Magento

How to add a Magento store to ShipStation, what features are available, other need-to-know details, and troubleshooting tips.

Magento provides a fully customizable shopping cart for ecommerce sellers, ranging from small businesses to enterprise retailers. ShipStation automatically syncs and updates your Magento orders, helps you sell on multiple stores, and supports Magento's invoice-after-shipping feature.

Schedule a free demo with Magento to learn more about what they have to offer.

Magento Requirements

Connection Requirements:

  • An active store using Magento 2.4.3.

    Magento platform versions later than what ShipStation officially supports may work without issue. However, ShipStation cannot support issues that occur when using an unsupported version. When Magento releases an update to their platform, ShipStation will validate our plug-in against it. Once validated, we will then support using our plug-in with that version of the Magento platform. Until then, if you upgrade your Magento account, you do so at your own risk. If you experience issues with an unsupported Magento version and the ShipStation plug-in, you must downgrade your Magento version.

  • The ShipStation API Key generated by the Auctane-ShipStation plug-in file.

  • Installation of the ShipStation-Magento plug-in file on your store web server.

    The plug-in is available to download from the ShipStation connection pop-up and on the Magento Marketplace.

Scope of Support

Installing the plug-in file to your web server is beyond ShipStation's scope of support. We recommend you contact your store developer or Magento Solutions Partner if you need assistance with plug-in installation, as the process can differ based on the unique Apache server configuration.

Order Import Requirements:

  • Include a Ship To address.

  • Include at least one physical product.

Connect a Magento store to ShipStation

Connecting a Magento store to ShipStation first requires setup within your Magento account. Once you have completed the steps in your Magento account, you can then follow the steps to connect the store to ShipStation.

Magento 2.4.3 Plug-in Setup

Before you can connect your Magento 2.4.3 site to ShipStation, you'll need to install and enable the Auctane extension file, as well as generate an API Key that ShipStation will use to communicate with your store.

Web Setup Wizard Removed

Starting with Magento 2.4.0, there is no longer a Web Setup Wizard. You must use the command line to enable modules and extensions.

To install the extension and generate your API key:

  1. Download the Auctane-ShipStation module for Magento 2.x and extract the contacts to your Magento Folder.

  2. Log in to the Magento Admin site as your Administration User.

  3. Click System on the left, then Cache Management under Tools.

    Magneto v2 System Menu with Cache Management option highlighted.
  4. Select Flush Magento Cache.

    Magento v2 Admin with Flush Magento Cache selected.
  5. Enable the Auctane ShipStation module using the Magento command line. Follow the detailed steps in Magento's Enable or Disable Modules article found here. Then, proceed to step 6.

  6. In your Magento Admin site, go to the Stores > ShipStation > General Settings then click Generate and save api key.

    Copy the generated ShipStation API Key.

    magento_2_3_generalsetting_api_MRK.png

Connect to ShipStation

After you've set up the Auctane module in your Magento site and created the admin user, you're ready to connect the Magento store to ShipStation.

  1. Log into your ShipStation account.

  2. Scroll or search for the Magento tile and click it.

    Magento logo on square tile button that reads, "Connect"
  3. Enter the ShipStation API Key generated in the ShipStation module settings within Magento.

  4. Enter the Store URL of your store in the connection window. Use HTTPS if possible. (for example: https://www.mystore.com)

    • Locate the Store URL in Stores > Configuration > General > Web > Base URLs (Secure) (or Base URLs for HTTP configuration)

    Multiple Magento Stores

    If you manage multiple stores in Magento and want the ShipStation store connection to be store-specific, you must modify your Store URL using the Store View Code.

    Skip to the Connect Multiple Stores section below for detailed instructions.

  5. Adjust your custom status mappings, if needed.

    ShipStation will automatically fill in the most common Magento status mappings, but if you use any custom status mappings, update them in the provided status fields.

    Magento connection screen, shows the various status fields
  6. Choose options in the connection window for Warehouse Location Attribute, Invoice after shipping, Product Weight Units, and Enable Partial Shipping.

    Magento v2 connections screen, shows the warehouse location attributes, Invoice after shipping, and product weight units fields
    • The Warehouse Location Attribute field requires you to have configured this as a custom attribute in Magento.

      If you add this as a custom attribute at a later time, you will need to reconfigure your store connection in ShipStation before the attribute will import correctly.

  7. Click Test Connection to verify that your connection is ready to go, then click Connect to make this store active in ShipStation.

After you've completed the connection steps, your store will be connected to ShipStation. You'll be taken to the store's Settings page to adjust the store-specific settings like branding, notification preferences, and product handling.

Connect Multiple Stores From One Account

If you manage multiple Magento stores within a single Magento account and want your connection to be store specific, you can do so by using a special Store URL format that includes your Magento Store View Code parameter.

This will limit order requests to the orders contained in the specified store. You can also connect each store within your Magento account so each store's orders will import into the corresponding store in ShipStation.

First, locate your Store View Code in your Magento Admin panel:

  1. Go to System > Manage Stores.

  2. Click the store link on the Store View Name column.

  3. Copy the code from the Code field.

Next, you'll follow connection steps 1-7 from the Connect to ShipStation section above. When you get to Step 8, follow the instructions to locate your Store URL but use the instructions below to modify the URL format.

  1. Enter the Store URL into the Store URL field using one of the formats listed below, where [store view code] is the code you copied from your Magento Admin panel.

    The structure of the URL will depend on whether your site allows direct access to PHP files.

    • https://[websitedomain.com]/[store view code]/api/auctane/index/store/[store view code]

    • https://[websitedomain.com]/[store view code]/api/auctane

    The Magento setting to Add Store Codes to Urls must be set to Yes. Review Magento's Set Up Multiple Websites article for more information on where to locate this setting.

  2. Click Test Connection to see if the steps you followed worked correctly.

  3. Complete steps 10-12, as listed in the Connect to ShipStation section above.

  4. Repeat the same process to connect any additional Magento stores in your ShipStation account.

Available Features for Magento Integration

The ShipStation integration with Magento supports the following standard features:

Additional Features for Magento

The ShipStation integration with Magento allows for the following additional features:

Feature

Description

Invoice on Shipping

When configuring your Magento store connection, you can choose whether your store invoices when the order is placed or when the order is shipped.

If your store invoiced upon shipment, ShipStation will include an action to invoice the order when we send the shipment update to Magento.

Partial Shipping

When configuring your Magento store connection, you can choose to Enable Partial Shipping.

Magento v2 connections screen, shows the warehouse location attributes, Invoice after shipping, and product weight units fields

If Partial Shipping is enabled, the shipment notification ShipStation sends to Magento will include specific product information so that only the products included in the shipment will be updated as Shipped in Magento.

Support-Enabled Magento Features

In addition to the features listed above, the following settings can be enabled for your Magento store by the ShipStation User Success team.

Feature

Description

Custom Fields

Up to three Custom Fields can be mapped for a Magento store. Available custom fields are as follows:

  • Coupon Code

  • Delivery Date

  • Discount Amount

  • Dispatch Date

  • Order Status

  • PO Number

  • Requested Warehouse

Suppress Internal Notes

If enabled, this setting will prevent ShipStation from importing Internal Notes from your Magento store.

This integration allows you to define the Status Mappings for the store connection.

ShipStation will import the customer's email address with the order and can send customer shipment confirmation and delivery emails, which are configured in your Store Settings.

ShipStation will import the customer phone number.

ShipStation will import the shipping method chosen by the customer at time of checkout.

ShipStation will import the payment method used to pay for the order.

ShipStation will import discount and coupon information for the order.

ShipStation is able to determine if an order was placed as a gift.

ShipStation will import internal notes or order activity from the selling channel.

ShipStation will import notes left by the customer at time of checkout. Displayed as Customer notes in ShipStation's Legacy Layout.

ShipStation will import the total order weight from the selling channel.

ShipStation will import the weight for each line item in the order.

ShipStation will import an image URL for each line item in the order.

ShipStation will import item options (such as color or size) for each line item in the order.

ShipStation will import a product stock location for each line item in the order.

Status UpdateTracking NumberCarrierServiceCarrier Fee

The shipment update ShipStation sends to the selling channel will include any Notes to Buyer set on the order in ShipStation.

Item Information

Additional Details about the Magento Integration

  • With the ShipStation 2.2.3 plug-in or later, a single Magento instance can support exporting orders to ShipStation in different currencies.

  • If using ShipStation Legacy, Magento orders that have been split must retain their original order number. If the order number is changed, such as by adding a suffix, ShipStation cannot successfully update Magento with the shipment information.

Magento Troubleshooting Tips

Here are some common issues experienced by users, potential causes, and available troubleshooting tips.

Issue

How to troubleshoot or resolve

Error: We received an error testing the Magento store: Invalid data returned from API

What it means: This may be caused by entering an incorrect username when connecting the store to ShipStation.

What to do: Reconfigure your store connection in ShipStation and be sure to enter the username created for the ShipStation user in Magento.

Error: Order does not exist.

What to do: Reconfigure your Magento store connection in ShipStation. Check that you are using the correct secure or unsecure connection option.

The ShipStation shipment notifications are not successfully updating your orders in Magento.

What to do: Ensure you have updated to the most recent ShipStation plug-in.

Once the plug-in has been updated, resend your marketplace notifications from ShipStation.

This integration allows you to define the Status Mappings for the store connection.

ShipStation will import the customer's email address with the order and can send customer shipment confirmation and delivery emails, which are configured in your Store Settings.

ShipStation will import the customer phone number.

ShipStation will import the shipping method chosen by the customer at time of checkout.

ShipStation will import the payment method used to pay for the order.

ShipStation will import discount and coupon information for the order.

ShipStation is able to determine if an order was placed as a gift.

ShipStation will import internal notes or order activity from the selling channel.

ShipStation will import notes left by the customer at time of checkout. Displayed as Customer notes in ShipStation's Legacy Layout.

ShipStation will import the total order weight from the selling channel.

ShipStation will import the weight for each line item in the order.

ShipStation will import an image URL for each line item in the order.

ShipStation will import item options (such as color or size) for each line item in the order.

ShipStation will import a product stock location for each line item in the order.

Status UpdateTracking NumberCarrierServiceCarrier Fee

The shipment update ShipStation sends to the selling channel will include any Notes to Buyer set on the order in ShipStation.

Item Information