How do I connect ShipStation to queue orders and buy labels automatically?
Paste your ShipStation API key and secret, set a default carrier and ship-from address, and every physical order lands in ShipStation's Awaiting Shipment queue — buy the cheapest label right from the order screen.
The ShipStation connector sends every physical order straight to ShipStation's Awaiting Shipment queue as soon as it's placed, then lets you buy the cheapest available label right from the order screen — the label URL and tracking number are saved back to the order automatically. It's a free alternative to re-keying orders and tracking numbers by hand.
Step 1 — Get your ShipStation API key and secret
In ShipStation, go to Account Settings → API Settings and generate an API key and API secret if you don't already have them.
Step 2 — Install and configure the plugin
Go to Admin → Plugins → Marketplace, find ShipStation, and click Install. Open Admin → Plugins → ShipStation, paste your API key and secret, then set your default carrier, service, and package codes plus your ship-from address. These defaults are what VeloCMS uses when it buys a label on your behalf.
What happens after an order
- A completed order for a physical product is sent to ShipStation and placed in the Awaiting Shipment queue automatically, using the order's shipping address and line items.
- You can process it manually in ShipStation as usual, or buy the label directly from VeloCMS (next step).
Step 3 — Buy a label from the order screen
Open the order in Admin → Orders and click Buy label. VeloCMS asks ShipStation for the available rates using your configured carrier, service, and package codes, purchases the cheapest one, and saves the label URL and tracking number directly onto the order.
If ShipStation is briefly unreachable or your API key is wrong, the queue-sync step after an order fails quietly in the background — it never blocks or delays the order itself.
Disconnecting
Clear the API key and secret in the same panel to stop sending orders. Orders already in ShipStation and labels already purchased are untouched; no further orders are sent after disconnecting.