Shipping API
The Unified Shipping API enables developers and product managers to access shipping data and functionality from multiple shipping platforms through a single, standardized interface. Retrieve shipments, tracking information, shipping rates, labels, and carrier data from ShipStation, Shippo, EasyPost, FedEx, UPS, and other major shipping platforms - all with one API.
What is the Unified Shipping API?
Shipping platforms like ShipStation, Shippo, EasyPost, FedEx, and UPS each have unique APIs with different authentication methods, data models, and endpoints. The Unified Shipping API normalizes these differences, allowing you to build once and support all major shipping platforms without maintaining separate integrations for each provider.
Shipping platforms enable businesses to create shipping labels, track packages, compare carrier rates, and manage fulfillment operations across multiple carriers and services.
Key Benefits for Developers
- Single Integration: Write code once to support ShipStation, Shippo, EasyPost, FedEx, UPS, and more - no need to learn multiple shipping APIs
- Normalized Data Models: Work with consistent shipment, tracking, label, and rate structures across all platforms
- Real-Time Data Access: Every request hits the source API live with no caching, ensuring you always have up-to-date shipping and tracking data
- Zero Maintenance: No need to track API version changes or deprecations across multiple shipping platforms
- Faster Development: Ship shipping integration features in days instead of months of integration work
Benefits for Product Managers
- Multi-Platform Support: Offer customers the ability to connect their preferred shipping platform without custom development
- Competitive Advantage: Launch with support for all major shipping platforms while competitors build integrations one at a time
- Customer Flexibility: Allow customers to access their shipping data from ShipStation, Shippo, or any supported platform through your product
- Reduced Time-to-Market: Get shipping features to market quickly without waiting for engineering to build multiple integrations
- Scalable Product Strategy: Easily add new shipping platforms as they emerge without significant engineering resources
Shipping Data Objects
The Shipping API provides access to the following standardized objects:
- Addresses: Shipping addresses, validation, and address information
- Carriers: Shipping carriers, services, and carrier account information
- Labels: Shipping labels, label generation, and label data
- Packages: Package information, dimensions, weight, and package details
- Rates: Shipping rates, rate quotes, and carrier pricing
- Shipments: Shipment records, shipping orders, and fulfillment data
- Tracking: Package tracking information, delivery status, and tracking events
Common Use Cases
Multi-Carrier Shipping Management
Build shipping management tools that work with any major shipping platform. Enable customers to create labels, compare rates, and track shipments across FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, and other carriers from a single interface.
E-commerce Fulfillment Integration
Integrate shipping functionality into e-commerce platforms. Automatically generate shipping labels, track orders, and update customers with delivery status by connecting with customers' preferred shipping platforms.
Shipping Analytics & Reporting
Create dashboards that aggregate shipping data from multiple platforms. Track shipping costs, delivery times, carrier performance, and fulfillment metrics across ShipStation, Shippo, or any supported platform.
Rate Comparison Tools
Build tools that compare shipping rates across multiple carriers and platforms. Help customers find the best shipping options by accessing rate data from all connected shipping platforms.
Order Fulfillment Automation
Automate order fulfillment workflows by accessing shipment and label data from shipping platforms. Automatically create labels, update order status, and send tracking information to customers.
Inventory & Warehouse Management
Connect warehouse management systems with shipping platforms. Sync inventory data with shipping operations, track package locations, and manage fulfillment across multiple warehouses and carriers.
Returns Management
Build returns processing tools that integrate with shipping platforms. Automatically generate return labels, track return shipments, and update return status across multiple carriers.
Shipping Cost Optimization
Create tools that analyze shipping patterns and optimize costs by accessing rate and shipment data across multiple platforms. Identify opportunities to reduce shipping expenses and improve carrier selection.
Supported Shipping Platforms
The Unified Shipping API supports integration with major shipping platforms including ShipStation, Shippo, EasyPost, FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, Canada Post, and many others. Each integration provides access to the standardized data objects listed above.
Why Use a Unified Shipping API?
Traditional Approach:
- Build separate integrations for ShipStation, Shippo, EasyPost, FedEx, UPS, etc.
- Learn 5+ different authentication systems and API specifications
- Maintain code for 5+ different API endpoints, data formats, and error handling patterns
- Monitor and update integrations when any platform deprecates or changes their API
- Handle platform-specific shipment data structures, rate formats, and label generation methods
With Unified Shipping API:
- Integrate once with a single API that works across all shipping platforms
- Use one authentication flow for all platforms
- Work with normalized shipment, tracking, label, and rate objects
- Automatic handling of API changes, rate limits, and platform-specific differences
- Built-in webhook support for real-time shipping updates and tracking events
Integration Scenarios
For E-commerce Platforms
Add "Connect Your Shipping Account" features that work with any major shipping platform. Enable merchants to generate labels, track orders, and manage fulfillment without building separate integrations for each shipping provider.
For Order Management Systems
Integrate shipping functionality into order management and fulfillment systems. Access shipment data, generate labels, and track deliveries across multiple shipping platforms from a single interface.
For Shipping Analytics Platforms
Pull shipping data from all major platforms into your analytics tool. Create unified shipping reports, carrier performance dashboards, and cost analysis without building multiple data pipelines.
For Warehouse Management Systems
Connect WMS platforms with shipping providers. Automatically create shipments, generate labels, and update inventory based on shipping data from multiple platforms.
For Returns Management Tools
Build returns processing solutions that integrate with customers' shipping platforms. Automatically generate return labels, track return shipments, and update return status across all major carriers.
For Multi-Channel Sellers
Enable sellers managing inventory across multiple channels to access shipping functionality from any platform. Support ShipStation, Shippo, or any shipping provider without custom development.
Real-Time, Live Data
Unlike other integration platforms that cache data or run periodic sync jobs, the Unified Shipping API provides real-time access to shipping data. Every API request hits the source platform directly, ensuring you always have the most current shipment status, tracking information, and rate data.
This real-time architecture is ideal for:
- Shipping dashboards displaying live shipment and tracking data
- Real-time order fulfillment and label generation
- Up-to-the-minute delivery status and tracking updates
- Automated shipping workflows that react to platform changes instantly
Privacy & Security
Unified.to never stores your customers' shipping data. All requests are stateless and pass through to the shipping platforms directly. Traffic is regionalized (US/EU/AU) to comply with data residency requirements.
