Simply connect Shipcloud to your WooCommerce shop and create your shipping labels directly from your backend.
In this article you will learn how to easily connect and set up the Shipcloud plugin [version 2.0] for WooCommerce with your WooCommerce backend.
In this article 👇
1. Install and activate the Shipcloud plugin [version 2.0] for WooCommerce
Log in to your WooCommerce backend and select "Plugins >> Add new" from the navigation bar on the left.
Enter "shipcloud" in the search bar on the right. Once you see the Shipcloud plugin, click "Install Now".
After the installation is complete, click "Activate".
You will be automatically redirected to the menu item "Plugins >> Installed Plugins" where you will find your newly installed Shipcloud plug-in.
In addition, the Shipcloud plugin is now displayed as a separate menu item in the navigation bar on the left.
2. Connect your Shipcloud account with WooCommerce
To be able to connect both systems, you need your Shipcloud API key. In your Shipcloud account, click on your email address in the top right corner, select "API Key" from the drop-down menu and copy the top API key (for your live environment).
Good to know: If you only want to test the technical functions of Shipcloud, you will need the Sandbox API key. However, this only allows you to create test shipping labels.
Now go to the menu item "shipcloud" in your WooCommerce backend or alternatively call up the Shipcloud plugin via the menu item "WooCommerce >> Settings >> Shipping >> shipcloud".
There, paste your previously copied API key in the "API key" field, scroll down and click on "Save changes".
3. Configure your Shipcloud plug-in [version 2.0] for WooCommerce
a. Shipping methods
Specify here which carriers and services you would like to use in your shop.
Click the arrow in the "Shipping methods" field to display the carrier-service combinations available for selection in the drop-down menu.
Good to know: Use the search field to filter out the carrier you're looking for. You can still customize the carriers when creating the label.
📌 If you have stored your own carrier account at Shipcloud and this specific parcel service is not yet displayed to you in the list, it is necessary to deactivate the Shipcloud plugin in your WooCommerce backend once and activate it again so that all changes are applied.
b. DHL Express regular pickup
Indicate here whether DHL regularly collects your express shipments from your location.
If this is not the case, please do not check this box. You will then be given the option of transmitting pickup data to DHL when the shipping label is created.
Good to know: DHL Express shipments can only be created if a pickup is booked directly during label creation. If a regular pickup has been agreed with the carrier in advance, you can check the box here. This means that you no longer have to transmit pickup data to DHL Express when creating the label.
c. Shipping notifications and tracking in the MyAccount area
Determine here from whom your customers should be notified about the tracking status of a shipment.
Select the "Send notification emails from shipcloud" checkbox so that your recipients can receive a standardized tracking email about the shipping status of their order from Shipcloud. By checking the box, you ensure that your customer's email address is passed to us for this purpose.
📌 However, please also note in this context that your customers must explicitly agree to the transfer of their email for receiving delivery notifications in the checkout.
Good to know: In the "Configurations >> Notifications" menu item in your Shipcloud account, you can specify exactly which status notifications your customers should receive.
If, on the other hand, you select the "Send notification emails from carriers" checkbox, your recipients will receive a shipping notification from the respective carrier separately. Direct parcel service emails are currently only supported by DHL and DPD. Therefore, we recommend you to use our standardized, automated, and carrier-independent tracking emails.
Good to know: We do not recommend that you select both options. If you do select both options, your recipients will only be informed directly by DHL or DPD about the shipment status.
Check "Show tracking in my account" if you want your customers to see detailed tracking information in the My Account area.
d. Use of the calculated weight from order
Specify here whether the calculated weight should always be used or whether it should be entered individually. We recommend setting the check mark here: this way the product and packaging weight will be added automatically and entered during label creation.
e. Safety check during label creation
Activate the "Safety check" checkbox if you want to be automatically asked whether a chargeable shipping label should actually be generated before it is created.
f. Price calculation
Set up automatic price calculation here using a fallback price. This way, your customers will receive a product and shipping price for their order, even if no size or weight is maintained on a product or shipping class.
g. Banking information (cash on delivery)
Enter your bank details here if you want to send using cash on delivery. If you book this additional service, your account details will automatically be forwarded to the carrier when the label is created, so that the money collected from your recipient can be transferred to you.
Good to know: This service can only be used in connection with Shipcloud with your own carrier account and also only with the carriers DHL, GLS and UPS.
h. Checkout settings
Check "Show input field to specify pakadoo ID" if you want to allow your customers with a pakadoo ID to have their shipments delivered to a pakadoo point at their work location.
Collapse the drop-down menu in the "Show input for recipient care of" field and select whether and where your recipients will see a care of field.
Check the "Show input for recipient phone number" if you want to provide your customers with another field within the shipping address to store their phone number.
Good to know: This setting is especially recommended for international shipments, as some carriers require the recipient's phone number to be provided for delivery.
i. Advanced settings
In the "Global reference number" field, specify a universally valid reference number that will then be used for all your orders. You have the following options for this:
Leave the field blank and edit the reference number manually for each order.
Enter a global reference number that will be applied to all orders.
Work with shortcodes that help you assign reference numbers. Currently, you can use the shortcode "[shipcloud_orderid]", which automatically assigns the corresponding order number to a shipment as a reference number.
Tick the "Automatically detect street name and number" checkbox if you want the plugin to automatically separate street and house number for label creation.
WooCommerce does not request the "Street" and "House number" fields separately from buyers and this information is provided in only one input field. Howeverm some carriers do not allow the creation of shipping labels if the street and house number are passed in one field, so it is recommended to enable this setting.
Good to know: If necessary, you can still make further changes or an address correction manually during label creation.
Check "Enable Webhooks" to automatically set up a webhook at Shipcloud via the API that reacts to all status changes. You can edit webhooks in your Shipcloud account under "Configurations >> Webhooks". In addition you will find more information about webhooks in our Developer Portal.
Activate the "Enable Logging" checkbox in the "Debug" item. This way, if an error message occurs, you will receive more information about the source of the error and can better localize and correct it.
Finally, click "Save changes" to apply all your settings and reload the page afterwards.
Any further questions? We're happy to help.
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