📦 Shipping Rules Guide

Shipping Rules are a powerful tool to automate courier selection, optimise fulfilment efficiency, and ensure the right service is used based on order criteria such as weight, destination, or sales channel.

Introduction: Do You Even Need to Create Rules?

In most cases, users will never need to manually create their own Shipping Rules from scratch. Why? Because the system intelligently builds rules automatically based on:

• The couriers you’ve added

• The services they offer (e.g. Tracked 24, 48 Non-POD)

• Any presets configured by either you or the courier integration itself

Once your courier is connected, their standard services will typically appear with default rules already in place — no manual setup required.

When to Use Shipping Rules

Use Shipping Rules when:

• You want to automate courier selection based on order attributes (e.g. weight, destination, SKU)

• Packaging varies by item type or size

• You want to ensure orders are sent using the cheapest or fastest service automatically

• Fulfilment speed is a priority, and manual selection is too slow

• You sell across multiple sales channels or warehouses, and need tailored logic

Modifying Existing Rules Instead

If you want to customise or extend this logic (e.g. add signature requirements or tweak cost-based logic), it’s far easier to click into an existing courier service rule — such as Royal Mail 48 Non-POD — and simply duplicate it.

From there, you can:

• Adjust the name

• Change the service variant (e.g. with signature or without)

• Open the Configuration Settings to modify any applicable logic like weight limits, destinations, or order tags

This approach ensures you're building on a working foundation, rather than creating something from the ground up.

How to Create a Manual Shipping Rule

Before creating a Shipping Rule, ensure:

• At least one Courier is set up

• A Courier Service (e.g. RM Tracked 48, UPS Express) is created and enabled

Steps:

1. Go to: Settings → Shipping Rules

2. In the General tab, view any existing rules

3. Click New Rule

4. Name your rule (e.g. Lightweight – Royal Mail 48)

5. Assign:

   • Service – The courier service to use (e.g. 48 Tracked)

   • Sales Channel – Select specific channels (eBay, Shopify, Manual Entry, etc.) or "All"

   • Warehouse – Choose one or more warehouses, or apply to "All"

   • Priority – A number from 1–10 (1 = highest priority; this rule will be evaluated first)

   • Enabled – Toggle ON or OFF

6. Click Create Rule

⚙️ Configuration Settings (Advanced)

After the rule is created, click the Configuration Cog to define advanced conditions. These determine when the rule should apply.

General Configuration Options:

💡 Tip: Click the “View Country ISO Codes” link in the configuration panel to ensure country codes are correctly formatted.

Example Rule Scenarios

• Scenario 1: Route all orders under 1kg to Royal Mail Tracked 48

• Scenario 2: Send B2B orders over 10kg via courier pallets

• Scenario 3: Send all international non-EU orders via DHL Worldwide Express

• Scenario 4: Use tracked express services for Shopify orders tagged "VIP"

✅ Best Practices

• Always set fallback rules for edge cases or when no primary rule applies

• Use product tags, categories, or shipping keywords to group similar products under one rule

• Test your rules thoroughly by placing test orders across different scenarios

• Use priority numbers wisely to control rule order and avoid misfires

• Review rules regularly to keep up with courier rate or service changes

• Group by warehouse or channel to maintain clarity in high-volume setups

🧠 Pro Tips

• Combine multiple rule conditions (e.g. weight + SKU + sales channel) to target specific use cases

• Disable unused rules instead of deleting them — useful for seasonal promotions or returning logic

• Use notes for auditing and helping your team understand complex rule logic

• Track rule performance and exceptions using your fulfilment logs or system reporting