Shipping platform
ShipStation warehouse management: buy labels at the bench or print in ShipStation
ShipStation is a global shipping platform, and OptiWMS connects to it one of two ways, or both. With a V2 API key, OptiWMS buys the label at the pack station, rate shopping across the services you choose, and prints it at the bench. With a Custom Store login, ShipStation pulls packed orders from OptiWMS and your team prints in ShipStation. Both ways, the tracking number returns to the order in your store.
What syncs between OptiWMS and ShipStation
- Labels
- With the API key, OptiWMS buys the label with the packed parcels' weights and sizes and the warehouse's ship-from address and phone. A purchase is recorded the moment ShipStation confirms it.
- Rate shopping
- A mapping set to auto buys the cheapest valid rate among the services you choose, in the order's currency. A mapping can also shop one carrier's services only, or buy one named service directly.
- Custom Store orders
- ShipStation polls OptiWMS and imports packed orders whose shipping maps to that integration. Each shipment is its own ShipStation order, with the packed units only and its warehouse as the ship-from location.
- Tracking
- With an API key, OptiWMS registers its tracking webhook and asks ShipStation to track each package. With a Custom Store, ShipStation reports the tracking number and service when you create a label or mark the order shipped.
- Dispatch
- ShipStation books the courier when the label prints. Its parcels can go on a manifest and on one courier's pickup, and stay on Dispatch until someone marks them handed over.
How it works in the warehouse
The packer seals the parcels and OptiWMS buys the label from ShipStation. The pack station shows the tracking number and the label prints at the bench.
If ShipStation's answer is lost to a timeout, the next fetch asks ShipStation whether the label was already bought before it buys.
Replace label voids the current label with ShipStation first, then buys the new one, for a wrong weight or a re-pack.
On Dispatch the parcel shows Ready to hand over. Tick parcels for Create manifest, or for Book pickup with one courier, using your name, email and the warehouse's phone as the contact.
In the Custom Store setup a shipment appears in ShipStation once everything it carries is packed. Print there, and OptiWMS closes the order and pushes the tracking to the sales channel. A split order is fulfilled when its last shipment ships.
Setting it up
Decide how ShipStation connects: a V2 API key from ShipStation > Settings > Account > API Settings, a Custom Store username and password, or both.
In OptiWMS, open Integrations > Connect a shipping platform, choose the ShipStation card, fill the API key, the two Custom Store fields, or all three, and press Install.
Add a phone number to each warehouse. ShipStation requires the ship-from phone, and a label without it stops with a message naming the warehouse.
For auto rate shopping, press Settings on the ShipStation row and pick the Services "auto" may choose.
For the Custom Store, add a Custom Store in ShipStation with the URL shown under Tracking and the username and password set on the integration. Turn off Marketplace Override under Settings, Automation, SmartFill to keep the item weights OptiWMS sends.
Under Integrations > Map shipping options, map each store shipping option to a ShipStation service, a carrier with auto, or auto.
ShipStation questions
Do I need a particular ShipStation plan for tracking?
ShipStation's documentation lists package tracking, both the updates and Refresh tracking, for its API Advanced plan and above, so on other plans tracking updates may not arrive. The tracking number from the label purchase still goes to your store.
Can I use the API key and the Custom Store together?
Yes. Fill the API key alone, both Custom Store fields alone, or all three. The API key buys labels at the pack bench, and the Custom Store serves the side-by-side flow.
Our ShipStation account already sends tracking somewhere else. What happens?
ShipStation allows one tracking webhook per account. If the account already sends tracking elsewhere, OptiWMS leaves that webhook alone and the Tracking section in its settings says so.
What if an address changes after ShipStation imported the order?
OptiWMS offers the order to ShipStation again at its next poll. Check the ship-to address in ShipStation before you print the label, and correct it there if it still shows the old one.
Does ShipStation get the parcel weight in the Custom Store setup?
OptiWMS sends each item's weight with the order. The Custom Store format carries no parcel weight, so the shipment weight in ShipStation stays empty until the packer weighs the parcel or the product has a default weight in ShipStation.
See it running on your own catalog.
Try every feature free for 14 days. We set up your trial account within one business day, then you connect your store and run real orders through pick, pack and print. Or talk to us and we will find a time to show you the product on a demo account.
14 days, every feature, no card needed. Plans from $59 a month including GST.