Track Sent Letters
Overview
Track the status of your mailed letters, access detailed information, and stay updated on delivery status with DocuPost.
How to Track a Sent Letter
Open the Letters overview page from the sidebar.
Identify the specific sent letter in list you wish to track.
Click on the letter you want to track to view the Letter Details page
View Letter Details information. If you chose one of the two Certified USPS Mail Service options that DocuPost offers, you will have a tracking link.
Tracking and Viewing Letters
Access Sent Letters
To access the list of sent letters in DocuPost, you need to navigate from the left sidebar. Click on Letters to open the Letters overview page. On this screen, you will find a list of all the letters you have sent in a tabular format.
The Letters overview page displays columns for Document, Recipient, Sender, Send Date, and Estimated Delivery. Each row represents a letter and shows details such as the document name, recipient's name, sender's name, send date, and estimated delivery date.
The Document column includes icons indicating the number of pages and color status.
The status of each letter is shown with tags like "In the mail" or "Delivered."
USPS Holds Tracking Data
Once your mail is handed off to USPS, tracking updates depend on their scans. DocuPost cannot guarantee exact-day delivery or postmark dates. Further, USPS does not always scan items promptly after we have handed them off to USPS - therefore, the "Awaiting receipt" USPS status may show even after hand-off until scanned.
If you sent the letter or postcard via USPS First Class Certified you will have access to the USPS Tracking Number via the mail details page. If you do not see your USPS Tracking Number on your mail details page and the status of the letter is "see tracking", please reach out to support.
Identify Mail Service Type
Mail Service Tracking Breakdown
Letters and Postcards can be sent via four USPS Mail Service options, unlike checks, that can only be sent via USPS First Class (non-certified).
Mail Service | est. Delivery Time | Mailing Status Details | USPS Tracking Link | USPS Delay Information | USPS Proof of Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USPS | 3-10 days | Preparing, | ✅ | May be available via USPS link | Available via USPS link. Electronic Return Receipt can be requested from USPS.com tracking page. |
USPS | 3-10 days | Preparing, | ✅ | May be available via USPS link | Available via USPS link |
USPS | 3-10 days | Preparing, | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
USPS | 5-20 days | Preparing, | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Mail Tracking Statuses (Non-Certified)
Mail Status Stages | Description | Cancellation Possible? |
|---|---|---|
Preparing | Passed validation, in queue. | If within window, there is a red cancel button on detail page. |
On the way | Traveling to postal carrier or recipient. Est. date shown on detail page high accuracy Est. date shown on detail page cannot be guaranteed | ❌ |
Processed for delivery | Assumed at destination sort facility or delivered. No further data available. | ❌ |
Mail Tracking Statuses (Certified)
Mail Status Stages | Description | Cancellation Possible? |
|---|---|---|
Preparing | Passed validation, in queue. | If within window, there is a red cancel button on detail page. |
On the way | Traveling to postal carrier or recipient. Est. date shown on detail page high accuracy Est. date shown on detail page cannot be guaranteed | ❌ |
See Tracking | View USPS tracking link on letter details page for all available data. | ❌ |
Delivered | Delivered | ❌ |
USPS First Class Certified Mail with Electronic Return Receipt
USPS First Class Certified Mail with Electronic Return Receipt (ERR), is the digital alternative to the existing Return Receipt (a.k.a. "green sheet", "green card", "green slip", or PS form 3811). ERR is an official USPS document designed to be equivalent to the hardcopy Return Receipt that has been in use for many years.
Delay Information
DocuPost is only able to provide the data that USPS provides to us. In other words: all the information that USPS provides to us is accessible via the DocuPost dashboard and letter details pages. You may be able to access more data regarding your delays depending on the Mail Service that you chose when sending your letter or postcard, as outlined below.
Mail Service | Delay Information |
|---|---|
USPS | Once the Mail Status says "See / Tracking", check the USPS Tracking Number if delayed. |
USPS | Once the Mail Status says "See / Tracking", check the USPS Tracking Number if delayed. |
USPS (non-certified) | Once the Mail Status says "Processed for delivery", the mail has reached final destination sort facility. This is the final status that DocuPost can provide. If delayed contact USPS, DocuPost can only redirect your requests to USPS. |
USPS | Once the Mail Status says "Processed for delivery", the mail has reached final destination sort facility. This is the final status that DocuPost can provide. If delayed contact USPS, DocuPost can only redirect your requests to USPS. |
Postmark Date Guarantees
We do not guarantee postmark date for a number of reasons, including unpredictable delays between the time that a mailing is ready for pickup, when it actually gets picked up, and finally, when USPS actually first acknowledges it via a scan (effectively the postmark). Please note that there are rare edge cases where USPS does not acknowledge letters via a scan.
In the exceptionally rare case that you send a USPS First Class Certified USPS mail and it is not scanned, you will not have postmark proof of the date it was sent. If this happens and you need to prove to, for example the IRS that a letter was sent on a specific date, it will not exist. While we wish we were able to guarantee postmark dates, there are unpredictable elements beyond our control which make this infeasible.
However, the delivery date provided on your dashboard and before mailing is an estimate but is generally quite accurate.
Errors and Validation Issues
Most error and validation states are due to issues with addresses, which you learn about in our guide on address inconsistencies.
Error Message | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
See details | Issue in preparation or validation | Check mailing details page. |
Pending | Issue in preparation or validation | Check mailing details page. |
Other Error Message | Issue in preparation or validation | Check mailing details page. |
View Mail Status
To view detailed information about a specific sent letter, click on the letter from the list of sent documents, by clicking on a specific letter within the table viewed on the Letters overview page. This action will take you to the Letter Details page where you can find comprehensive information about the mailpiece.
On the Letter Details page, you will see a progress bar at the top indicating the current status of the letter (e.g., Preparing to mail, In the mail, Processed for delivery) along with the expected delivery date.
Determine Selected Mail Service for Sent Mail
There are three sections on the left side of the letter details page. The first, at the top, is Recipient, with the name and address of the recipient. The second, in the middle, is Sender, with the name and address of the sender. Finally, at the bottom, there is Mail Information. This contains all information related to the letter (cost, pages, if color, if double-sided, mailed date, est. delivery, service level, extra service). Service level is important in terms of tracking as it defines the level of insight you may have into tracking.
If you did not choose the USPS First Class Certified Mail Service, as identified in the Mail Information section on the Letter Details page, you will not know when it is delivered and will only be able to a "Processed for delivery" status in DocuPost, meaning it reached the final destination sorting facility. We have no further data, so if there is a need for greater information, please reach out to USPS who will be able to provide all available information that we do not have access to.
If you elected for First Class Certified mail, you will be able to see a USPS tracking link. If you chose any other type of mail, there will be no USPS tracking link available.
The left side of the screen displays the recipient's and sender's information, including names and addresses. Below this, you will find details about the mail, such as cost, number of pages, color status, double-sided printing, mailing date, estimated delivery date, service level, and any extra services.
On the right side of the screen, there is a letter preview showing a visual representation of the letter content. You can also access a link to View mailing PDF for downloading the document.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may send Letters and Postcards to international destination addresses.
The status "USPS Awaiting Item" indicates that the USPS has not yet physically received the items from DocuPost. If this status persists after 7 days, please contact USPS directly for more details by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS and providing the USPS tracking number.
If you suspect that your mail has been lost in transit, please reach out to USPS directly. In the case that you sent the mail via First Class Certified with Electronic Return Receipt, you may be able to see some delay information in case that is the cause, vs. your mail being lost. DocuPost has no visibility into lost mail, any queries regarding this topic must be handled directly with USPS.
'Processed for delivery' means that the item has reached the final destination sort facility and either has been or will be delivered shortly.
The delivery date estimate is typically very accurate and takes into account postal holidays, weekends, and other factors. However, DocuPost cannot guarantee the exact day of delivery or postmark dates.
USPS First Class (non-certified) and USPS Standard mail is not scanned upon delivery by USPS mail carriers. DocuPost offers as much visibility as we have into the process, but detailed tracking is not available for regular mail.
Once the item leaves our hands, the transit times for USPS are beyond our control and are the same as if you mailed it at the post office. USPS may have additional information on the location of your letter if you call 1-800-ASK-USPS and provide the tracking number.
You can only have control and visibility into the delivery date of your mail if you send it via USPS First Class Certified. If you sent it through USPS First Class Certified, the mail status will say "see tracking" prior to delivery, so you can access the USPS tracking link via the letter details page. Also, if you sent it through USPS First Class Certified, you will see "delivered" status when it is delivered in both DocuPost and USPS.
f you did not choose the USPS First Class Certified Mail Service, you will not know when it is delivered and will only be able to a "Processed for delivery" status in DocuPost, meaning it reached the final destination sorting facility or is presumed delivery after the delivery estimate has elapsed.
No, DocuPost does not have the ability to redirect mail.