Getting Started with ShipStation API V2

Welcome to ShipStation API V2 documentation!

ShipStation API V2 includes several highly requested capabilities not currently available in our V1 version, including batch labels, return labels, and manifest endpoints. Each can be used on its own or in conjunction with other features to build powerful shipping functionality into your application or service.

ShipStation API V2 is currently in an early release stage, which means you can access certain endpoints when you enable the Shipping API add-on or Inventory API add-on in your ShipStation account settings. These add-ons are currently free to access while the V2 API is in its early release stage. More information to come as we build functionality into this new API.

If you are looking for the ShipStation openAPI (AKA, ShipStation API V1), please visit the ShipStation API V1 docs page currently located at shipstation.com/docs.

Enable the Shipping API or Inventory API Add-Ons

To access the ShipStation API V2 endpoints, you must first enable the Shipping API and/or Inventory API add-on in your ShipStation account settings.

1. Log into your ShipStation account.
2. Go to Settings and choose Add-Ons.
3. Click the option to try out the API add-on you'd like to use (the Shipping API, Inventory API, or both).

Once either of the add-ons are enabled, you can go to Settings > Account > API Settings and generate your API key.

Shipping API Feautres

With the Shipping API add-on, you can access the following capabilities:

• Rate shopping via a dedicated rates endpoint
• List, tag, and cancel shipments
• Create, download, list, and void labels
• Create multi-package labels
• Create and manage batched labels via a batches endpoint
• Create return labels
• Create custom package types
• Create and list manifests via a manifests endpoint
• Schedule pickups via pickups endpoint

Many more highly requested capabilities will be added in the coming months, including a dedicated address validation endpoint and tracking endpoint.

Rate Shopping

Make sure you ship as cost-effectively as possible by comparing rates across carriers using our Rates endpoint. You can also get rate estimates if you don’t have the full shipment details at hand.

Batches, Multi-Package Labels, and Return Labels

Batch labels, multi-package labels, and return labels are now possible with ShipStation API v2.

• When using the batches endpoint, you can process labels in bulk and receive a large number of labels and customs forms in bulk responses. Batching is ideal for workflows that need to process hundreds or thousands of labels quickly.
• Multi-package labels allow you to create multiple labels for a single shipment that contains multiple packages, without first splitting items into separate shipments (selected carrier must support multi-package labels). To create a multi-package label, you add each package’s details to the packages array in a label request’s shipment object.
• You now have two methods available for creating return labels with the API: set the return label property to true in your create label request, and create a return label for a specific label_id.

Manifests

With the manifests endpoint, you can either specify exactly which label_ids to manifest (this is called an “explicit manifest”) or set criteria for determining which labels will be manifested by carrier ID, warehouse ID, and ship date (this is called an “implicit manifest”). The response body will include links to the manifest documents so you can download and print them.

Schedule Pickups

You can now schedule and manage pickups with supported carriers via the pickups endpoint.

Inventory API Features

With the Inventory API add-on, you can access the following capabilities:

• List and update SKU inventory stock levels
• Add and manage inventory warehouses
• Add and manage inventory locations

Inventory Stock Levels

Use the v2/inventory/ endpoint to list and update inventory stock levels for specific SKUs. Ensure you can always fulfill your orders and identify where SKU stock resides in your warehouse ecosystem.

Inventory Warehouses

Use the dedicated /v2/inventory_warehouses/ endpoint to add, list, udpate, and delete the inventory warehouses you use in your inventory management and shipping workflows.

Inventory Locations

Use the dedicated /v2/inventory_locations/ endpoint ot add, list, update, and delete inventory locations you use within your inventory warehouses.