How to Track a Royal Mail Letter (2026 Guide)

Many people are surprised to discover that standard Royal Mail letters cannot be tracked at all. If you want to know whether your letter has arrived, you need to choose the right service before you post it. This guide explains every tracking option Royal Mail offers and how to use the tracking tool.

Which Royal Mail services can be tracked?

Royal Mail offers five letter and parcel services that include some form of tracking or delivery confirmation. Here is what each one provides:

Tracked 24 and Tracked 48

These are Royal Mail's main tracked letter services. Both include end-to-end scanning, which means the item is scanned when it enters the network, at key processing points, and again when it is delivered or a delivery attempt is made.

Tracked 24 targets delivery by the next working day. Tracked 48 targets 2 to 3 working days. Both services send you email or SMS notifications at each scan event if you provide a contact address. You can also follow progress manually using the Royal Mail tracking page.

Special Delivery Guaranteed

Special Delivery includes the most detailed tracking Royal Mail offers for letters. The item is scanned at every stage, and delivery requires a signature. You also receive timed delivery confirmation, showing exactly when the recipient signed for the item. Special Delivery by 1pm guarantees delivery the next working day, and the full tracking record is available online for 12 months after delivery.

Signed For (formerly Recorded Delivery)

Signed For is not a full tracking service. It adds a signature requirement at delivery and an online confirmation that the item was delivered, but it does not include tracking between posting and delivery. You will not see the item move through the network step by step. You will only see a final "delivered" or "attempted delivery" status.

Standard First Class and Second Class

These services have no tracking of any kind. Once a standard First Class or Second Class letter is posted, there is no way to check where it is or whether it has been delivered.

How to track a Royal Mail item step by step

If you have sent an item using Tracked 24, Tracked 48 or Special Delivery, here is how to check its progress:

1. Find your tracking number. If you sent the item through a Post Office counter, it is on your receipt. If you sent via an online letter service, it is in your despatch confirmation email.
2. Go to the Royal Mail tracking page at royalmail.com/track-your-item.
3. Enter your tracking number and submit the search.
4. The results page will show each scan event in chronological order with dates and times.

Tracking numbers for Royal Mail tracked letters typically follow the format AB12345678GB, starting with two letters, followed by eight digits, and ending with the country code GB.

Understanding tracking statuses

Royal Mail uses plain-language status descriptions, but some are worth explaining:

• We have your item: The item has entered the Royal Mail network. This is the first scan after collection or Post Office acceptance.
• In transit: The item is moving between processing centres. Normal at this stage, no action needed.
• Out for delivery: The item is on the delivery round for that day. Delivery is expected the same day.
• Delivered: The item was placed in the letterbox or handed to someone at the address.
• Attempted delivery: Royal Mail tried to deliver but could not. A card should have been left at the address. You can rearrange delivery or collect from the local delivery office.

What to do when tracking is not updating

Tracking updates only happen when an item is physically scanned. During busy periods, items sometimes move between facilities without being scanned at every stage. This is normal and does not mean your item is lost.

If tracking has not updated for more than five working days, contact Royal Mail customer services. If it has been more than 10 working days since posting, you can submit a formal claim.

Sending trackable letters without visiting the Post Office

You can send a Tracked 24 or Tracked 48 letter entirely from your browser. Type or upload your letter, enter the recipient's address, choose your service, and the letter is printed, folded, franked and handed to Royal Mail on your behalf. You receive a tracking number by email once it is despatched.