To configure shipping for an order, you will use the Configure Shipment Widget, which allows you to set the shipping service, package type, weight, dimensions, insurance, confirmation, and other options.
Access the Configure Shipment Widget in either the Orders grid shipping sidebar, or in the Order Details screen (to open the Order Details, either click an order number or double-click the order in the grid).
The subsequent sections in this article detail how to configure shipping for individual orders, for multiple orders at once (called bulk updating), and using Shipping Presets.
You can also configure shipping with various automated methods. Automation methods are covered in depth in the Automation section articles. For details on using different types of automation, please review the product defaults, service mapping, and automation rules articles.
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If learning by doing is more your style, take the ShipStation University Preparing Orders for Shipping course. The lesson videos will show you the different ways you can configure your shipments as well as how to split orders into multiple shipments or combine multiple shipments into one.
To configure shipping for an individual order:
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Go to the Configure Shipment Widget (either in the Orders grid Shipping Sidebar or the Order Details screen).
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Select your Ship From location, if different from the default location.
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Enter the shipment weight.
If you use a scale via ShipStation Connect, click the weight button
once the shipment is placed on the scale.
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Select the desired service from the Service drop-down menu.
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Select the desired package type from the Package drop-down menu.
Packages will be grouped by carrier. Any custom package types you have created will appear first in the list.
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Set your package dimensions, if necessary.
Not all services require package dimensions, however, any service that uses dimensional weight must have dimensions to return an accurate rate.
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Add Insurance and Delivery Confirmation options, if needed.
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Add other options (like Saturday Delivery or Third-party Billing), if needed.
Compare Rates from the Order Rate Calculator
Using the information from the order, you can use the rate calculator icon by the Ship From field to compare rates from available carriers. Select a carrier service and continue to configure the order.
The rate for the shipment will appear in the Create + Print Label button. The rate automatically updates as you configure your shipment.
Once you have configured all necessary options, you are ready to create and print your label.
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Once you get a Rate estimate, click the Cost Review link next to the Rate to see the surcharges and taxes in an itemized list.
Bulk updating can be done in either the Orders grid Shipping Sidebar or the Bulk Update drop-down menu.
The Bulk Update menu offers more options than the bulk update in the sidebar. The menu includes the option to add notes, set a Ship By Date, assign a Shipping Account, and change email and packing slip templates.
The feature to set a future ship date will allow you to create a label to ship at a later time. This ensures the shipment will report correctly and end up on the correct manifest.
To set a future ship date on a single order:
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Open the Order Details screen by clicking on the order number in the Orders grid.
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Click Ship Today in the Configure Shipment section to open the calendar.
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Select a future ship date on the Calendar.
To set a future ship date for multiple orders:
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Select the orders in the Orders grid.
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Configure their shipping options like you normally would.
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Click Create Label or Create + Print Label.
When creating multiple labels at once, ShipStation will open the Label Batch Cost Review screen.
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Click the calendar in the Scheduled Ship Date field.
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Click Continue.
ShipStation will then continue to create the labels for the selected orders, but with the new future ship date.
If you are using ShipStation's Legacy Layout, follow these instructions to configure shipment options.
Fill in your shipment details in the Shipping Info section of an order. The Shipping Info is available in the Order Details screen and the Shipping Sidebar of the Orders grid.
After you configure these settings, the rate will appear below the Insurance drop-down menu. The rate updates as you make changes to the configurations.
Orders can be configured in bulk either through the Order Grid in the Sidebar or with the Bulk Action menu.
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Select the orders to update within the Order Grid.
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Check the configuration settings to open the options and make changes.
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Click Update Selected Order to apply the Shipping Configurations to the selected orders.
To adjust the Optional Shipping Info, go to the Apply Bulk Action option in the Other Actions menu.
From here you can apply options like Saturday Delivery for FedEx or UPS or mark the shipment as non-machinable.
If you made any changes to an order that would affect the shipping rate (such as weight, package type, or service), ShipStation needs to retrieve the rate again. This can be done for a single order or multiple orders directly from the Order Grid.
This will update the rates for all the selected orders. The rate will appear in the sidebar of any selected order as well as in the Rate column.
Auto-Update Rates
To set ShipStation to update rates automatically when you make a change to the order, go to Settings > Account > Display Options > Orders and set Auto-rate postage to On.