Easily track all your package/parcel!

Share your Projects! Custom Integrations
41

Big disclaimer, I made this with ChatGPT so YMMV.

I made a card which allows you to add the tracking, zipcode and name for the package.

Step 1:
Make 3 text helpers:

  • Tracking ID (input_text.tracking_id)
  • Zipcode (input_text.zipcode)
  • Package Name (input_text.package_name)

Step 2:
Make an automation with:

alias: Track Package Automation
trigger:
  platform: state
  entity_id: input_text.tracking_id
condition: []
action:
  - service: parcelsapp.track_package
    data:
      tracking_id: "{{ states('input_text.tracking_id') }}"
      zipcode: "{{ states('input_text.zipcode') }}"
      name: "{{ states('input_text.package_name') }}"

Step 3
Make a card with:

type: vertical-stack
cards:
  - type: entities
    entities:
      - entity: input_text.tracking_id
        name: Tracking ID
      - entity: input_text.zipcode
        name: Zipcode
      - entity: input_text.package_name
        name: Package Name
  - type: button
    name: Track Package
    tap_action:
      action: call-service
      service: automation.trigger
      service_data:
        entity_id: automation.track_package_automation

I’m new with HA. So if there is there is a better way, please let me know.

1 Like
42

Seems like this is a good service (market competition is always healthy), but I don’t understand the package count restriction.

I have absolutely zero need to track freight lines, air/cargo shipments, or massive amounts of outbound packages.

However, I am a consumer that shops online a lot, and we definitely get more than 10 shipments/packages per month.

Therefore, it seems unfair to penalize a non-enterprise user for this service by package number - it should instead be restricted by type of package being tracked and/or direction of the package, as well as if the user is an individual / SMB / enterprise.

Bottom line: I want to track the major package carriers in Home Assistant (DHL/FedEx/USPS/UPS/Amazon) without a restriction on the number of packages (or an arbitrarily high number that a consumer wouldn’t normally hit like 25 or 50).

I just can’t justify another subscription in my life, for the sole purpose to track packages in HA.

1 Like
43

I think you are complaining to the wrong people. I think 30 per month would be reasonable, but you need to tell the people who run parcelsapp.com.

1 Like
44

Ah, my apologies, I should have clarified a few things…

  1. I thought the author of that website was on this thread, based on reading through it, but I could be mistaken!

  2. This was also a general “Where are the good, free (or very cheap/PAYG) parcel tracking APIs for consumers/end users that work with HA?” sort of post. Everything I’ve read suggests that these integrations are all for commercial/industrial applications, not end users. It seems to be a very difficult landscape to navigate!

45

17track works.

46

note that I got a response from the developer of parcelsapp, noting that he had to stop the free tier for now.
So I guess this integration does not work for the free tier for now.

47

That would explain things. I have been meaning to investigate a few problems.

Sigh back to 17track.

48

This is disappointing news. I was hoping to find an alternative to 17track, as its updates are often delayed.