Shipium's APIs and what they do

Our APIs are listed alphabetically with a brief description in the following table and in the sections below. For more details on each API, you can click on the link in The API column of the table to jump to the API's individual section on this page. Other documentation links are included in the What It Does column.

You can combine APIs at different points in the ecommerce chain, or use a single API to meet a specific need. Use the individual links in the table above to visit more detailed documents for each API, or scroll down for more details on our APIs and guidance for when to use each one.

For more general information on our API structure and response codes, you can visit APIs Introduction and API Response Codes.

Address Validation API

When fulfilling a shipment, prior to making a call to get a carrier label you may want to validate the address. With this API, you can:

• identify and repair any address issues prior to packing and shipping; and
• validate an address based on its deliverability.

For details, see the Address Validation API documentation. You also can find information in the Address Validation document.

Batch Label Creation API

Creating shipping labels in batches is possible through the Batch Label Creation API, which enables your organization to retrieve labels for up to 150 shipments in one API call. With this API, you can:

• generate multiple shipment labels in one call.

For each call response, you can choose to have full shipment details included. For details, see the Batch Label Creation API documentation.

Carrier and Method Selection API

Optimizing carrier and method selection is one of the key places where ecommerce models can reduce costs. With this API, you can:

• find the least expensive shipping carrier and shipment method that meets a set of rules you define for any given shipment.

Once the carrier and method have been determined, your software can obtain a label for that shipper as appropriate (see the next API below). For details, see the Carrier and Method Selection API documentation. You also can find information in the Carrier and Method Selection document.

Carrier and Method Selection & Shipment Label API

You can determine shipping carrier and method, and determine postage and an appropriate label in one single call, reducing your organization's network overhead. With this API, in one call you can:

• optimize carrier selection and shipping method; and
• purchase postage and obtain an appropriate label for your shipper.

For details, see the Carrier and Method Selection & Shipment Label API documentation. You also can find information in the Carrier and Method Selection & Shipment Labels document.

Configuration APIs

Shipium's Configuration APIs can provide a more convenient way to manage the configuration of your organization's Shipium account and assets, including origins, schedules, and other elements that are used for fulfillment operations as part of other Shipium API calls, Shipium applications, and Shipium reporting tools.

Origin Configuration API

With this API, you can:

• add, remove, and make modifications to the configuration of your network origins (i.e., fulfillment centers, warehouses) from your applications instead of via the Shipium Console.

Guidance for using this API is in the Origin Configuration API documentation.

Origin Schedule Configuration API

With this API, you can:

• add, remove, and make modifications to the configuration of your network origin schedules (i.e., schedules of your fulfillment centers, warehouses) from your applications instead of via the Shipium Console.

Guidance for using this API is in the Origin Schedule Configuration API documentation.

Delivery Promise API

Most customers want to know when a product will be delivered even before they buy it. For this reason, using delivery estimates is critical to cart conversion. With this API, you can:

• register a page view and produce an accurate delivery estimate date for a customer viewing your product;
• create a representation of an order when a customer checks out, map deliveryEstimateIds to quantities in the order, and provide other order properties;
• report when your organization has shipped a package containing one or more items when a shipment leaves your fulfillment center;
• tracks package(s) in transit; and
• update the delivery date/time once a package is delivered.

For details, see the Delivery Promise API documentation. You also can find information in the Delivery Promise and Time in Transit Estimations documents.

Fulfillment Engine API

You want to meet your customer's needs as quickly and as cheaply as possible, and maximizing the use of the right fulfillment center in your network for each shipment helps you achieve that goal. With this API, you can:

• receive a recommended set of shipments to be filled for a customer order, including the sets of order items, quantities, and fulfillment centers from which they should be fulfilled by providing a list of items to be fulfilled along with inventory status and optional details; and
• determine the optimal allocation of inventory to shipments in order to hit desired delivery dates (if provided) at the lowest cost.

For details, see the Fulfillment Engine API documentation. You also can find information in the Fulfillment Engine document.

Packaging Planner API

When shipping product to your customers, your organization needs to determine package sizing. With this API, you can:

• determine an appropriate set of packaging types and sizes for one or more items in a shipment;
• specify special processes and hazardous materials; and
• set up the sizes and types of packages available at each fulfillment center in your network, leaving the API to do the rest.

For details, see the Packaging Planner API documentation. You also can find information in the Packaging Planner document.

Return Label API

Many retail companies enable their customers to send back products due to issues with a product or as part of their business model. With this API, you can:

• generate a return label independent of shipment label generation.

For details, see the Return Label API documentation. You also can find information in the Return Labels and Print Labels documents.

Shipment Label API

After determining shipping carrier and method, your organization will need to determine postage and obtain an appropriate shipping label. With this API, you can:

• purchase postage and obtain an appropriate label for your shipper, after using the Carrier and Method Selection API; and
• use this API on its own, if desired.

For details, see the Shipment Label API documentation. You also can find information in the Shipment Labels document.

Shipment Tracking API

A critical aspect of your customers' ecommerce experience is the way that you provide them with updates on the current status of their package. With this API, you can:

• search for single or bulk registered tracking events;
• exclude specific tracking events; and
• use webhooks to automatically receive tracking updates.

For details, see the Shipment Tracking API and Track Shipments documentation. You also can find information in the Track and Trace and Use Webhooks for Tracking documents.

Shipment Tracking Registration API

If you would like to track shipments that were not generated via Shipium's Carrier and Method Selection, you can use this API to:

• register tracking events for non-Shipium initiated shipments, whether for single or bulk events.

For details, see the Shipment Tracking Registration API documentation. You also can find information in the Track Non-Shipium Shipments document.

Subscription Timing API

If you use a subscription model, a common problem is knowing when to ship product to your customers to hit an approximate delivery date. With this API, you can:

• solve the problem of knowing when to ship by using information on your organization and carrier transit times to recommend when to ship each package.

For details, see the Subscription Timing API documentation. You also can find information in Subscription Timing.

Resources

Your Shipium team member is available to help along the way. However, you might find these resources helpful:

• Terms and Definitions

• Troubleshooting Guide

• Contact Shipium Support