Using barcodes can help increase workflow efficiency when shipping orders. In ShipStation, you can use barcodes to locate orders, process orders, or perform other actions with ShipStation. You can also print barcodes on packing slips, which can be used both in ShipStation and with other 3rd party systems.
This article provides a general overview on the following topics related to barcodes:
- Print Barcodes on Packing Slips
- Scan to View
- Barcode Scan Search
- Hotkeys, Presets, and Other Scan Actions
Print Barcodes on Packing Slips
The most basic barcode feature that ShipStation provides is the ability to print a barcode on packing slips.
The default packing slip templates available to all ShipStation users prints a Scan to View barcode which is used for other barcode-related features in ShipStation.
For Silver subscription plans or higher, you can also add barcodes to customized packing slips. These barcodes can be set to include information like order number, SKU, or other order details.
The article, How can I add a barcode to my packing slips? provides a detailed breakdown and example HTML code for adding barcodes to packing slip.
Scan to View
ShipStation's default packing slip template includes a Scan to View barcode. This barcode appears at the bottom of the packing slip and, once scanned, will bring up the Order Details window for the order so you can view, modify, or process the order.
The following articles provide further details:
- What is a Scan to View barcode?
- How do I add a "Scan to View" barcode to my existing customized packing slip?
- How do I turn off the "Scan to View" packing slip barcode?
The Scan to View barcode is also used for two other barcode-related features - Scan to Print and Scan to Batch.
Scan to Print
The Scan to Print feature - available on the Orders tab - allows users to scan the Scan to View barcode and quickly generate a shipping label. Review the article, What is Scan to Print? step-by-step instructions.
Scan to Batch
The Scan to Batch feature is available when viewing an open label batch and allows users to scan the Scan to View barcode and quickly add additional orders to the batch.
Barcode Scan Search
If you're not using the Scan to View barcode but still want to use a barcode to search for orders, ShipStation also offers the Barcode Scan Search feature to locate orders by scanning a barcode of the order number, customer name, or other searchable order fields.
- Review the article, How do I search for orders by scanning a barcode? for step-by-step instructions.
The ShipStation Mobile app has a similar Scan Barcode feature that allows you to locate orders by barcode using the same search parameters.
- Review the article, How can I use ShipStation Mobile to scan a barcode?
Hotkeys, Presets, and Other Scan Actions
You can also use barcodes to perform other actions within ShipStation.
The Barcode Scan Action Report is a physical document that includes several barcodes you can use to navigate through ShipStation and perform certain actions, like applying Shipping Presets to your orders, in the same way you can use hotkeys.
Alternately, the Barcode Scan Action Quick Reference Sheet is a document you can customize to only include specific actions, such as the actions you perform most frequently. Review the following article for details: How do I print out my lists of Barcode Scan Actions?