You can tell ShipStation to automatically set the service for an order based on which item the order contains. ShipStation uses the Product Defaults entered into the ShipStation product records to automatically apply a shipping service, package type, as well as package dimensions and weight to an order when it imports into ShipStation.
This feature is most helpful if you assign your service and package type based on the product your customer ordered and mostly receive single-item, single-quantity orders.
With Product Defaults, ShipStation can automatically set the following for an order:
There are two methods to set shipping services based on the ordered product: Product Defaults and Preset Groups.
Product Defaults are the default settings applied to a single product record in ShipStation. Preset Groups are product defaults applied to multiple product records in ShipStation.
Valid for Single-Item, Single-Quantity Orders Only
ShipStation can only apply Product Defaults to orders that contain a single line item in a single quantity. One reason for this is to prevent conflict when product records have different defaults. Another is to prevent an invalid selection when multiple items within an order would require choosing a different service or package type unique to that order.
The one exception to this is the product weight. For multi-item and multi-quantity orders, ShipStation calculates the weight values entered as the Product Default weights and adds the total to the order.
If you frequently receive multi-item or multi-quantity orders and would still like to use automation to assign services to orders, we recommend you add tags to product records and use those tags as criteria in Automation Rules to accomplish this.
To set your Product Defaults for a product record in ShipStation:
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Open the Product Details screen for a product record (click the SKU or double-click the product line in the grid).
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Click the Shipping tab.
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Assign the Defaults you wish to use for this product:
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Domestic service, package type, confirmation option
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International service, package type, confirmation option
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Package weight
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Package dimensions
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Check the Apply changes to open orders option if you have Awaiting Shipment orders you wish for these new settings to apply to.
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Click Save.
Going forward, ShipStation will automatically apply these defaults to any order that contains only this item in a single quantity upon order import.
If you ship internationally, you may also want to enter your Customs defaults into the product record so ShipStation will automatically fill in your customs declarations.
To set your product Customs defaults:
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Open the Product Details screen for a product you'd like to edit (click the SKU or double-click the product line in the grid).
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Click the Customs tab.
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Enter the values you want ShipStation to use for the customs declarations.
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The Description should be less than 50 characters. Avoid special characters like #, $, ?, %, @, !.
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Enter a Declared Value if the declared value will be different than the unit price imported from your selling channel.
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The Harmonization Code (also referred to as Tariff Code, Customs Tariffs, Harmonized Tariff Codes, and Harmonized System Code) is a standardized code used for tax assessment purposes.
Once an order reaches an international border, these codes will help the customs office to identify what it is that you are shipping.
Find a full list of harmonization codes on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule website. .
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The Origin Country refers to the country where the goods were produced, manufactured, or assembled.
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Click Save Changes.
To apply these changes to Awaiting Shipment orders that have already imported into ShipStation, be sure to also check the Apply changes to open orders checkbox as well.
If you have multiple products that will have the same defaults, create a Preset Group with the defaults and assign the products to the group instead.