First, confirm it is actually AfterShip and not your store. Then contain the damage and communicate. Here is exactly how to do that during a AfterShip outage, plus what usually breaks and how long incidents tend to last.
How do I confirm AfterShip is actually down?
Check two independent sources before changing anything in your store. First, StatusBird's live AfterShip status page, which is based on independent checks every 2 minutes. Second, AfterShip's own status page at www.aftershipstatus.com. If the official page still shows green, do not assume you are wrong: vendors often acknowledge incidents well after they start. If both look clean, the problem is more likely your store's configuration or a specific integration.
What does a AfterShip outage look like?
- Branded tracking page returns errors or never loads
- Order tracking statuses frozen and not updating despite packages moving
- Delivery notification emails and SMS stop sending
- Spike in where-is-my-order support tickets
- AfterShip dashboard or API returning errors or timeouts
What breaks in your store
When AfterShip is down, your branded tracking page stops loading or shows stale data, so customers clicking the tracking link in their order emails hit an error. Delivery notification emails and SMS pause, and tracking status updates stop syncing from carriers, which can make orders look stuck. The practical result is a spike in where-is-my-order support tickets. Nothing about checkout, payment, or actual carrier delivery is affected; packages keep moving even though tracking visibility is lost.
For context, StatusBird's independent monitoring recorded 2 major AfterShip incidents in the last 90 days, with an average duration of 29 hours 34 minutes. Details are on the AfterShip reliability page.
What to do during the outage
- Check AfterShip's status page to confirm the outage before debugging your integration.
- Give customers the raw carrier tracking number and a direct link to the carrier's own tracking site, such as UPS or USPS.
- Post a banner on your tracking or FAQ page explaining tracking updates are temporarily delayed but shipments are unaffected.
- Prepare a support macro so your team can answer where-is-my-order tickets quickly with carrier links.
- Verify notification queues resumed after recovery and manually notify customers about any deliveries that completed during the gap.
Frequently asked questions
Are my customers' packages delayed because AfterShip is down?
No. AfterShip only reports tracking data; it does not move packages. Carriers keep picking up and delivering normally, and customers can always check status directly on the carrier's website using their tracking number.
Does an AfterShip outage affect my checkout or new orders?
No. AfterShip sits entirely in the post-purchase experience. Checkout, payment, and order creation all run through your store platform and are untouched; the impact is limited to tracking pages, delivery notifications, and the support load that comes with them.
After the outage
Once AfterShip recovers, verify the affected workflows end to end rather than trusting the status page. Note the start and end times while they are fresh: if you are on a paid AfterShip plan with an SLA, documented downtime is what a service credit claim is built on. See how to claim SLA credits for the process.
How this data is measured
StatusBird checks AfterShip's status every 2 minutes, around the clock, independently of the vendor. The availability figure counts major and critical outages only; minor degradation is excluded so numbers are not skewed by vendors that report small blips near-continuously. Grades run from A+ to F. See the live numbers on the AfterShip reliability page and current status on the AfterShip status page, or browse all 84 service grades.
Know before your customers do
StatusBird monitors AfterShip and 83 other services online stores depend on, plus your own storefront, every 2 minutes. When something goes down you get an SMS, email, or Slack alert with plain-English context, usually before the official status page catches up. Start monitoring free, no card required for the free plan.