Your Frequently Asked ShipEngine Questions, Answered!

Time is one of the most valuable commodities we have, which is why it’s our goal to make your onboarding experience as seamless as possible. No one should have to spend hours figuring out shipping for their business.

At ShipEngine, developer experience is central to our mission. Over the last year, we’ve enhanced our documentation with multi-language code samples, created a new support resources page, and built tools that enable anyone to perform test calls to our API within minutes.

The one thing that’s been missing is quality face time with our knowledgeable API specialists who help support our users day in and day out. So, we met up with them to get answers to your most frequently asked ShipEngine questions:

Q: Where can I find my sandbox and production API keys?

After signing up for your free API key, you should receive an email from our team giving you access to the ShipEngine app — or dashboard, as we like to call it. 

You’ll first have to set up log-in information to access your dashboard. Once you’ve gained access, you’ll navigate to the Sandbox tab on the left hand side, to find the API key you can use to perform test calls to our API while in development. 

Your default production key can be found in the API Management tab. 

Additional API keys can also be made for different environments, geographical regions, or even separate keys for each server. Just give it a title or nickname and click the purple “Create New Key” button. 

Q: How do I add funds or enable auto-funding to begin printing labels?

Once your Stamps.com account has been set up, adding funds to your ShipEngine carriers can be completed from your ShipEngine dashboard in a few simple steps. 

First, navigate to the “Connections” tab and select the blue “Add Funds” button. Here, you’ll be able to designate whether you’d like to purchase additional funds to add to your existing account balance, or turn on auto-funding to cover any label calls made to the API from your production key. 

If you have connected to one of our “Other Shipping Providers,” you will need to update your billing information directly with your preferred carrier. 

Q: How can I make test calls to the ShipEngine API?

Q: How can I make test calls to the ShipEngine API to make sure it’s the right solution for my business?

We want you to feel confident in the shipping solutions our API provides. We have integrated with the free, cross-platform application, Postman, to provide a way for you to make test calls using your Sandbox API key. This allows you to take ShipEngine out for a test drive, if you will. 

This will also serve as a great reference to use to explore the various endpoints available through our API. 

First, navigate to our Postman Collections. Here you’ll find information on how to download the Postman application, as well as a tutorial on how to get started with our Walkthrough and Reference collections. 

Q: Can I schedule carrier pickups through ShipEngine?

The short answer is: Yes! The list of carriers who currently support pickup through ShipEngine can be found in our documentation, as well as code samples to help you build out this portion of your integration. 

You’ll see that the code sample lists the requested label ID, your contact information (in case the carrier needs to contact you), any necessary pickup notes, and the requested delivery window. 

It’s important to also note that the pickup window must be specified as a valid 8601 ISO string, in order for the API call to be successful.

Q3: How do I set up carrier and marketplace integrations?

Q: How do I set up carrier and marketplace integrations?

Let’s first start by understanding your options when it comes to carrier integrations. By default, ShipEngine users have access to reduced rates that we have pre-negotiated with popular carriers to help you save on shipping! 

In order to take advantage of these, simply navigate to the connections tab within your dashboard. Under “ShipEngine Carriers” click the greyed logos to sign in or sign up for your free Stamps.com account. Once you have followed the prompts and uploaded payment information, you will be able to see the carrier ids underneath the corresponding logos. After a 24-hour waiting period, you’ll have access to these discounted rates and labels. 

If you have already negotiated your own rates with a preferred carrier and would like to take advantage of those while using ShipEngine, simply click on the “Add a carrier” button underneath the “Other Shipping Providers” section. 

Similarly, to sync your marketplace accounts, you will click the “Add a Marketplace” button to connect with one or multiple popular ecommerce platforms. Once you click on the logo, follow the prompts to authorize the integration.

Q: How do I create branded labels & tracking pages?

Branding is an important element in the customer experience, and we want to help you provide the best fulfillment experience for your customers. As a ShipEngine user, you have the ability to create carrier-approved custom labels, and build your own branded tracking site.

First, open your browser to the ShipEngine dashboard and navigate to “branded settings” on the left side of your screen. This will automatically bring you to where you can adjust the theme settings for a custom branded tracking page. Click “Add a theme” and follow the prompts to add in your business information, custom branded colors, social links, and more.

Click on “Create Theme” when you’re done.

By clicking on the “Labels” tab at the top, you also have the option to upload an optimized logo that can appear at the top right of your printed shipping labels.

For information on how to add custom messages to the reference fields of your printed labels, we’ve provided multi-language code request examples in our documentation that reference how to add a special thank you message or call-out to your customer. 

Q7: How do I ship internationally in ShipEngine, including to U.S. territories?

Q: How do I ship internationally with ShipEngine, including to U.S. territories?

Being able to ship outside of the contiguous United States is increasingly expected by many consumers, and it’s a great way to continue growing your business. We’re excited to provide solutions that enable you to ship internationally with ease!

As referenced in the documentation, there are a few required fields for international shipments. It’s important to always denote the contents of the package, the action to be taken in the event of a non-delivery, and any required customs data like the package value, country of origin and description. Make sure to familiarize yourself with and follow the laws and regulations of any country to which you plan to ship.

When shipping to U.S. territories via USPS, it is important to pay special attention to the format of the country code. As you can see in this Help Center article, the territory abbreviations and required country information can vary based on the carrier.


Have additional questions? Our support team would be happy to answer them! Feel free to head to our support resources page to contact them directly. As always, all ShipEngine users enjoy access to email and chat support Monday through Friday.

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