Using a different carrier? See Package Tracking.

Introduction

Zembula connects to Royal Mail through an app that you create on Royal Mail's developer portal. The app only needs Royal Mail's Tracking API. Zembula uses it to read the scans for the tracking numbers your content sends. It never creates or changes anything in your Royal Mail account.

This guide covers getting access from Royal Mail, creating the app, and connecting it in the Zembula platform. You enter the credentials in Zembula yourself.

Who can do this

Royal Mail's Tracking API is only for Royal Mail business account holders. Your Royal Mail account manager starts the Tracking API integration for you. If you don't have an account manager, email business.customer.service@royalmail.com.

In Zembula, only account Admins can connect Royal Mail. Other users can open the Package Tracking page, but they can't change it.

Before you go live

New Royal Mail subscriptions start on an Assessment plan of 25 calls per 12 hours. That is enough to test, not to send. Ask Royal Mail to move your app to a production plan before you use Royal Mail tracking in an email. Royal Mail doesn't publish the limits of its production plans, so ask them what yours allows.

Each time an image with Royal Mail tracking loads, Zembula can ask Royal Mail for the latest scans. So each email open can use a call. Plan your limit around how many emails you send.

Create the app

Ask your Royal Mail account manager to start a Tracking API integration.
Create an account at developer.royalmail.net.
Open My Apps and register a new app. Royal Mail gives the app its own Client ID and Client Secret.
Subscribe the app to the Royal Mail Tracking v2 API. Royal Mail approves new subscriptions, usually within a week.
Accept Royal Mail's Tracking API Terms & Conditions.

Copy the credentials

Open the app under My Apps and copy its Client ID and Client Secret. Royal Mail shows the secret only once, so copy it before you leave the page. If you lose it, reset it with the Reset link in the app's API Secret section.

Keep the Client Secret private. Don't send it by email or chat. You enter it yourself in the Zembula platform in the next step.

Connect Royal Mail in Zembula

In the Zembula platform, open Data Sync → Integrations and select the Data integrations tab.
Click Set up on the Package Tracking tile. If it is already set up, the button reads Open.
If the page shows Turn on, click it. The page shows Setting up the builder source… and then Use INTERFACES › Package Tracking in the builder.
In the Carriers section, click Add on the Royal Mail row.
The row lists Client ID and Client secret. Click Paste a key next to Client ID. The Paste your Royal Mail keys dialog opens.
The dialog has two fields, Client ID and Client secret. Paste each value into the field with its name, and click Connect.

The button reads Verifying… while Zembula saves your keys. Zembula doesn't test the keys with Royal Mail at this step. The row then reads Connected — starts answering within the hour.

By connecting, you confirm that you have accepted Royal Mail's Tracking API terms. Zembula passes that confirmation to Royal Mail on every tracking request.

Try it

Add INTERFACES › Package Tracking to a draft image in the builder, turn on Simulate, and preview it with a Royal Mail tracking number. If the preview shows no tracking for a number you know is valid, check the keys and replace them if needed.

Always send the carrier with the tracking number. Zembula doesn't work out the carrier from the number. A carrier value that contains Royal Mail, ROYAL_MAIL or RoyalMail goes to Royal Mail. A carrier value of Parcelforce doesn't go to Royal Mail.

If you also use order data

In this release, order data and carriers can't run together. If order data is live on your account, the Royal Mail row reads Connected — waiting: carriers and order data can't run together until the next release.

To switch, click Use Royal Mail instead. This turns order data off and Royal Mail on. Content that sends only an order ID will then show your fallback.

What shoppers see

Status: where the parcel is, such as In Transit, Out for Delivery or Delivered. It shows the latest scan Royal Mail reports when the image loads.
Scans: each scan with its date and time and the Royal Mail office that scanned it, such as a delivery office or mail centre.
Estimated delivery: a date, when Royal Mail provides one. Zembula shows the date only, with no time window.
Tracking link: the item's page on royalmail.com.
Redelivery link: after a missed delivery, a link to book a redelivery, when Royal Mail returns one.

Royal Mail's "ready for delivery" scan and customs scans read In Transit. A number Royal Mail has no tracking for reads as not found, so your content can show a fallback. Zembula never reads the signature or the recipient's name.

Tracking covers the same items as tracking on royalmail.com, mostly Special Delivery and Royal Mail Tracked. Untracked and Signed For items have little or no scan history. Parcelforce isn't supported by this connection.

Where your credentials are kept

The Client ID and Client Secret are saved as encrypted secrets. They can't be read back: the platform only shows their last four characters. They're listed under Data Sync → Secrets & Configs, and they can only be sent to Royal Mail's API (api.royalmail.net).

If you reset the secret in Royal Mail, open Package Tracking and click Replace key next to Client secret on the Royal Mail row. Paste the new secret and click Connect.

More detail: Shared Secrets and Configs.

Troubleshooting

The Royal Mail row has no Add button: only Admins can connect a carrier. Ask an Admin on your Zembula account.
The preview shows no tracking: check that the keys came from the app subscribed to Royal Mail Tracking v2, and that Royal Mail has approved the subscription. Then click Replace key next to each key and paste it again.
Tracking stops partway through the day: your app may have used its plan's calls. Ask Royal Mail to move you to a production plan.