses are updated in AfterShip Tracking, brands can automatically trigger nine types of email notifications through Bloomreach. This ensures timely communication, consistent customer experience, and improved operational efficiency.


If you plan to send shipment notifications via Bloomreach, disable AfterShip Tracking’s native notifications to avoid duplicate emails.


What You’ll Learn



Key use cases


  1. Automated sync of shipment events: AfterShip sends nine pre-defined shipment events to Bloomreach in real time, enabling seamless data flow and engagement.
  2. Trigger email campaigns based on shipment events: Brands can use AfterShip-triggered events to schedule Bloomreach campaigns that notify customers about delivery updates or exceptions.
  3. Insert event properties as personalization tags: Dynamic tags populate order- and customer-specific information in your email templates, allowing for a highly personalized messaging experience.


Event descriptions in Bloomreach


AfterShip Tracking automatically syncs nine pre-configured shipment events to your Bloomreach account. These events can be used to trigger email notifications or personalized customer journeys.


Event type

Description

AfterShip - Delivery Updates – Info Received

Triggered when a package has been shipped and is awaiting pickup by the courier.

AfterShip - Delivery Updates – In Transit

Indicates that the shipment is on its way to the customer.

AfterShip - Delivery Updates – Out for Delivery

Triggered when a shipment is out for final delivery.

AfterShip - Delivery Updates – Available for Pickup

Notifies when a shipment is ready for collection at a pickup point.

AfterShip - Delivery Updates – Delivered

Confirms that the package has been successfully delivered.

AfterShip - Delivery Exceptions – General Exception

Alerts when a package encounters an issue such as being lost, delayed, damaged, or held up (excluding returns).

AfterShip - Delivery Exceptions – Failed Attempt

Indicates that the courier attempted delivery but was unsuccessful.

AfterShip - Delivery Exceptions – Returning to Sender

Triggered when a package is en route back to the sender.

AfterShip - Delivery Exceptions – Returned to Sender

Confirms that the package has been returned to the original sender.


Event properties (Data synced)


Product item details cannot be synced to Bloomreach because it does not support the "struct" data type. As a result, you won’t be able to insert individual product-level variables (e.g., item name, quantity) into your email templates.


Event Property

Description

Tracking Number

The shipment's tracking number

Source

The Import source of AfterShip tracking

Latest Status

Current delivery status of the AfterShip shipment

Latest Sub Status

Current sub-status of the AfterShip shipment

Note

Displays additional notes configured in AfterShip.

Branded Tracking URL

URL to your AfterShip branded tracking page with “tracking number” as a pre-set parameter.

Updated At

The latest update time on the shipment from the courier.

Courier Estimated Delivery Date

The estimated delivery date is provided by the courier and sourced directly through AfterShip’s integration with courier tracking services. This represents the courier’s most accurate estimate of when the shipment is expected to be delivered.

AI-Estimated Delivery Date

AfterShip leverages AI and proprietary tracking data to provide the AfterShip AI Predicted Estimated Delivery Date (AIEDD). AIEDD proactively engages with your customers and provides EDDs with higher than industry-level accuracy.

Custom Estimated Delivery Date

The Custom estimated delivery date is a configurable setting within AfterShip Tracking’s admin dashboard. It is used in cases where merchants already have a mechanism to calculate the estimated delivery date based on the shipping type, courier, and destination.

Latest Estimated Delivery Date

The Latest Estimated Delivery Date is determined based on the following priority order: Courier estimated delivery date > AfterShip AI predicted estimated delivery date > Promised delivery date > Custom estimated delivery date.

Destination Country Region

The destination country name of the shipment.

Destination State

The destination state of the shipment

Destination City

The destination city of the shipment

Destination Postal Code

The destination postal code of the shipment.

Destination Address

Destination address of the shipment

Origin Country Region

The origin country name of the shipment.

Origin State

The origin state of the shipment.

Origin City

The origin city of the shipment.

Origin Address

The origin country of the shipment in ISO 3 format.

Origin Postal Code

The origin postal code of the shipment.

Delivery Type

The types of delivery(eg, Self Pickup)

Pickup Location

The location from which the customer can pick up their package.

Package Count

The number of packages under this shipment.

Shipped At

The ship date of the shipment.

Transit Time

The total time spent on this shipment so far.

Picked Up At

The pickup date of the shipment.

Delivered At

The delivery date of the shipment.

Signed By

The package receiver's information.

Carrier Slug

The name of the courier slug.

Carrier Shipping Method

Displays shipment's courier service type (e.g., UPS Express SaverÂź).

Carrier Redirect URL

URL where the customer can redirect their parcel.

Carrier Tracking URL

The courier's tracking page URL.

Store Slug

The e-commerce store name

Order Number

The customer-facing number identifies a purchase or order placed by a customer.

Order ID

The merchant's internal-facing number identifying a purchase or order placed by a customer on the eCommerce portal.

AfterShip Order ID

The Aftership system ID of the order

Order URL

The URL that customers can click to view their order on your eCommerce store.

Customer Roles

The role of the customer

Customer Name

The customer's name of the package receiver or the buyer of the order

Customer Language

The language of the notification that the customer wants to receive


Installation guide


Step 1: Create Bloomreach API Credentials


  1. In your Bloomreach admin, navigate to Settings → Project Settings → Access Management → API


  • Create a New Public API Group and ensure it's marked as Public access.
  • Name it as per your preference.



  1. Set permissions for the API group


a. Customer properties


  • Enable Set for New properties
  • If an email property exists, enable Set for it as well.
  • Enable Set for the New events.



  1. Gather Required Information for AfterShip Integration


a. Project Token


  • Go to Settings > Project settings > Access management > API
  • Locate and copy the Project token


b. API Base URL


  • In the same section (API under Access management), find the API Base URL


c. API Token


  • Select the API group you created for AfterShip
  • Copy the API token



d. Hard ID


  • The Hard ID is a type of customer identifier in Bloomreach
  • It’s typically named registered by default, but it may vary based on your custom setup
  • To confirm, navigate to the Customers section and check the ID type used



Step 2: Connect to AfterShip


After collecting the required information from the Bloomreach admin, paste the following information into the designated fields on the Bloomreach and AfterShip Tracking integration page.


  1. Log in to your AfterShip Tracking admin dashboard.
  2. Go to Integrations > View more apps.
  3. Find Bloomreach and select it to land on the detailed integration page.
  4. Click Install App.
  5. Select the right organization (online store) if you have multiple organizations configured in AfterShip Tracking (Optional) for which you are establishing this integration.
  6. On the Bloomreach app integration authorization page, enter the credentials collected above.
  7. Save and test the connection



Set up email notifications in Bloomreach


When updating customer data, Bloomreach uses the Hard ID along with the email attribute.


If a customer with the same email does not already exist (i.e., there is no matching Hard ID), Bloomreach will automatically create a new customer record.


1. Verify shipment events in Bloomreach


Once the integration is complete, return to your Bloomreach account and navigate to Data Manager > Events. Here, you should see nine events imported from AfterShip. These events are automatically linked to the corresponding customer profiles. Every time new shipment data flows in from AfterShip, it is matched and added to the appropriate customer using their Hard ID and email.




2. Create an email campaign using these events


You can use the imported shipment events to trigger or schedule email campaigns. This allows you to notify customers automatically based on real-time shipping updates.


To create emails using AfterShip imported events, follow the steps below.


  1. On the main navigation, click Campaigns, then Email campaigns +.
  2. Select a Predefined template or one of the builders–Visual or HTML to create email campaigns.
  3. Once the template is selected, specify the sender details and design the email under the Editor tab using the AI or regular content blocks and sections.



  1. In the Settings tab, Schedule email campaigns based On events. Select an AfterShip event from the dropdown.  



  1. When designing your email templates, you can insert personalization tags based on the properties from the AfterShip event—such as tracking number, courier name, delivery status, and estimated delivery date. 



FAQs


1. What is a Hard ID and why is it important?


A Hard ID is a unique customer identifier in Bloomreach. It’s usually labeled as "registered" by default but can be customized. It's essential because Bloomreach uses it along with the email to link data to customer profiles.


2. What happens if Bloomreach can't find a customer with the matching Hard ID and email?


If no match is found, Bloomreach will automatically create a new customer profile using the provided email.


3. Where do I find my Project Token, API Token, and API Base URL?


Go to Settings > Project Settings > Access Management > API in Bloomreach. You’ll find the tokens and API Base URL there.


4. Can I use AfterShip shipment events to trigger SMS or push notifications too?


Yes, if you're using Bloomreach for multi-channel messaging, you can repurpose the same shipment events to trigger SMS or push messages in addition to email.


5. What if I manage multiple stores in AfterShip?


Select the correct organization (store) in AfterShip before setting up the integration to ensure the right data flows into Bloomreach.


Troubleshooting tips


Issue: Not seeing AfterShip shipment events in Bloomreach


  • Double-check that the API integration is active and using the correct API group. The API group should be set to Public access.
  • Ensure your API group permissions include “Set” for customer properties and new events.
  • Go to Data Manager > Events and confirm the AfterShip events have synced.


Issue: Emails are not being sent


  • Make sure your triggered campaign is activated.
  • Confirm the trigger event (e.g., shipment_delivered) is correctly selected.
  • Check if you have selected a specific set of Audience to trigger the email to. Go to your Campaign settings and set Audience to All customers.




Issue: Customers not getting linked correctly


  • Verify that email and Hard ID are both present in your AfterShip data.
  • Go to the Customers section in Bloomreach to inspect the ID settings.
  • If needed, adjust the ID configuration or reach out to your Bloomreach support contact.


Key takeaways


  1. Connecting AfterShip with Bloomreach lets you automatically trigger personalized emails based on real-time shipping events—like when a package ships or is delivered.
  2. Bloomreach identifies customers using the Hard ID and email. If there's no match, it creates a new customer record automatically.
  3. AfterShip sends 9 predefined shipment events to Bloomreach. You can use these events to build email campaigns and keep your customers informed and engaged.
  4. Use event properties (personalization tags like courier name, delivery date, tracking number) to personalize emails and enhance customer satisfaction.





Updated on: 01/07/2025