What is an AWB number and how to use it?

If you’ve ever purchased something online or sent a package yourself, you’ve likely seen a long string of numbers on your bill or tracking information called the “AWB.” It may seem like a simple piece of code but it is one of the most important pieces of data in the entire shipping process. In this guide, we’ll learn what an AWB number means, where you can find it, how to track a shipment using it, and why it is important for courier and e-commerce businesses.

What Is AWB?

AWB stands for Air Waybill. In the courier and e-commerce industry, the term AWB number is also commonly used to refer to the unique shipment or tracking number assigned by a courier partner, including for shipments transported by air or surface. So if you are asked what is AWB number in delivery, the simplest answer is: it is a unique alphanumeric or numeric code that is assigned to a shipment at the time of its booking with a courier.

This is the identity of the shipment during transit. Every scan, update and status change from pickup to final delivery attempt is logged against this one code. This code becomes the one place to which to refer for tracking, communication and dispute resolution.

AWB vs Tracking Number

A common source of confusion is the difference between an airway bill number and a tracking number. For most courier and e-commerce shipments, the AWB number also serves as the shipment’s tracking number. However, some marketplaces, sellers, and shipping platforms may maintain separate order IDs, shipment IDs, and courier AWBs.

On some platforms, however, especially larger marketplaces or aggregators, you can see a separate “order ID” or “shipment ID” that is created internally versus the AWB being the number used by the courier company itself. In case of doubt, the AWB is the code you enter directly on the courier’s own tracking page for the most accurate, real-time status.

Where Can You Find an AWB Number?

Airway Bill number generally appears in a few predictable places:

• On the label attached to the parcel
• In the order confirmation or shipping confirmation e-mail/SMS
• On the invoice made at the time of booking
• If you are the one who ships the order inside your seller or shipping dashboard
• On receipt of the booking by the courier company

If you are a customer expecting a delivery, the quickest way to get your AWB info is generally to look at your order confirmation message or email.

How to Trace an AWB?

Tracking a shipment using an AWB number is quite simple.

• Locate the Airway Bill number on your invoice, shipping label, or email
• Visit the website of the courier company or the platform you made your order on
• Enter the AWB number in the tracking search box
• See live status, including pickup, in-transit updates, and estimated delivery date

Most shipping platforms and courier websites also provide AWB details through SMS or WhatsApp updates, so you don’t have to manually check a website every time.

Why Is an AWB Number Important in Courier and Shipping?

In the industry of couriers and shipping, an AWB is a lot more than a tracking number. is used for:

• Seller and courier: Booking confirmation and shipment details
• Internal routing and sorting in the hubs
• Reconciliation of shipments received, RTO, and lost
• Business-to-business and courier partner billing & invoicing

The AWB is essentially the common reference that connects the seller, courier partner, and customer to the same shipment record.

AWB Generation

An AWB number in the courier is generally created as soon as a shipment is booked, either manually through a courier’s panel or automatically through an integrated shipping system. When a seller books an order, the system interacts with the courier's API, and the courier assigns a unique AWB number for that booking. This number is then pushed back to the seller's system, usually printed directly onto the shipping label along with the barcode.

An AWB is typically assigned when a shipment is created or booked with the courier. In an integrated shipping platform, the courier API can return the AWB after the shipment is successfully created, and the number can then be used to generate the shipping label and track the shipment.

AWB Examples

AWB formats vary by courier and logistics provider. Some courier AWBs contain only numbers, while others may contain letters and numbers. The length and structure depend on the courier’s numbering system.

For example, an AWB may look like:

• Numeric: 1234567890123
• Alphanumeric: AB1234567890
• Courier-specific format: A combination of letters, numbers, or prefixes defined by
• the courier

These examples are illustrative only. The actual AWB format depends on the courier partner handling the shipment.

What Happens If AWB Is Not Updating?

It's not unusual to check an Air Waybill number and see no new updates for a day or two. Common reasons include:

• Your shipment is still between scan points and has not arrived at the next hub yet
• A hold-up at a sorting plant or en route
• A technical sync problem between the courier system and the tracking page
• The AWB has been generated, but the shipment has not been picked up in actual

Sometimes, even with good partners, there are gaps in the scanning. If it sits still for a long time, it might be a good idea to contact the seller or the courier directly.

AWB and NDR/RTO

The AWB number is also important for tracking NDR (Non-Delivery Report) and RTO (Return to Origin) events. NDR events, delivery-attempt information, and RTO status are generally associated with the shipment’s AWB, helping sellers understand why a delivery failed and what action may be required.

How Can a Shipping Platform Deal With AWBs?

When you’re shipping at scale, it’s not scalable to generate and track AWBs manually across multiple courier partners. That’s where a smarter shipping platform can really make a difference: not being another courier, but sitting on top of multiple courier systems, making sense of the data flowing through them.

A robust platform automates AWB creation at booking, pulls tracking updates from various couriers into one dashboard and flags shipments with missed scans or multiple NDR attempts, transforming raw AWB data into actionable decisions for a business, not just a list of tracking numbers to manually check.

Final Thoughts

It might sound like a minor technicality, but the AWB number is the thread that links every step of a shipment, i.e., from booking to delivery to resolution. Businesses that want more than basic tracking often need a technology layer that can read Air Waybill and shipment data across couriers and turn it into smarter delivery decisions. Logiphex is designed to provide a technology layer across multiple courier partners, helping businesses bring shipment data, tracking, routing, and delivery-related insights into a more unified workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why do I need an AWB number?

An AWB number is used to uniquely identify a shipment for tracking, routing, and reconciliation purposes from booking through to final delivery.

2. Is order ID equal to Air Waybill number?

Not necessarily. Order ID is usually generated by the seller’s platform, while the AWB is generated by the courier. The AWB determines tracking status.

3. Can I track my shipment without an AWB number?

Usually not. The AWB is the primary reference used by courier systems, so tracking without it is generally not possible unless there’s some kind of alternate order-based lookup that the platform provides.

4. Why don’t I see my Airway Bill tracking information after I book?

If tracking information does not appear immediately after an AWB is generated, it may simply mean that the courier has not yet processed or scanned the shipment. Tracking visibility can vary by courier and shipment stage.

5. Are all the couriers using the same AWB format?

No, each courier has a different numbering system. So, the AWB formats may be different for different courier partners in terms of length and structure.

6. What do I do if my AWB shows delivery failure?

You can check the reason logged against the AWB, e.g., address issue or missed contact. Please contact the seller or courier to arrange a redelivery or correction.