How do my orders reach Dockflow?
There are four routes in. Which one your account uses decides where to look when something does not arrive.
| Route | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Manual entry | Create a tradeflow in the dashboard | One-off shipments |
| Excel upload | Upload a file, either the Dockflow template or your own via Smart Mapping | Batches, migrations, periodic updates |
| API | Your system pushes shipments to Dockflow | Automated, system-to-system |
| A file you send us | You email or schedule a file to the address your account was set up with, and a mapping built for your format turns it into shipments | Accounts that already export orders from an ERP or TMS |
The first three are self-service. See bulk import for the upload route and the Trident API for the integration route.
The file you send us
If your account was set up this way, you send a file - usually a spreadsheet or an EDI export - either by email or on a schedule, and Dockflow converts it into shipments using a mapping built specifically for the shape of your file.
Two consequences worth knowing:
- The mapping is built for your file. If the export changes shape - a renamed column, an extra wrapper around the data, a different sheet - the import can stop producing shipments even though the file arrives normally. Tell us before you change an export format.
- We can see what arrived. Support reads the inbound record for your account directly, so the question "was it actually sent?" gets a definite answer rather than an inference from what is missing downstream.
If you do not know which address your account sends to, ask support.
My orders are not in Dockflow
Work down this list.
1. Confirm which route the orders took
Manual, upload, API, or a file. If you are not sure, ask support - the answer determines everything below.
2. If you uploaded a file
Check the import status and the import report for that upload - the report names the rows that were skipped and why. The bulk import troubleshooting section lists the common row errors.
3. If you sent a file by email or schedule
Do not re-send it blind. Send support the reference and roughly when it was sent. We can see whether the file arrived, what was in it, and whether the conversion produced shipments. There are three distinct answers and they need different fixes:
- it never arrived
- it arrived and the conversion produced nothing, usually a format change
- it arrived and converted, and the shipments are in Dockflow but not where you are looking
4. If you push over the API
Confirm the request was accepted and that tradeflow_reference was set. Include the request and the
response when you contact support. See the Upstream API FAQ.
5. Check you are looking at the right view
A shipment that exists can be out of view: filtered out, assigned to another team, or deactivated once transport completed. No tracking data covers the deactivation case, and who can see what covers the access case.
Why a shipment shows containers I did not send
By default Dockflow tracks every container the carrier reports under the booking or B/L you sent, not only the ones you listed. Send a B/L with one container and a shipment with ten containers will show ten.
That is usually what you want. See which reference numbers Dockflow accepts for how to turn it off, and unexpected or missing containers on a B/L for the cases where the result looks wrong.
Related topics
- Bulk import - the Excel route in detail
- No tracking data - the shipment exists but is empty
- Reference numbers - what to send so a shipment can be tracked
- Orders and tasks - the order arrived but the tasks are not what you expect
- Trident API - the integration route
Need help?
- Email support - [email protected]
- In-app chat - click the chat icon in the bottom right
Last updated: August 17, 2026