Generate PDF documents for purchase orders to share details with suppliers. ShipStation provides two types of PDF documents for purchase orders.
Generate a comprehensive purchase order document to send to your supplier.
Endpoint: GET /v2/purchase_orders/{purchase_order_id}/documents/order_summary
Available for statuses: open, receiving, received, closed
Contains:
- Purchase order number
- Supplier information
- Product details with quantities and costs
- Delivery information
- Notes to supplier
Generate a receipt document showing what products have been received from the purchase order.
Endpoint: GET /v2/purchase_orders/{purchase_order_id}/documents/received_summary
Available for statuses: receiving, received, closed
Contains:
- Purchase order reference
- Products received with quantities
- Lot numbers and expiration dates (if applicable)
Use the order summary PDF to communicate with your supplier about the purchase order.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
purchase_order_id | string | The unique identifier of the purchase order |
Returns a PDF document (binary format) with Content-Type: application/pdf.
GET /v2/purchase_orders/{purchase_order_id}/documents/order_summary
- Productionhttps://api.shipstation.com/v2/purchase_orders/{purchase_order_id}/documents/order_summary
- curl
- JavaScript
- Node.js
- Python
- Java
- C#
- PHP
- Go
- Ruby
- R
- Payload
curl -i -X GET \
https://api.shipstation.com/v2/purchase_orders/se-234/documents/order_summary \
-H 'api-key: YOUR_API_KEY_HERE'GET /v2/purchase_orders/se-234/documents/order_summary
API-Key: __YOUR_API_KEY_HERE__The response will be a PDF file that can be:
- Downloaded and saved locally
- Emailed to the supplier
- Printed for physical records
- Attached to other systems
Use the received summary PDF to document what has been received and verify deliveries.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
purchase_order_id | string | The unique identifier of the purchase order |
Returns a PDF document (binary format) with Content-Type: application/pdf.
GET /v2/purchase_orders/{purchase_order_id}/documents/received_summary
- Productionhttps://api.shipstation.com/v2/purchase_orders/{purchase_order_id}/documents/received_summary
- curl
- JavaScript
- Node.js
- Python
- Java
- C#
- PHP
- Go
- Ruby
- R
- Payload
curl -i -X GET \
https://api.shipstation.com/v2/purchase_orders/se-234/documents/received_summary \
-H 'api-key: YOUR_API_KEY_HERE'GET /v2/purchase_orders/se-234/documents/received_summary
API-Key: __YOUR_API_KEY_HERE__The response will be a PDF file that can be used for:
- Internal receiving documentation
- Inventory audit trails
- Supplier reconciliation
- Accounting records
Different documents are available based on purchase order status:
| Document Type | Available Statuses | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Order Summary | open, receiving, received, closed | Send to supplier, print for records |
| Received Summary | receiving, received, closed | Document what has been received |
Draft Status:
- No documents available
- Complete and change to
openstatus first
Open Status:
- Order Summary available
- Use to send order details to supplier
- Received Summary not yet available (nothing received)
Receiving Status:
- Both documents available
- Order Summary shows original order
- Received Summary shows partial receipts
Received/Closed Status:
- Both documents available
- Order Summary shows complete order
- Received Summary shows all receipts
Common errors when generating documents:
404 Not Found
- Purchase order ID doesn't exist
400 Bad Request*
- Document not available for current status
- Header: PO number, dates, supplier details
- Product Table: SKU, name, quantity, unit cost, total cost
- Totals Section: Subtotal, currency
- Shipping Details: Expected delivery date, carrier, tracking
- Notes: Any notes to supplier
- Warehouse: Receiving location information
- Header: PO number, receiving dates
- Products Received:
- Product details (SKU, name)
- Ordered vs. received quantities
- Lot numbers (if applicable)
- Expiration dates (if applicable)
- Location: Where products were received
- Status: Overall receiving status
- Manage Purchase Orders - Overview of purchase order operations
- Update Purchase Orders - Change purchase order status
- Receive Products - Record product receipts