FedEx Tracking and Delivery: How Both Work

FedEx tracking and delivery work together: you enter a tracking number on fedex.com or in the FedEx Mobile app to see every scan and the estimated delivery date, and you use FedEx Delivery Manager to change how and where the package is delivered. Delivery Manager is free for residential addresses and lets you redirect a package to a retail location, hold deliveries for up to 14 days and follow the package on a live map.

This guide explains how to track a FedEx package, what each tracking status means, how long each FedEx service takes, how signatures and delivery instructions work, and what to do when a delivery goes wrong.

Table of Contents

• How do you track a FedEx package?
• What do FedEx tracking statuses mean?
• What is FedEx Delivery Manager?
• How long does FedEx delivery take?
• How do FedEx signature options work?
• What should you do when a FedEx delivery goes wrong?
• How do labels and packaging affect FedEx tracking?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sources

How Do You Track a FedEx Package?

The fastest way is to enter the tracking number on the FedEx tracking page or in the FedEx Mobile app. The result shows the scan history, the current status and the estimated delivery date or time window.

1. Find the tracking number in the shipping confirmation email, on the sender’s receipt, or on the label itself. Most FedEx tracking numbers are 12 or 15 digits.
2. Enter it on fedex.com or in the app, where you can track several numbers in one search.
3. Sign up for alerts by email, text or app notification so you hear about delays and delivery without checking manually.
4. Open Delivery Manager from the tracking result if you want to change delivery, add instructions or view the map.

You don’t always need the tracking number. Shippers can look up packages by a FedEx reference number such as a PO or invoice number, and recipients with a Delivery Manager account see packages headed to their address automatically, which is how you can track FedEx by address. A door tag left after a missed delivery also carries a number you can track.

What Do FedEx Tracking Statuses Mean?

Each status reflects the last scan FedEx recorded. Gaps between scans are normal on long trips, because a package can travel for a day or more between facilities without a new update.

If a status stops changing for several days, our guide to FedEx tracking not updating covers the common causes. Address-related holds have their own fixes, explained in our guide to a FedEx delivery exception for an incorrect address, and a missed delivery is explained in our guide to the FedEx door tag.

What Is FedEx Delivery Manager?

FedEx Delivery Manager is FedEx’s free tool for recipients to control residential deliveries. Signing up is free, and the core features cost nothing.

• Map view: follow the package’s movements on a live map on delivery day.
• Delivery instructions: save notes such as “use the side door” that apply to future deliveries.
• Redirect to a retail location: send eligible packages to Walgreens, Dollar General, FedEx Office or select grocery stores, which hold them for up to 7 days.
• Vacation hold: pause deliveries for up to 14 days, with delivery resuming the first business day after the hold.
• Remote signature: sign in advance for eligible packages so they can be left without you.
• Picture proof of delivery and alerts by email, text, phone or app.

Delivery Manager works for residential addresses only, and shippers can restrict some options, so you only see choices that are eligible for your package. Paid premium options include choosing a specific delivery window or rerouting to another residence. Our guide to FedEx map tracking explains the map feature, and our guides to where FedEx leaves packages and whether FedEx leaves packages at the door cover what happens when you’re not home.

How Long Does FedEx Delivery Take?

FedEx delivery times depend on the service on the label. Express services carry a delivery commitment by day and time, while Ground services show an estimated transit time.

To estimate transit for a specific route, use our guides to FedEx delivery time by ZIP code and FedEx shipping map times. Ground Economy, formerly SmartPost, has its own FedEx SmartPost time in transit map, and our overview of FedEx services and shipping options compares every tier.

How Do FedEx Signature Options Work?

The shipper picks the signature option when creating the label, and it controls how the driver can complete delivery. You can see whether one applies in the tracking details.

Our guides explain how to know if a FedEx package requires a signature, whether someone else can sign for your FedEx package, and whether you can leave a note for a FedEx signature. Remote signing through Delivery Manager doesn’t work for adult or direct signature packages.

What Should You Do When a FedEx Delivery Goes Wrong?

Start with the tracking details and the delivery photo, which usually show where the driver left the package. Then follow the fix that matches the problem.

• Marked delivered but not there: check around the property and with neighbors, then report it through Manage Delivery; our guide to FedEx says delivered but no package walks through each step.
• Left at the wrong address: see our steps for when FedEx delivered to the wrong address, including how to get the proof of delivery.
• Stolen from the porch: the shipper usually files the claim, as explained in our guide to whether FedEx is responsible for stolen packages.
• Address problems: if FedEx flags the address, see what it means when a FedEx address is corrected or when FedEx does not recognize your address. Shippers can prevent many of these with a FedEx address lookup or FedEx address verification before printing the label.

FedEx and USPS run separate networks, and FedEx does not accept USPS packages at its locations, so a USPS label has to go to the Post Office or a USPS carrier. If you have a general question about service, our FedEx frequently asked questions page collects common answers.

How Do Labels and Packaging Affect FedEx Tracking?

Tracking starts with a readable barcode. A label that’s wrinkled, taped over or placed across a box seam can fail to scan, which delays the first tracking update or causes a missed sort.

Place the label flat on the largest side of the box, remove or cover old labels and barcodes, and use a sturdy box that fits the contents so the label doesn’t tear. Our guides to FedEx labels and supplies and FedEx box sizes cover what FedEx provides. For more FedEx services and tools, start with our FedEx shipping guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I track a FedEx package without a tracking number?

Shippers can track by a reference number, such as a PO or invoice number, on fedex.com. Recipients can sign up for FedEx Delivery Manager, which shows packages headed to their residential address automatically. If FedEx left a door tag after a missed delivery, the number on the tag can also be tracked online.

Is FedEx Delivery Manager free?

Yes. Signing up for FedEx Delivery Manager is free, and so are tracking alerts, delivery instructions, map view, redirects to retail locations such as Walgreens and Dollar General, and vacation holds of up to 14 days. Premium options, such as choosing a specific delivery window or rerouting to another residence, carry a fee that varies by location.

How long does FedEx Ground take to deliver?

FedEx Ground delivers in 1 to 5 business days within the contiguous U.S., depending on distance. FedEx Ground delivers to businesses Monday through Friday, while FedEx Home Delivery, the residential side of the same network, delivers every day of the week in most areas. Alaska and Hawaii take longer.

Can I change a FedEx delivery after it ships?

Often, yes. Through FedEx Delivery Manager, recipients can redirect eligible packages to a retail location for pickup within 7 days, put deliveries on hold for up to 14 days, add delivery instructions or sign remotely. Shippers can restrict these options, so only changes that are eligible for your package appear.

Sources

• FedEx: Package tracking
• FedEx: FedEx Delivery Manager features and limitations
• FedEx: FedEx One Rate (Express delivery commitments)
• FedEx: 2026 FedEx Service Guide, signature options and service terms (fedex.com)
• FedEx: Ground and Ground Economy service pages (fedex.com)

More in this section: FedEx locations, FedEx services.