Normalize carrier tracking status codes into a unified delivery state machine
domain: easypost.com · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Map each carrier's native status/event codes to a finite set of internal states: LABEL_CREATED, ACCEPTED, IN_TRANSIT, OUT_FOR_DELIVERY, DELIVERED, EXCEPTION, RETURN_TO_SENDER, UNKNOWN.
For EasyPost trackers, use the top-level 'status' field which is already normalized to values such as 'pre_transit', 'in_transit', 'out_for_delivery', 'delivered', 'return_to_sender', 'failure', 'error', 'unknown' — map these to your internal states.
For raw carrier webhooks (FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL), build a carrier-specific lookup table mapping each carrier's status codes and event description strings to your internal states; document the source for each mapping.
Treat unrecognized codes as UNKNOWN rather than raising an error; log them with the raw carrier payload for later refinement of your mapping table.
Persist the internal state as a monotonic progression — only advance state, never regress (e.g., a late IN_TRANSIT event after DELIVERED should be discarded).
Known gotchas
Carrier status codes and their meanings change without notice during carrier API updates; monitor for 401/400 errors and unknown status values that may signal a breaking change.
Out-of-order webhook delivery is common — always compare event timestamps before updating state rather than assuming webhooks arrive chronologically.
USPS uses descriptive text strings rather than structured codes in some API versions; text-based matching is fragile and must be maintained as USPS updates their wording.
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