Import tracking files automatically with FTP or SFTP

Confirm the prerequisites

• An active Growth or Unlimited plan. Free and Starter support manual uploads; FTP/SFTP imports require Growth or above.
• A server supplied by your warehouse, carrier, or supplier, with its host, port, username, password, and remote folder path.
• Permission for the app to list and read that folder. If you enable Delete after import, the account also needs delete permission. Keep this option off while checking the workflow and retain your original files.
• CSV, TSV, XLS, or XLSX files with Shopify order numbers and tracking numbers. Know the exact header names; a carrier and tags column can also be mapped.
• A new filename for each shipment batch, such as tracking-2026-10-01-001.csv. When files are retained, the app remembers up to 500 processed names and skips them on later polls. Archive old, verified batches from the watched folder. Do not overwrite a retained batch to retry it.

Set up and test

1. First import a small supplier file manually through Bulk Upload and verify the orders in Shopify. This confirms the file’s meaning before it runs unattended.
2. Open Automations and add the FTP or SFTP connection. Enter the server details and remote folder supplied by your provider.
3. Map the exact order number and tracking number headers, plus the carrier and tags headers when used. Set a default carrier if the file does not contain one.
4. Use an optional filename filter to limit which files are imported. The filter matches text in the filename; it is not a wildcard pattern.
5. Turn off Enabled before saving the connection, and keep Delete after import off. A new connection starts enabled by default; saving it enabled allows scheduled imports immediately.
6. Test connection, save the disabled connection, and use Run now with a small shipment batch. Check the result, History, and the affected Shopify orders.
7. Enable automatic imports after you have verified the results. Enabled connections are checked every five minutes. Review the connection status and errors regularly.

Know what an automatic import does

FTP/SFTP imports create fulfillments for matching open orders. They use your Settings notification preference and order tagging. For corrections to existing tracking, use the manual Bulk Upload tracking update workflow.

A successful connection test verifies server access and the folder. It does not prove that the file’s column mapping or Shopify fulfillments will succeed. Check a real small batch with Run now before relying on the schedule.

Delete after import removes a file only when every row was fulfilled successfully. Files with failed rows or rows skipped by the monthly limit remain on the server, and their names are remembered to prevent automatic replay. Retry failed fulfillments in History; for skipped rows, prepare a new file containing only unfulfilled shipments after the monthly allowance is available. Retain a separate copy of each original shipment file.

Check an import that has stopped

• Authentication required: open Quick Fulfillment in Shopify admin to reconnect Shopify access.
• Plan required: confirm Growth or Unlimited, then review and re-enable the saved connection.
• No new files: check the folder, filename filter, supported extension, and whether that filename was already processed.
• Rows failed: inspect History, correct the problem, and retry the failed fulfillment where available. Do not repeat the entire successful batch.
• Connection or download failure: confirm host, port, credentials, folder permissions, and the provider’s server availability.