ShipStation Connect is the bridge between our web-based application to your printers or scales. ShipStation Connect is compatible with Windows 7 or higher* (if you are using an earlier version you can print via PDF or through your browser until you upgrade to a supported version).
*Make sure your version of Windows is completely up to date, as Connect relies on certain components to run properly.
ShipStation Connect is free! Simply follow the instructions below to get started (instructions for Mac users can be found here).
Install ShipStation Connect
First, head to your Account Settings (the wrench icon in the upper right).
Next, select Printing and then ShipStation Connect from the sidebar on the left.
Since you're installing ShipStation Connect for the first time, you shouldn't see a list of available devices just yet. Click the Install ShipStation Connect for Windows button to begin downloading the installation file.
Allow the download, and Run the file when it finishes.
Be sure to Install the application when you see a window like the one below:
This will begin a download that may take a few minutes, depending on your Internet speed.
*Note: ShipStation Connect needs to be installed only on the computer that has your printer or scale connected to it (we refer to this as the printer workstation). Computers with no devices connected to them do not need to have the Connect app installed.
Opening ShipStation Connect
When the installation is complete, you'll be prompted for a Username and Password. This is the same username and password that you use to log into ShipStation.
*Note: connected devices can only be managed in the ShipStation web app if you are logged into both ShipStation and ShipStation Connect with the same user credentials.
When you've entered your username and password, click the Register This Computer button.
Next, click the Go to ShipStation button to return to the ShipStation Connect section of your Account Settings.
When you close the ShipStation Connect window, it will continue running in the background.
Now, if you are logged into both the ShipStation web app and Connect with the same username, you should see a list of available printers and input devices installed on the workstation.
From here, you can share these devices with other users on your ShipStation account (allowing them to print documents no matter which computer they are logged into), or you can disable unwanted devices so you don't see them elsewhere in ShipStation.
Additional Information
- Going forward, ShipStation Connect will always be running in the background of your system, even if you restart your computer.
- Any enabled printer will show up as an available option whenever you print or adjust your default "Print to" settings.
- Any enabled scales will be available wherever you see a scale button in the ShipStation interface!
- If you ever want to verify that ShipStation Connect is running on your computer, check out the instructions in this article!