Marketplace Shipment Notifications

Explains what marketplace notifications are, what info they contain, how to delay or prevent them, and how to view notification statuses in ShipStation.

ShipStation sends a notification to your connected stores to let them know an order has shipped. When this occurs, the store updates the status on their side to ensure you always know which orders have shipped and which still need shipping. If you have built a custom integration, learn more about shipment notifications in the Custom Store Development Guide. Developers can review the Developers documentation in the top toolbar.

By default, ShipStation sends the notification as soon as you create the label for a shipment or mark it as Shipped. If you are using FBA or Shipwire, ShipStation notifies your connected store once the fulfillment provider tells ShipStation the order has shipped. 

ShipStation does provide the ability to delay notifications or even prevent notifications from being sent to selling channels altogether. 

Reshipping After Voiding a Label

If you create a new label for an order after voiding the original label, the store or marketplace that the order originated from will not be notified with the new shipment and tracking information.

You can delay or prevent marketplace notifications so that the store or marketplace is not notified until a label is scanned into the mail stream. For example, if you delay marketplace notifications and then create a new label for a voided shipment, the store or marketplace will only be notified with shipment and tracking information for the new label when it is received by the carrier. The store or marketplace will not be notified with details of the voided label.

What does ShipStation tell my Selling Channels?

The information ShipStation sends back to your connected store depends on which platform it is and what that platform requires. 

ShipStation sends the following information back to all selling channels: 

  • Shipment tracking number

  • Shipping carrier

  • Information identifying which order the notification is for (this could be an order number or order ID)

  • A tag indicating whether ShipStation is also sending a notification email to the customer

    This is to prevent your customer from receiving a shipment confirmation email from both ShipStation and your selling channel. 

ShipStation may also send the following information to certain selling channels if they require it:

  • Shipping service

  • Carrier tracking URL

  • Order item details (like SKU, Name, quantity, etc)

  • Label creation date

  • Ship date

  • Customer details (like recipient name and address)

What is Not Sent in Marketplace Notifications

ShipStation does not send account information like username, billing address, or other account-related information back to your selling channel. 

Changes made to orders in ShipStation are not sent back to your marketplace in most cases. This includes putting an order on hold, canceling an order, or adding notes to an order.

Enable Customer Notification Emails

Shipment and delivery notification emails must be enabled at the store level in ShipStation. Your notification email settings will apply to all shipments for orders imported into ShipStation from that store.

You can enable customer notifications in the Emails tab of your store settings:

  1. Click the Shipment Confirmation Email drop-down menu, then select your desired email template from the list.

    To enable delivery notification emails, click the Delivery Notification Email drop-down menu and select your desired email template.

  2. Click Save Changes to turn on customer notifications.

    SET_STORE_Emails-Enable.gif

Repeat the same steps for any store you wish to use ShipStation’s customer notifications. From now on, ShipStation will email shipment confirmations to customers for all orders imported on each store with enabled customer notifications.

To disable customer notification emails, set each drop-down menu to (don't send email) and save your changes.

Delay Marketplace Notifications

If you do not want ShipStation to notify your selling channels as soon as you create the label, you can delay the notifications based on the options available in the store's Emails settings.

These settings will apply to all shipments going forward. Repeat these steps for any store you'd like to use delayed notifications.

Shipment & Delivery Notification Columns in the Shipments Tab

Click on the Shipments tab to view your Shipment or Delivery Notification for your shipment.

Closeup of Toolbar. Shipments tab highlighted.
V3 Shipping grid Shipment Delivery Notification column.

If you do not see the Shipment or Delivery Notification columns, click the Columns button to enable those columns.

Columns button highlighted in the ShipStation UI.

Check the Shipment Notification and Delivery Notification options. Scroll to view, then click and drag to move the columns to the desired position in your grid.

Successful notifications will appear in and say Notified. Failed notifications will appear and say Failed. Hover your mouse over the failed icon to view a pop-up with details on why the notification failed.

Smart Document Tracking

Smart document tracking Statuses, with respective icons. Reads, Packing slip: printed, Label: printed, & Notifications: sent

Will appear in the Shipment Details screens.

The Notifications option indicates both marketplace and customer notifications. Sent notifications will appear in dark grey and say Sent. If either notification failed, this icon will also include a red dot. Hover your mouse over the icon to view a pop-up with details on which notification failed and why.

Resend Failed Notifications

You can resend failed notifications once the cause of the issue has been addressed. 

Prevent Marketplace Notifications

If you do not wish ShipStation to notify your selling channels about shipments on certain orders, you can block the notifications entirely.

You can do this in several ways: 

  • On a per shipment basis: Check the Do not notify Marketplace option in the Other Shipping Options section of the Shipping Sidebar.

    ShipStation's new layout:

    V3 shipping sidebar with the Other Shipping Options, Do not notify marketplace option highlighted.

    ShipStation legacy layout:

    Other Shipping Options dropdown menu. Red box highlights option: Do not notify marketplace when shipped.
  • On multiple shipments: After selecting multiple orders on the Orders tab, you can apply a Bulk Update to enable this option.

    In ShipStation's new layout, click Bulk Update then choose the Do Not Notify Marketplace option.

    Red arrow points to Bulk update menu. Do Not Notify Marketplace menu option highlighted.

    In ShipStation's legacy layout, click Other Actions > Apply Bulk Action, then choose the Do Not Notify Marketplace of Shipment action.

    Orders page, Other Actions dropdown. Red box highlights Apply Bulk Action menu option.
  • When marking an order or shipment as Shipped: Uncheck the Notify Marketplace option in the Mark as Shipped screen.

    Mark as shipped pop-up. Red box highlights checkbox for Notify Marketplace.
  • With Automation Rules: Create a rule that applies a Do Not Notify action for orders that meet the rule's criteria. Review the Automation Rules article for details on how to create automation rules.

Notification Tracking

ShipStation lets you know if your marketplace notifications were sent and received successfully using Smart Document Tracking

Check the column in the Shipments tab or the Smart Document Tracking in the Shipment Details screens.  

V3 Marketplace Notified column icons. Includes Notified & Failed

In ShipStation's legacy layout, the column is just named Notifications.

Shipment grid notification Icons.

If you do not see the Marketplace Notified column, click the Columns button.

Columns button highlighted in the ShipStation UI.

Check the Marketplace Notified option from the Manage Columns pop-up and click Save Columns.

V3 manage columns menu arrow pointed Marketplace Notified and Save Columns highlighted.

Scroll in the Shipments grid to view the new column. Click and drag to reposition it to your desired location in the grid. 

Successful marketplace notifications will appear and say Notified. Failed marketplace notifications will appear and say Failed. Hover your mouse over the failed icon to view a pop-up with details on why the notification failed. 

Smart Document Tracking
Smart document tracking Statuses, with respective icons. Reads, Packing slip: printed, Label: printed, & Notifications: sent

Will appear in the Shipment Details screens.

The Notifications icon indicates both marketplace and customer notifications. Sent notifications will appear and say Sent. If either notification failed, this icon will also include a dot. Hover your mouse over the icon to view a pop-up with details on which notification failed and why.

Resend Failed Notifications

You can resend failed notifications once the cause of the issue has been addressed. 

Smart Document Tracking
Smart Document Tracking