How to automate return tracking keys for OTTO & Zalando with Channable
Managing returns efficiently is crucial when operating across Marketplaces like OTTO and Zalando. These platforms have a unique requirement: customers must submit a return tracking key upon confirming their return shipment.
This means that when a customer makes a purchase, the order will already have a return tracking key available in the event of a potential return. This article explains how to automate this process with Channable.
Below is the list of imports we currently support:
Shopware 5
Shopware 6
WooCommerce
Shopify
Magento
Transporter mapping
When configuring your Return Tracking Key, ensure that the Transporter used for the return tracking code is mapped within your transporter settings—just like the Transporter mapping for Track & Trace codes. If it's not mapped yet, proceed to map it. For more information read this article.
Where do I place my return keys?
Returns are automated for most marketplaces. However, OTTO and Zalando require that you manually enter return tracking keys into specific fields so Channable can process them. The feature is supported for several platforms. Below are the instructions to create and fill these fields for each supported platform.
Shopware 5
Navigate to Configuration > Free Text Field Management.
Add a new text field to the Orders (s_order_attributes) table.
Ensure that Display in Backend is selected so it's visible for editing in the order overview.
Save the new field. It will be visible at the lower part of the order overview to fill in.
The field name to use when retrieving this data is returnTrackingCode, even if you set it as return_tracking_code during creation.
Shopware 6
Navigate to Settings > System > Custom Fields in the Shopware dashboard.
Click Add Set to create a new set named: Return tracking code.
Inside the new set, create a new text custom field.
Name the technical field and the label both as return_tracking_code.
Save your changes. This custom field will now be available at the bottom of the order details page to fill in.
WooCommerce
Go to: WooCommerce > Orders in your WordPress dashboard to view your orders list.
Select the specific order to which you want to add a return tracking code.
Locate the Custom fields section within the order details page. (Appearance/location may differ depending on WooCommerce version and plugins.)
Create a new custom field with the name: return_tracking_code and input the return tracking code as its value.
Note: The layout and process may differ slightly based on the version of WooCommerce or installed plugins. Some setups may have predefined values for custom field names—be aware of these differences.
Shopify
Go to the Metafields section in your Shopify admin.
Select the Orders section to add a new metafield to orders.
Create a new metafield named Return tracking code, set its type to single line text and ensure it's configured to accept a single value.
This metafield will then be accessible for each order, allowing input of the return tracking code within the order's details.
To retrieve this information programmatically, make a GET request to the orders/{order_id}/metafields.json endpoint.
Note: This endpoint might not be listed in the official Shopify documentation but has been verified to work for accessing order metafields, including the return tracking code.
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