02 February 2026
7 trends you can’t ignore from the 2026 eCommerce Report
Explore online shopping trends from the Australia Post eCommerce Report, plus practical takeaways you can use to drive growth now
On-time manifesting is a delivery goal for every business. Find out why manifesting early isn’t good for your customers.
Read transcript
Video: The Australia Post logo sits at the top of a red screen. A brunette woman sits under the text, "eCommerce Jargon Busters: Early Manifesting."
Audio: Woman: Early manifesting, that's when you really believe that you’re gonna get up to your alarm.
Video: The woman reads from a card that has an Australia Post logo on the back. Later, the text she's reading is typed onto a red background.
Audio: Woman: A manifest is a document a business creates via their sending portal to summarise shipping details, including the number, size, and weights of items being lodged for delivery. When you manifest before the parcel has left your facility, the customer gets a notification to alert them it's on its way, which isn't the case, and can create unrealistic delivery expectations. So on-time manifesting is the goal.
Video: The woman shakes her head and smiles.
Audio: Woman: Nope, that's not what I was thinking.
Video: Before a red background a microphone hovers over a stool. An Australia Postcard lies on the stool. Text reads, “eCommerce Jargon Busters. [Jah-gawn bust-uhz] noun + plural noun.” The Australia Post logo appears just above the stool.
What is a shipping manifest?
A shipping manifest, or delivery manifest, is a document a business creates via their sending portal to summarise shipping details, including the number, size and weights of items being lodged for delivery. This gives the carrier a clear idea of what they’re collecting and is the starting point for calculating shipping charges.
You can find out more about shipping manifests here.
What is early manifesting?
Early manifesting is when you submit a shipping manifest before the goods are handed to our delivery team.
Should you manifest early?
You need to manifest on time – that is, when you hand the goods to our team for delivery.
It might seem tempting to be early – but, when it comes to manifesting, the goal is to be right on time.
How does early manifesting affect your customer’s experience?
Customer notifications and tracking are triggered at the time of manifest.
When you manifest before the parcel has left your facility the customer gets a notification to alert them it is on the way. This is not the case and creates unrealistic delivery expectations, which can result in a negative customer experience.
On-time manifesting – that is when the parcel leaves the facility, is considered the ideal for creating a positive customer delivery experience.
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