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OpenCart

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ShipStation Content Team

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How to add an OpenCart store to ShipStation, what features are available, other need-to-know details, and troubleshooting tips.

OpenCart is a free, open-source, self-hosted, shopping-cart platform. With their plug-ins and friendly GUI (graphical user interface), build and customize your ecommerce store without any programming experience. As an OpenCart partner, ShipStation pulls in weight, images, and item options from OpenCart orders. Plus, we support internal and buyer notes, along with gift messages.

Learn more about OpenCart or register to get starting building your online store.

OpenCart Requirements

Connection Requirements:

  • An active account with OpenCart (version 1.5.1 - 3.0.2.0).

  • The ShipStation module installed in the OpenCart folder.

  • The ShipStation Key and ShipStation Verification Key from the ShipStation Config module.

  • Your OpenCart URL.

Scope of Support

Installing the module to the OpenCart folder is beyond the ShipStation scope of support. We recommend you contact your store developer or OpenCart Support if you need assistance with the module installation process, as the process can differ based on the unique configuration of other OpenCart files.

Order Import Requirements:

  • Include a Ship To address.

Connect an OpenCart store to ShipStation

To connect your OpenCart store to ShipStation:

  1. Go to Account Settings.

    Closeup of ShipStation toolbar with outline marking the Settings icon.

  2. Select Selling Channels from the left-hand sidebar, then choose Store Setup.

    Settings page selections, with outline marking the Selling Channels Store Setup option.

  3. Click Connect a Store or Marketplace.

    Store Setup Settings, box highlights Connect a Store or Marketplace button.

  4. Select the OpenCart tile.

    Opencart logo

  5. Select Your OpenCart Version from the dropdown.

  6. Download the ShipStation module linked in the first step in the connection window.

  7. Use an FTP program to extract the module to your OpenCart folder.

  8. Modify the chmod on the ShipStation/config.php file to 777.

  9. Log in to your OpenCart admin site.

  10. Go to Extensions, then Modules.

    Opencart extensions menu with Module option highlighted.

  11. Click Install next to the ShipStation module.

  12. Click Edit next to the ShipStation module.

    Opencart extensions list with the Edit link for ShipStation option highlighted.

  13. Copy the ShipStation Key and ShipStation Verification Key from this page. If they are not present, click Generate New Keys to create them.

    Opencart extensions modules with arrow pointing to Generate New Keys button.

  14. Back in ShipStation, enter the ShipStation Key, ShipStation Verification Key, and OpenCart URL, then map any custom statuses if needed.

  15. Click Test Connection, then Connect if the test is successful.

After you've completed the connection steps, your store will be connected to ShipStation. You'll be taken to the store's Settings page to adjust the store-specific settings like branding, notification preferences, and product handling.

Available Features for OpenCart Integration

The ShipStation integration with OpenCart supports the following standard features:

Key: Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes. = Supported; Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No. = Not Supported; Grey dash icon. Not applicable. = Does Not Apply

Common Integration Features

Feature

Supported?

Custom Statuses

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Customer Emails

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Customer Phone Numbers

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Requested Service

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Payment Method

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Discounts

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Identifies Gift Orders

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Internal Notes

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Notes from Buyer

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Order Weight

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Item Weight

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Item Images

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Item Options

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Item Warehouse Location

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Order Status Mapping

ShipStation Status

OpenCart Status

Awaiting Payment

Pending

Awaiting Shipment

Processing

Shipped

Shipped

Cancelled

Cancelled

On Hold

Not Mapped

Sent with Shipment Update

Field

Sent to marketplace?

Status Update

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Tracking Number

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Carrier

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Service

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Carrier Fee

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Note to Buyer

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Item Information

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Additional Features For OpenCart

The ShipStation integration with OpenCart allows for the following additional features:

Feature

Description

Configurable Time Zone

By default, ShipStation assumes that the OpenCart store's server uses UTC as the timezone. If your OpenCart account uses a different server timezone, define it in the store's settings.

If a store allows custom statuses, this means you define that statuses your orders use in your selling channel. In most cases, if you have custom statuses you'll need to define which ShipStation statuses each custom order status corresponds to.

ShipStation will import the customer's email address with the order data and can send shipment confirmation and delivery emails to that email address (configured in your Store settings).

ShipStation will import the customer phone number with the order data.

ShipStation will import the shipping method chosen by the customer during their store checkout.

ShipStation will import the payment method used to pay for the order.

ShipStation will import discount and coupon information for the order.

ShipStation can determine if an order is a gift from the order data sent by the store.

ShipStation will import internal notes or order activity from the store into the ShipStation Internal Notes field.

ShipStation will import notes provided by the customer when they made their purchase.

ShipStation will import the total order weight from the store.

ShipStation will import the weight for each line item in the order.

ShipStation will import an image URL for each line item in the order. These images will appear as thumbnails in your Order Details and can be included in email notifications and packing slips.

ShipStation will import item options (such as color or size) for each line item in the order. This data will appear in your Order Details and can be included in customer emails and packing slips.

ShipStation will import a product stock location for each line item in the order.

Status UpdateTracking NumberCarrierServiceCarrier Fee

The shipment update ShipStation sends to the selling channel will include any Notes to Buyer set on the order in ShipStation.

Item Information

Additional Details about the OpenCart Integration

  • ShipStation cannot guarantee compatibility with any other third-party OpenCart modules. If a module changes the folder structure of your OpenCart site, that may prevent ShipStation from importing orders.

OpenCart Troubleshooting Tips

Here are some common issues experienced by users, potential causes, and available troubleshooting tips.

Issue

How to troubleshoot or resolve

Error: Unable to update order (order #). Reason: “text_update_success" version 2.3.0.2

SHP_Tracking_OpenCart_ShipNotifyError-Retry.png

What it means: Shipment notifications have stopped working because of a mismatched response in the OpenCart connector.

What to do: The line response that matches "text_update_success" should be changed to read "Status updated successfully!"

Connector configuration is beyond the ShipStation scope of support, but in your own connector, you may try to parse the ShipStation module for language specifications if the language your store uses is being rejected:

  1. Download OpenCart’s ShipStation connector zip file and then unpack/extract the zip file.

  2. Follow this folder-opening progression: upload (name of the zip after unpacking) > admin > language > en-gb > extension > module > shipstation.php. This video demo shows the process.

  3. Search for language strings (or the error message text), and change the response in your connector for "text_update_success" to read "Status updated successfully!"

OpenCart_text_update_success_ErrorMessage_MRK.png

The Order Date in ShipStation is different from the Order Date in OpenCart

What it means: This usually occurs because the OpenCart server is using a different timezone than the timezone set in the store's settings in ShipStation, which causes the Order Date to be thrown off when converting the timestamp based on time zone.

What to do: Update the store's settings so the store is using the same timezone as the server your OpenCart store is hosted on.

Certain orders placed late in the day are not importing into ShipStation

What it means: Similar to the issue above, this typically occurs because the OpenCart server is using a different timezone than the timezone set in the store's settings in ShipStation, which causes our import process to inadvertently skip ahead.

What to do: Update the store's settings so the store is using the same timezone as the server your OpenCart store is hosted on.

If a store allows custom statuses, this means you define that statuses your orders use in your selling channel. In most cases, if you have custom statuses you'll need to define which ShipStation statuses each custom order status corresponds to.

ShipStation will import the customer's email address with the order data and can send shipment confirmation and delivery emails to that email address (configured in your Store settings).

ShipStation will import the customer phone number with the order data.

ShipStation will import the shipping method chosen by the customer during their store checkout.

ShipStation will import the payment method used to pay for the order.

ShipStation will import discount and coupon information for the order.

ShipStation can determine if an order is a gift from the order data sent by the store.

ShipStation will import internal notes or order activity from the store into the ShipStation Internal Notes field.

ShipStation will import notes provided by the customer when they made their purchase.

ShipStation will import the total order weight from the store.

ShipStation will import the weight for each line item in the order.

ShipStation will import an image URL for each line item in the order. These images will appear as thumbnails in your Order Details and can be included in email notifications and packing slips.

ShipStation will import item options (such as color or size) for each line item in the order. This data will appear in your Order Details and can be included in customer emails and packing slips.

ShipStation will import a product stock location for each line item in the order.

Status UpdateTracking NumberCarrierServiceCarrier Fee

The shipment update ShipStation sends to the selling channel will include any Notes to Buyer set on the order in ShipStation.

Item Information

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