How it works

Follow these 5 simple steps to create ShipStation labels for Shopify orders automatically

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Order Created
App connector: Shopify • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: This trigger captures new orders the instant they're placed, enabling immediate label generation that speeds fulfillment and gets packages to customers faster without waiting for manual processing.

When a customer completes their purchase, Shopify creates a new order record with all the customer details, shipping address, and product information. This trigger captures that moment and passes all the order data to the next steps in the workflow. No configuration is needed - it automatically monitors all new orders and starts the automation process immediately when orders are placed.

Create or Update Order
App connector: ShipStation • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: Syncs the Shopify order to ShipStation with complete shipping details, ensuring ShipStation has current order data needed for accurate label generation and maintaining synchronization between platforms.

The workflow automatically maps your Shopify order information to ShipStation's format, including customer email, billing address, shipping address, order number, and package weight. All the customer and order details get transferred directly from Shopify, so ShipStation has everything it needs to prepare the shipment. The order status gets set to "awaiting_shipment" and the ship date defaults to today's date.

Create Order Fulfillment
App connector: ShipStation • Time to complete: 3 minutes
Why this matters: Marks the order as fulfilled in Shopify with the tracking number, updating order status and triggering customer fulfillment notifications with tracking links that enable shipment monitoring.

You'll need to configure three key shipping settings: the carrier code (like "ups" or "fedex"), service code (like "usps_priority_mail"), and package code (like "package"). The workflow uses the order weight from Shopify and creates a test label by default for safety. Once configured with your preferred shipping options, it automatically generates labels with tracking numbers for each order that gets processed through ShipStation.

Update Order (Save Label)
App connector: Shopify • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: Stores the shipping label data directly on the Shopify order as a note attribute, preserving label information for reprinting, auditing, or customer service reference without requiring ShipStation access.

The generated shipping label gets attached to the original Shopify order as a note attribute, creating a permanent record of the label in your store's admin. This means you can view the label information directly from the Shopify order page if you need to reprint it or reference shipping details. The label data includes all the shipping information and barcode details needed for fulfillment.

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Create Label for Order
App connector: ShipStation • Time to complete: 5 minutes
Why this matters: Generates the actual shipping label with tracking number and printable label data, automating the most time-consuming part of fulfillment and ensuring every order ships with proper tracking.

You'll need to specify the location ID for your warehouse or store location where the item ships from. The workflow takes the tracking number generated from the ShipStation label and creates a fulfillment record in Shopify, which triggers the automatic tracking email to your customer. This completes the shipping process by updating your order status and keeping customers informed about their shipment progress.

Make it your own

Customize this workflow even further:

Filter by shipping method or destination
Add filters before ShipStation steps that check order shipping_lines or shipping_address properties and use different carrier/service codes based on customer's chosen shipping method or destination country.
Add conditional carrier selection
Insert conditional logic that examines order weight, destination, or value and dynamically selects carrier and service codes, routing heavy packages to freight carriers or international orders to appropriate international services.
Send custom notifications
Add email or SMS steps after label creation that send custom shipping confirmations with order details, estimated delivery dates, and tracking links in your brand's format beyond Shopify's standard notifications.
Log labels to spreadsheet
Add a Google Sheets or database step that records every label created with timestamp, order number, tracking number, carrier, and cost for fulfillment reporting and shipping expense tracking.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between test labels and production labels?
Test labels are free, non-trackable labels for testing your workflow. They look real but won't scan at carriers. Production labels are billable, real shipping labels that carriers accept. Keep test mode enabled until you've verified the workflow works correctly, then change to false for actual shipping.
Can I use different carriers or services for different orders?
Yes, add conditional logic before the "Create Label for Order" step that checks order properties (like weight, destination, or tags) and sets different carrierCode and serviceCode values dynamically based on those conditions.
What happens if label generation fails?
The workflow will stop at the label creation step without fulfilling the order in Shopify. Check ShipStation for error messages (common issues include invalid addresses, incorrect carrier codes, or insufficient postage balance). The order remains unfulfilled until you resolve the issue.
What is a template?
Templates are pre-made workflows by our team of experts. Instead of building a workflow from scratch, these have all the steps needed to complete the task.
Can I personalize a template?
Yes! Every step can be customized to meet your exact requirements. Additionally, you can even add more steps and make it more sophisticated.
Are templates free?
Yes! Our entire library containing hundreds of templates are free to use and customize to your exact needs.

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