# Manage Suppliers

Suppliers are the vendors who provide inventory for your business. Manage supplier information including company details, contact information, and addresses to streamline your purchase order workflows.

## Available Operations

ShipStation provides comprehensive supplier management through the following endpoints:

### Retrieve Suppliers

- **[List & Get Suppliers](/suppliers/list)** - View all suppliers or get details for a specific one
  - `GET /v2/suppliers` - List all suppliers with pagination
  - `GET /v2/suppliers/{supplier_id}` - Get detailed information for a supplier


### Create & Update Suppliers

- **[Create Suppliers](/suppliers/create)** - Add new suppliers to your account
  - `POST /v2/suppliers` - Create a new supplier
- **[Update Suppliers](/suppliers/update)** - Modify existing supplier information
  - `PUT /v2/suppliers/{supplier_id}` - Update supplier information


## Supplier Information

Each supplier record includes:

| Information Type | Fields | Purpose |
|  --- | --- | --- |
| Company Details | Name, Email | Identify supplier |
| Address | Address lines, City, State, Postal code, Country | Track supplier location, calculate shipping origins |
| Contact Information | Contact name, Phone number | Communicate with supplier representatives |


## Key Features

### Purchase Order Integration

Suppliers are directly linked to purchase orders:

- Each purchase order references a `supplier_id`
- Supplier information appears on purchase order documents


### Complete Contact Management

- Store primary contact person details
- Maintain current email addresses
- Track phone numbers for quick resolution of issues


### International Support

- ISO country codes for worldwide suppliers
- Flexible address formats for different regions
- Multi-currency support through purchase orders


## Getting Started

### Setting Up Your First Supplier

1. **Create the Supplier**

```http
POST /v2/suppliers
{
  "supplier_name": "Acme Widgets Inc",
  "supplier_email": "orders@acmewidgets.com"
}
```
2. **Add Complete Information**

```http
PUT /v2/suppliers/se-567
{
  "supplier_name": "Acme Widgets Inc",
  "supplier_email": "orders@acmewidgets.com",
  "address_line_1": "123 Main Street",
  "city": "Austin",
  "state": "TX",
  "postal_code": "78701",
  "country_code": "US",
  "contact_name": "John Doe",
  "contact_phone": "512-555-0100"
}
```
3. **Use in Purchase Orders**

```http
POST /v2/purchase_orders
{
  "supplier_id": "se-567",
  "products": [...]
}
```


## Related Resources

- [Manage Purchase Orders](/purchase-orders/manage) - Create orders to suppliers
- [Create Purchase Orders](/purchase-orders/create) - Link suppliers to orders
- [Manage Inventory](/managing-inventory) - Track inventory from suppliers