In the competitive world of eCommerce, providing seamless shipping services is vital for customer satisfaction and retention. Shipping software providers need to integrate with multiple shopping platforms, and WooCommerce is often at the top of the list because of its popularity. This guide explains what WooCommerce Shipping API is and how shipping software providers can easily integrate with it by leveraging the right tools like API2Cart.
What is WooCommerce Shipping API?
WooCommerce Shipping API allows shipping software providers to access store shipping data, such as products, orders, shipments, customers, stock levels, etc. It focuses on handling shipping-related tasks such as retrieving orders, updating shipping information, adding shipment statuses, and managing customer and product info.
WooCommerce API is a RESTful API that enables external applications, like shipping software, to perform actions such as retrieving, updating, and managing store data.
Integrating with the WooCommerce Shipping API allows shipping software providers to automate shipping workflows, ensuring that customers receive accurate shipping rates and updates in real-time.
Shipping software providers, however, may face issues when developing WooCommerce integration, such as changes in API versions, differing logic and architectures of the platform, and the time and cost that are incurred. It is when a solution such as API2Cart may come in handy.
How to Simplify Developing WooCommerce Shipping API Integration?
Developing an integration for the WooCommerce Shipping API can be a tedious process, especially when considering the various technical nuances involved. API2Cart acts as a middleware solution, allowing you to easily integrate your shipping software with WooCommerce and other eCommerce platforms using a unified API. This approach drastically reduces the complexity involved in building and maintaining an integration with WooCommerce alone.
API2Cart provides the whole scope of functionality to get and manage all needed shipping info on products, orders, shipments, customers, stock levels, etc.
How to Easily Integrate Shipping Software with WooCommerce
Integrating shipping software with WooCommerce can be simplified significantly by using API2Cart's unified API. Here's a step-by-step guide to help shipping software providers easily connect their services to WooCommerce through API2Cart:
- Sign Up for API2Cart
- Add WooCommerce store
- Download and install WooCommerce Plugin
- Test API2Cart API methods
- Develop the integration with API2Cart
The first step is to create an account with API2Cart. Once registered, you will gain access to the unified API that allows you to integrate with WooCommerce and over 40 other eCommerce platforms.
You can do it manually by clicking the 'Add store' button or automatically via API request using account.cart.add method. To add a store, you need to enter the required credentials, such as a store key.
To establish a connection with your customer's e-store, download WooCommerce Plugin in the API2Cart Plugin Building section and provide it to your customer for installation on his store. The plugin automatically generates a store key.
After adding a store, you can test all API2Cart API methods supported for WooCommerce to work with the store. You can manage and modify the data related to the e-store products, orders, customers, etc.
To enjoy the smooth WooCommerce integration during the free test period, you have to develop the connection between your software or app and API2Cart. After that, you will be able to manage WooCommerce data with no limits.
API2Cart continuously monitors changes to the WooCommerce API and automatically updates your integration when necessary. This ensures that your shipping software remains functional, even when WooCommerce rolls out updates or changes its API structure.
By following these steps, shipping software providers can quickly and easily integrate with WooCommerce, leveraging API2Cart's powerful, unified API solution to streamline development and reduce the ongoing maintenance burden.
API2Cart API Methods for Managing WooCommerce Shipping Data
Shipping software can perform various functions by having access to WooCommerce shipping data via API2Cart.
Inventory control
Access to accurate inventory data is vital for avoiding errors in shipping operations. Double-check product availability by using product.info method, which returns items' quantity in stock. Once the order is placed, your system can automatically update the stock level of the product using product.update method.
Import orders
There are two ways to learn about new orders in stores.
- Webhook for order.add event
- Order.list method
First is setting the webhooks for order.add event to get notified every time a new order is placed. Using webhooks is a much more beneficial way than polling an API, as it decreases the server load, saves api requests, and provides more up-to-date info.
Another option for tracking new orders is executing order.list method once in a while to get a list of products to be imported into your system. Filter orders by create time with created_from and created_to parameters.
Product data uploads
Use product.list method to get a list of products along with all related info and images.
Add shipment statuses
Automatically insert shipment tracking URL or update tracking info into the ecommerce store by using order.shipment.tracking.add to seamlessly notify end customers.
Create shipments and add tracking numbers to orders with the help of order.shipment.update and order.shipment.add methods.
Update order statuses via order.update method.
Manage customer info
Retrieve all customer details you need via customer.info and customer.list methods.
Whether you are a small software provider or an enterprise looking to expand your services to WooCommerce stores, API2Cart offers the best solution for efficient WooCommerce Shipping API integration.
