Introduction to Automating Your Workflow

Automation is an automatically controlled action that does not require human labor. In ShipStation, Automation replaces many of the repetitive tasks you must take to prepare your orders for shipping. The automation options available in ShipStation can work independently or together, depending on your specific workflow needs.

Tasks you can automate include (but are not limited to):

  • Configure shipping service, package type, and insurance

  • Set shipment weight and dimensions

  • Set customs content type and non-delivery options

  • Add tags to orders

  • Add notes to orders

  • Assign orders to a specific user

  • Move an order to the On Hold status

  • Send the order to a connected fulfillment provider

  • Assign a custom packing slip or email notification template to an order

  • Set the order to include a return label

  • Send an email to a specific email address.

In other words, ShipStation’s ShipWorks' automation does the tedious work and lets you focus on getting your packages out the door!

Types of Automation

ShipStation offers three types of automation, which can be used independently or in conjunction with each other:

Product Automation

  • Applies to orders based on the products present in orders when they import into ShipStation.

  • Product Automation includes two subtypes: Product Defaults and Product Preset Groups.

Service Mapping

  • Applies to orders based on the shipping option your customer chose at the time of checkout. ShipStation maps the requested service to the actual service you want to use to ship that order.

Automation Rules

  • Applies selected actions to orders based on a set of criteria set within the rule.

Order of Automation Processes

Automation applies to orders in the following sequence when the order imports into the Awaiting Shipment status:

  1. Product Automation (Preset Groups then Product Defaults)

  2. Service Mapping

  3. Automation Rules (from top of the list to bottom of the list)

When does automation apply to orders?

Automation applies to orders when one of the following occurs:

  • An order imports into ShipStation in the Awaiting Shipment status or you create a manual order in the Awaiting Shipment status.

  • An order that imported or was created in the Awaiting Payment or On Hold status updates to the Awaiting Shipment status for the first time.

  • You click the Reprocess Automation Rules button.

If an order imports to, or is created in, either the Shipped or Cancelled status, then automation will not run on that order unless you manually Restore it to Awaiting Shipment and click the Reprocess Automation Rules button.

Restore
Restore