1. The application center's tracker: VFS and BLS both have status lookup by reference number. Always check here first.
  2. SlotAlert: $9.99 one-time, for the appointment side of the process.
  3. Carrier tracking: once the passport ships back, the courier's tracking number is the source of truth.
  4. Your email: set up a filter so status updates skip the inbox noise and land in a dedicated folder.
  5. A simple spreadsheet: reference numbers, dates submitted, current status, one row per document.

Sources: U.S. State Department

Attestation adds a wrinkle: multi-step chains (notary, ministry, embassy) need tracking per step, not per document. Log each hop with its date and receipt. When a document stalls, the log tells you exactly which desk has it, which is the difference between a phone call and a shrug.