Google users will be able to track their deliveries directly in their email inboxes through a new Gmail feature being rolled out before the holidays.
For users who opt-in for the feature, Gmail will “automatically look up order statuses using your tracking numbers and surface them in your inbox,” Google said in its announcement.
The tracking number must appear in a participating merchant’s email to a customer in order for the Gmail feature to kick in.
“Package tracking will be available across most major U.S. shipping carriers and will provide important details at a glance, such as estimated arrival date and status,” according to Google.
For packages with tracking numbers, Gmail will now display details like the status or delivery time. For the list view of your inbox, a small summary line will appear under an email’s heading. Delivery status summary cards for packages will be displayed inside individual emails.
Crucially, this specification means that Amazon notification emails will not be viable for the package tracker, since Amazon’s emails do not contain tracking numbers.
“If a tracking number is not included in the merchant’s order email, the package tracking feature won’t be available,” Google spokesperson Madison Veld told The Verge, a technology site.
The updates to Gmail will be rolled out in “the coming weeks,” Google said. Down the line, Google also plans to add more details to the package tracker, including notifications for when a package is delayed.
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