Term

AWB (Air Waybill)

AWB is the unique tracking number assigned to every shipment by a courier. The buyer uses it to track delivery; ops uses it to query status, raise weight disputes and reconcile billing.

By ShipyBox Editorial TeamUpdated 19 Jun 2026

What is an AWB?

AWB (Air Waybill) is the unique tracking number assigned to every shipment by a courier. The term originated from air freight (where every air consignment has a waybill) but is now used across surface, air and last-mile in Indian B2C and B2B shipping.

The AWB is the primary identifier for a shipment across:

  • Tracking — buyer-facing status updates
  • Operations — ops team queries shipment status
  • Weight reconciliation — every weight dispute references an AWB
  • COD reconciliation — remittance ledger maps AWBs to amounts
  • Returns — reverse shipments get their own AWB

What an AWB looks like

Indian courier AWB formats:

  • Delhivery: 12 digits — 123456789012
  • Xpressbees: 13 digits — 1234567890123
  • Blue Dart: 8–11 digits depending on service
  • Ekart: 10 digits — 1234567890
  • Ecom Express: 12 digits — alphanumeric

The AWB is printed on the shipping label and embedded in the barcode that the courier scans at every touchpoint.

How AWBs flow through a shipment lifecycle

Order placed → Label generated → AWB created
    ↓
Carrier picks up → AWB scanned "Picked"
    ↓
Hub sort → AWB scanned "In-transit"
    ↓
Destination hub → AWB scanned "Out for delivery"
    ↓
Delivery agent → AWB scanned "Delivered" (with POD)
    ↓
[Or if NDR] AWB scanned "Delivery attempted, NDR"
    ↓
[If RTO] AWB scanned "Return in-transit" → "RTO delivered"

Each scan updates the shipment status inside the ShipyBox merchant panel, which auto-syncs your storefront order status in near real-time.

Worked example — D2C operation

A Shopify D2C brand ships 200 orders/day across 3 carriers (Delhivery, Xpressbees, Blue Dart). Each shipment has its own AWB. The ops team:

  1. Looks up an AWB to investigate "where is my order"
  2. Aggregates AWB-level data into FAD/NDR/RTO dashboards
  3. Files weight disputes referencing AWB + measured-weight evidence
  4. Reconciles COD remittance: each remittance batch lists AWBs included

Without AWB-level data, none of this is possible. AWB is the atomic unit of shipping operations.

Worked example — B2B context

For B2B multi-piece shipments, the picture is more complex:

  • A 5-carton consignment gets one master AWB + 5 sub-AWBs (one per carton)
  • The master AWB is the consignment-level identifier
  • Sub-AWBs let the carrier track each carton independently
  • Reconciliation happens at the master level

E-way bill is referenced against the master AWB.

AWB and weight reconciliation

When a courier measures weight different from your declared weight, the difference shows up as weight discrepancy at the AWB level. Dispute workflow:

  1. Pull the AWB-level weight discrepancy report
  2. For each AWB with discrepancy, attach evidence (packed photo with measuring tape)
  3. Submit dispute through carrier portal or platform
  4. Carrier responds within 7–15 days

A per-AWB weight dispute workflow on a shipping platform typically recovers 60–80% of disputed charges, vs 20–30% with manual email dispute.

How a multi-carrier platform handles AWBs

A multi-carrier platform normalises AWBs across carriers:

  • Single dashboard showing AWBs from Delhivery, Xpressbees, Blue Dart, etc., in unified format
  • Branded tracking page resolves any AWB to a customer-friendly tracking URL
  • The merchant panel auto-updates Shopify/WooCommerce order status from any carrier's AWB scan

See Multi-Carrier Shipping Software.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find my AWB number?

AWB is printed on the shipping label generated at order packing. It's also visible in your courier dashboard or shipping platform's order details. Buyer-facing tracking emails include the AWB.

Is AWB the same as tracking number?

Yes — for ecommerce purposes, AWB and tracking number are interchangeable. "AWB" is the technical term used by carriers and ops teams; "tracking number" is the customer-facing term.

Can the same AWB be used for forward and return?

No. The return generates a new AWB. The forward AWB is closed (with RTO status) when the return AWB is created.

What happens if I lose an AWB number?

The shipment exists in the courier's system regardless. You can look up by order ID, recipient name, or pickup date in the courier or platform dashboard. Lost AWB is recoverable.

Is AWB shared between B2B and B2C operations?

Same concept, different format. B2B consignments use master AWB + sub-AWBs; B2C parcels use single AWB. The underlying tracking infrastructure is the same.

Why do I need AWB-level data?

For (1) weight disputes (per-AWB evidence), (2) reconciliation (COD remittance, freight billing), (3) operational KPIs (FAD, NDR, RTO by AWB sample), (4) customer service queries. AWB is the atomic unit of shipping operations.

Can I create custom AWB formats?

No — AWB format is dictated by the carrier. You can layer branded tracking on top (so the customer sees your branded tracking page resolving the AWB), but the underlying AWB number comes from the carrier.

How long does an AWB stay valid?

The AWB exists in the carrier system permanently. Tracking data is typically retained 6–12 months by carriers (longer by platforms). Reconciliation queries against AWBs older than 90 days may require carrier support escalation.

Related ShipyBox resources

Talk to ShipyBox

ShipyBox is India's AI-first multi-courier shipping platform — built for both Indian D2C ecommerce brands (Shopify, Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho) and B2B operators (manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, corporate shipping). Book a 15-minute demo to see how the platform automates the operational workflow behind this term — pre-dispatch RTO Shield, multi-courier allocation, weight dispute disputes, branded tracking and COD remittance acceleration.

For NCR-anchored shippers (Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad), see our NCR shipping network guide.

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