How to create and print your first label in ShipStation.
Shipping an order includes two basic steps: configuring the shipment and creating & printing the label. For your first label, we'll take you through the process step-by-step so you fully understand how it works. Once you have created the label, ShipStation automatically moves the order into the Shipped status and notifies your selling channel for you.
If you haven't yet imported any orders into ShipStation but still want to create a label, you can create a manual order first, then follow the instructions in this article. Or, you can create a label with our Rate Calculator, which you can do at any time, even when you don't have any orders in ShipStation.
To create a label successfully, at a minimum, you must set your Ship From location, shipment weight, service class, and package type. Some service classes will also require you to enter the package dimensions (we recommend you always enter package dimensions to ensure you get the most accurate rates and avoid the possibility of the carrier billing you additional fees for inaccurate shipment details).
In ShipStation, you can configure all of these options in the Configure Shipment Widget, which appears in the Shipping Sidebar when you have selected an order.
If you do not see the Configure Shipment Widget, make sure you have checked the option to Show Sidebar.
To configure your first shipment:
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Select an order from the Orders grid.
You'll see the Configure Shipment Widget in the Shipping Sidebar.
If you don't yet have any orders in ShipStation yet, you can create a manual order first or create a label from the Rate Calculator instead.
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Select your Ship From location.
If you have not added a Ship From location yet, choose Add Ship From Location to first enter the address you'll ship your package from.
Enter the shipment weight.
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Select the desired service from the Service drop-down menu.
If you select a service from a ShipStation Carrier but did not complete the Carrier Setup on the Onboard screen, you'll be prompted to enter your payment method when you create the label.
Select the desired package type from the Package drop-down menu.
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Enter your package dimensions.
While not all services require package dimensions, we recommend always adding dimensions to ensure you receive the most accurate rate. For carriers that use dimensional weight, adding dimensions can sometimes qualify the shipment for additional discounts and can help avoid unexpected fee adjustments later.
You should see the Rate in ShipStation automatically adjust as you enter your shipment details. ShipStation sends your shipment details to the carrier for the rate estimate as you enter them! If you'd like to view multiple rates for different services and different carriers before you decide which carrier and service you will choose, click the rate calculator icon . It will use the details you've already entered to show you the rates for the different available services.
If an alert icon appears instead of a rate, it may be because the details you entered are not acceptable for the selected service type. Click the alert icon to view the alert message and then adjust your shipment configuration as needed.
Once you have configured your shipping options, you are ready to create and print your label!
Printer Settings for Labels!
If you have never printed a shipping label from your workstation or printer, we recommend you first confirm your printer preferences are set correctly.
Review the Printer Setup (macOS) or Printer Setup (Windows) articles for instructions on how to configure your printer preferences to print shipping labels.
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Click the Create + Print Label button.
If you've selected a ShipStation Carriers service but did not complete the Carrier Setup on the Onboard screen, you'll be prompted here to add your label payment method and add funds to the balance used to purchase your labels.
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Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the payment method setup. This payment method is used to purchase your labels. It will not affect your ShipStation trial or apply a subscription plan to your account.
As soon as you have completed the payment method setup, ShipStation requests the label from the carrier. You will then see the label appear in the print label pop-up.
The print label pop-up gives you three options to print, but since this is your first label, the quickest and simplest method is the browser print option.
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Choose the browser print icon
and select your label printer in the printer list. Click Print.
This will tell your web browser to send the label directly to your printer. Your label will print and you can then affix it to the shipment and send it on its way!
Congratulations! You just shipped your first order using ShipStation!
Learn About Other Printing Methods
ShipStation provides two other options for printing so you can choose what works best for your workflow: Download and Print through ShipStation Connect.
Choose Download to download the label PDF to your downloads folder. You can then print it from any PDF viewer.
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ShipStation Connect is an additional application you can download that provides customization and time-saving features. For example, ShipStation Connect allows finer control over your printer availability to other users on your account as well as the ability to print labels remotely, pull shipment weights from a connected USB scale, and assign specific printers as the default for different document types.
Review our Introduction to ShipStation Connect help article for details and instructions on how to install, set up, and use it!
After you have shipped a parcel, you may want to check the store notifications and track the shipment. ShipStation provides tools to check both, as well as the ability to reprint and void labels.
ShipStation notifies your selling channel of the shipment as soon as you create a label. You can check the status of the notifications in the following locations:
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The Shipment Details
Open the Shipment Details by clicking on the shipment number or double-clicking the shipment record in the Shipments grid.
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The Shipments Grid
Click the Shipments tab to access the Shipments grid. Each notification has its own column in the grid.
Status Color |
Details |
|---|---|
Light Grey |
The notification has not been attempted. These notifications contain no additional text. |
Dark Grey |
The notification occurred successfully. These notifications will also include the text Notified or Sent. |
Red |
The notification failed. These notifications will also include the text Failed. To view the failure reason, hover your cursor over the red icon. To resend the notification, go to the Other Actions menu in the Shipments tab and choose Send Notification. |
Send Shipment Notification Emails to Your Customers
If you'd like ShipStation to send shipment notification emails directly to your customers, please review the Customer Notifications article.
ShipStation displays a shipment’s tracking number in both the Order Details screen, the Shipment Details screen, and the Tracking # column in the Shipments grid.
Order Details Screen
Shipment Details Screen
Shipments Grid
Click the tracking number to view the shipment's progress on the carrier’s tracking page.
To ensure you have the most recent tracking information, click the Update Tracking button.
For certain carriers and services, ShipStation also receives automatic tracking updates that will indicate whether the shipment is In Transit and Delivered
directly in ShipStation.
Verify Auto-Tracking is Supported by Carrier
Not all carriers and services support auto-update tracking. Please view the list of supported carriers & services.
If you need to reprint a label for any reason (perhaps there was a printer malfunction or the original label was lost before putting on the parcel), you can do so. Reprinting a label does not count against your shipment limit and does not charge additional postage. The label is the same label with the same tracking number you already created.
Reprint the label from either the Shipments grid, from thr Orders grid, or from the Order Details screen:
From the Shipments Grid or Orders Grid
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Select the shipment in the Shipments grid or the Orders grid.
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Expand the Print menu and choose Label.
The Print Preview screen will open and display a preview of your shipping label.
Select the Download button to download the label to your computer or select the printer to which you would like to print the shipping label and click the Print through ShipStation Connect button to print the label.
From the Order Details Screen
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Select the shipment in the left-side panel.
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Click the Shipment Actions button and select
Print > Label.The Print Preview screen will open and display a preview of your shipping label.
Select the Download button to download the label to your computer or select the printer to which you would like to print the shipping label and click the Print through ShipStation Connect button to print the label.
To void a label in ShipStation:
From the Shipments Grid
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Select the Shipment in the Shipments grid.
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Click the Void Label button.
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Click Continue in the pop-up that appears.
A message will appear to let you know if the label has been successfully voided.
From the Order Details Screen
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Click the order number in the Orders Grid to open the Order Details screen.
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Select the shipment in the left-side panel.
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Click the meatball menu in the Shipment Review Card and select Void Shipment.
For carriers that charge you as soon as you create a label (like any ShipStation Carrier), the label amount will be refunded to your postage balance right away. For post-billed carriers (like UPS or FedEx), no refund is necessary since you are charged only for labels you actually use.
Voiding a label will move the order from the Shipped status back to the Awaiting Shipment status. The voided label will appear in the Voided Shipments card of the Order Details screen.
Review our Void Labels article to see other ways to void labels in ShipStation.
Now that you've successfully shipped your first shipment using ShipStation, you might wonder what you should do next. Here are a few suggestions to get you going!
Set up shipment notification emails in ShipStation so your customers receive an email with their tracking information as soon as their order has shipped.
Create some automation that will configure your shipments automatically based on the criteria you specify.
Learn about ShipStation's order management features, like searching and sorting, filters, and order tags, so you can ship like a pro in no time!
Install ShipStation Connect so you can use a USB scale to send shipment weights to ShipStation and configure your account so you can print no matter where you are.
Create a branded experience for your customers with customized packing slips, email templates, and your own branded tracking page.