Track Cainiao alongside your other parcels
Cainiao shipments can share your ParcelTag dashboard with Swiss Post, DHL, PostNL, and other carriers, so you have one place to check instead of switching between different tracking pages for each order.
Labels help you remember which AliExpress or Taobao order each tracking number belongs to — especially useful when several orders are in transit at the same time.
How Cainiao international shipping works
Cainiao is Alibaba Group's logistics network. When you order from AliExpress or a Taobao seller, your parcel is collected by Cainiao in China, consolidated and routed through a Cainiao gateway hub, then handed to a local postal or courier partner in your destination country for final-mile delivery.
Because of this hand-off model, you may see tracking events from Cainiao for the China and transit leg, and then events from a local carrier — such as PostNL in the Netherlands, Correos in Spain, or Australia Post — once the parcel enters the destination country. Both sets of events are normal parts of the same journey.
Cainiao tracking number formats
Cainiao tracking numbers commonly start with LP (for Cainiao Parcel) followed by 16–18 digits — for example LP12345678901234. Some Cainiao numbers begin with CNAA, CNAAB, or other letter prefixes depending on the service level and routing.
The tracking number is printed on the parcel label and appears in the order detail page on AliExpress or Taobao. Paste the full number including any letter prefix when adding the parcel to ParcelTag.
About Cainiao
Cainiao Network Technology Co., Ltd. was founded in 2013 as a joint venture by Alibaba Group alongside major Chinese logistics companies. Its name (菜鸟, Cài Niǎo) means "fledgling" in Chinese, reflecting its startup origins. Today it is one of the world's largest logistics data platforms, coordinating fulfilment, warehousing, and last-mile delivery for Alibaba's e-commerce ecosystem.
Cainiao operates a global network of bonded warehouses, sorting hubs, and delivery partner integrations across more than 200 countries and territories. For international consumers, it is most visible as the carrier on AliExpress orders, where it provides end-to-end visibility from the Chinese seller warehouse through to the local postman.
Cainiao status messages explained
"Order created" or "information received" means the seller has generated a shipping label but Cainiao has not yet physically collected the parcel. "Package picked up" or "accepted at Cainiao facility" is the first physical scan. "Departed from sorting center" means the parcel is on its way out of China. "Arrived at destination country" means it has cleared export from China and is awaiting customs in the destination country.
"Customs clearance completed" or "released by customs" means the parcel has passed import checks and is being handed to the local delivery partner. After this point, tracking events come from the local carrier in your country. "Delivered" confirms the final delivery.