In the highly competitive world where online selling is on the rise, reliable and feature-rich shipping services are a key determiner of customer satisfaction. Connecting with popular eCommerce platforms is crucial for shipping software, and Magento (now Adobe Commerce) is a leading choice because of its robust framework and widespread use. This article will explain how the Magento Shipping API works and how shipping software developers can develop an integration easier using services such as API2Cart.
What is Magento Shipping API?
Magento Shipping API allows shipping software vendors to work with Magento shipping data. It is a RESTful API that enables applications to access and manage shipping info which means they can do key shipping functions like retrieve order details, update shipping details, add shipment status, and manage product availability.
Magento Shipping API integration is great for shipping providers to expand their customer base while bringing their solution to a more competitive level. This integration allows vendors to provide real-time shipping updates, accurate inventory management, and seamless order processing. However, shipping software providers may face challenges with API version changes, architectural differences, and the time and cost involved in developing and maintaining direct integration.
How to Simplify Developing Magento Shipping API Integration?
Magento Shipping API integration is a complex process as Magento API has a unique architecture, which makes it complex to integrate with, and it tends to change often. API2Cart gets rid of complexity by allowing your shipping software to connect to Magento and other eCommerce systems through a single API. It simplifies the technical complexity and ongoing maintenance needed to build and maintain an individual integration dramatically.
API2Cart stands out as it has a huge list of API methods you can use to do shipping work with orders, products, shipments and stock levels which makes it the best way to integrate with Magento.
Steps to Easily Integrate Shipping Software with Magento
With API2Cart's unified API, shipping software providers can easily integrate with Magento and start getting access to the core store data. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Sign Up for API2Cart
Register an API2Cart account to get access to its unified API that allows you to connect with Magento and more than 40 other eCommerce platforms.Add the Magento Store
You can add stores manually through the API2Cart dashboard or automatically using account.cart.add method. This requires entering the store's credentials to establish a connection.Install the Magento Plugin
For connection, you need to download the Magento Plugin and install it from API2Cart's Plugin Building section. Provide it to your customers for installation, automatically generating a store key.Test API2Cart API Methods
Once you've added a Magento store, you can test out the supported API methods for Magento to retrieve and manage essential store data (products, orders and customer info).Develop Integration with API2Cart
Connect your software to API2Cart, to start managing store data in the most convenient way.
API2Cart also monitors any changes to the Magento API, ensuring your integration remains functional even as Magento updates its API structure. With this proactive monitoring, you will not have to manually adjust your integration any more, which reduces the effort required for ongoing maintenance of your integration.
API2Cart API Methods for Managing Magento Shipping API Data
By integrating with Magento Shipping API through API2Cart, shipping software providers can efficiently manage essential shipping tasks:
Inventory Control
Prevent shipping errors by getting accurate inventory data. To check item stock levels, use product.info, and to update stock when an order placed, use product.update.
Import Orders
To stay updated on new orders, set webhooks to the order.add event to get notified immediately or use the order.list method to get orders periodically.
Manage Shipments
Use order.shipment.tracking.add to automatically insert shipment tracking URL or update tracking info into the ecommerce store to seamlessly notify end customers.
Order.shipment.update and order.shipment.add help you create shipments and add tracking numbers to orders.
Order Status Updates
Update order statuses through the order.update method to maintain accurate order processing details.
Customer Information Management
Retrieve detailed customer information via customer.info and customer.list methods for smooth order processing and communication.
Whether you're a startup shipping provider or an established enterprise, API2Cart delivers the most efficient solution for developing and maintaining a Magento Shipping API integration. It provides all the necessary tools to simplify complex integration processes, ultimately enabling a seamless experience for Magento store customers.
API2Cart is a unified online service that can help you to connect to not only Magento, but also more than 40 shopping carts and all their versions simultaneously. Among these platforms are such well known as WooCommerce, Squarespace, Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix and others.
If you are looking for more information on how to develop API integration with Magento and other shopping platforms contact us or schedule a call. We offer a 30 day free trial so you can try the service and see how it can help you solve your business needs.
