Shipment Tracking API allows developer to request for shipment's information using shipment housebill number (DHL shipment number). API response includes:

• Shipment details
• Latest event & timestamp
• Historical events & timestamps

There are additional fields (masterbill number, operational irregularity and etc.) that will only be visible for Registered Users. To be a Registered User, the requestor should be an existing DGF customer. During the rate limit upgrade process, we will automatically set up customers as a Registered User.

API also allows query using customer's reference, container number or masterbill number. To do that, use GET /housebill-number to get a list of housebill numbers for a given reference, like, customer’s reference, container number or masterbill number. Use the housebill number list returned by the response to perform the next step, GET /shipment-tracking.

Please see API specification for more details.

Scope

The Shipment Tracking (DHL Global Forwarding) API provides access to tracking services relating to various products at DHL Global Forwarding. 

Using the API

You must have an eligible housebill number (DHL shipment number) for the shipment and an API subscription key (this key needs to be either passed through HTTP request header).

Shipment Tracking (DHL Global Forwarding) - Environment: Production - Rate Limit: Starter API product is auto-approved. It is meant for users with low usage and for users to try out the API without having to wait for approval. Higher rate limit API product (Standard and Internal rate limit) requires approval from DHL team. 

Get Access

You must request credentials for any applications you develop

To register your app and get your API subscription keys:

1. Click My Apps on the portal website.
2. Click + Create App.
   The “Create App” form appears.
3. Complete the Create App form. 
   You can select the APIs you want to access. 
4. When you have completed the form, click the Create App button. 
5. Click on the name of the newly created App
6. Click on the Upgrade Rate Limit button and complete the request form
   The “Approved” label will appear next to the app name when the app has been approved.
   Note: Additional verification steps may be required for increasing the Rate Limit.

Authentication

Every call to the API requires a subscription key. This key needs to be either passed through a query string parameter or specified in the request header (DHL-API-Key).

To view your API subscription keys:

1. From the My Apps screen, click on the name of your app.
   The Details screen appears. 
2. If you have access to more than one API, click the name of the relevant API. 
   Note: The APIs are listed under the “Credentials” section. 
3. Click the Show link below the asterisks that is hiding the Consumer Key. 
   The Consumer Key appears.  

Environments

The addressable API base URL/URI environment is:  

Rate limits

Rate limits protect the DHL infrastructure from suspicious requests that exceed defined thresholds.

The table below details the main request limits:

Please contact dgf.apisupport@dhl.com if you need higher throughput. 

When the limit is reached, you will receive an HTTP Status code: 

HTTP/1.1 429 Too Many Requests

Additional Information

Permitted HTTP methods

• GET for retrieving data

Code List

specifics for the use of Tracking Data

• Data requested and received via this Shipment Tracking (DHL Global Forwarding) API, such as transport status, estimated delivery time, including the tracking/housebill number is hereinafter referred to as “Tracking Data”.
• Tracking Data is Confidential Information in the meaning of section “Communication” of the General Developer Portal Terms of Use. Other than set forth below You must not reveal and/or provide third parties with the Tracking Data and/or analyze, modify such data in any form and/or derive data/information especially for competitive purposes from it without our prior written consent.
• Tracking Data is provided to You and/or the entity you are authorized to represent (hereinafter “You”/”Your”) under the prerequisite, that You retrieved the according housebill number (DHL shipment number) in compliance with the applicable law, especially in the field of data protection and competition law and that You use the Tracking Data solely for Your own or Your customers’ legitimate tracking purposes.
• The use and submission of Tracking Data – including submission to any of Your subcontractors – shall always be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including – without limitation – data protection laws and competition/antitrust law.
• You shall not combine Tracking Data with advertisement or present it in a way that it could be regarded as advertisement.
• Unless otherwise agreed, You shall delete the housebill number (DHL shipment number) and Tracking Data which You received via the Shipment Tracking (DHL Global Forwarding) API 30 days after the delivery (of the shipment) to the recipient is completed.
• Tracking Data shall be used in accordance with the following specification:
  • Display “Delivered by Deutsche Post DHL Group“ in text (minimum font size) as soon as it is presented/submitted to recipient
• Please note, that we provide free text boxes (e.g. for customer references) to improve the functionalities and user experience of the Shipment Tracking (DHL Global Forwarding) API. We explicitly ask you to refrain from sending any personal or business critical data and/or information as free text. It is within your sole responsibility to ensure that the data or information you send does not infringe upon applicable law, esp. data protection law, and that you are entitled to use the respective data and/or information accordingly.
• If You are neither the shipper/sender nor the recipient of the DHL Global Forwarding shipment/s, the Tracking Data refers to,
  • You shall ensure, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the sender and/or the recipient;
  • You shall make the sender and/or the recipient aware of the restrictions set out in this User Guide just as the General Developer Portal Terms of Use;
  • You shall make the sender aware of the necessity to inform the recipient transparently about the processing of his/her personal data according to applicable data protection laws;
  • You shall inform the sender and/or recipient transparently that the use of Your Application may result in the disclosure of data being subject to postal secrecy and data protection laws to third parties (including You).