ShipStation: API Key and API Secret, Shipping Labels, and Real-time Shipping Rates

This article shows how you can activate and set-up your ShipStation's API Key and API Secret, which will enable real-time shipping rates and printing shipping labels.

Article Content

1. ShipStation API Key and API Secret
2. Print Shipping Labels via ShipStation
3. Set-up Real-time Shipping Rates via ShipStation
4. Troubleshoot common errors

ShipStation API Key and API Secret

1. Create a new ShipStation account or log into your existing ShipStation account by visiting here.
2. Visit ShipStation's settings (#1) followed by the Carriers menu on the left (#2) (Refer to Image 1)
3. Activate at least 1 shipping Carriers service under the ShipStation Carriers tab or connect to your own account by clicking on Your Carrier Accounts tab. (Refer to Image 1)

1. Make sure your ShipStation account is activated and has a balance to generate Shipping labels
2. Scroll to the bottom left. Click on the API Settings link under the Account section. (Refer to Image 2)
3. Click on the Generate API Key (#2) button. You will be shown two key sets. Copy and save both of them.

4. Once you have the tokens, visit PuppetVendors Settings > Shipping (left hand navigation) > Shippo & ShipStation Integration. Navigate to the ShipStation Integration tab and paste the API Key and API Secret keys in the respective fields.

5. Your vendors will now be able to start generating shipping labels directly in the vendor portal.

Print Shipping Labels via ShipStation

1. Enabled Shipping Label Generation: Under Settings -> Shipping -> Shippo & ShipStation integration, ensure that Generate Shipping Labels is toggled on (Refer to Enable ShipStation Labels screenshot below)
2. Access the Fulfillment Page: Navigate to the fulfillment page from either the merchant portal or the vendor portal
3. Select an order item: Choose the item you wish to fulfill, then Click on the Generate Shipping Label
4. Enter Shipping Details: Package dimensions (length, weight, height, and weight), Ship from address, Ship to address and Select a shipping rate from available options
5. Generate and Download the label: Once submitted, your shipping label will be automatically generated and downloaded
6. Print the label: Print and affix the label on your package and ensure the package is ready for pickup by your selected courier

Real-time Shipping Rates via ShipStation (for your vendors)

1. Enabled Real-time Shipping Rates: Under Settings -> Shipping -> Shippo & ShipStation integration, ensure that ShipStation is selected as the default integation (Refer to Set ShipStation As Default Integration screenshot below)
2. Activate Rates: Go to Settings Page: Navigate to Shipping Rates section, and select the vendor for whom you would like to enable real-time rates (Refer to Enable Real-time Shipping Rates screenshot below)
3. Select Default Address: A default address is required to determine the origin of shipment. This allows for accurate rate estimates to appear during Shopify checkout (Refer to Select Origin Address screenshot below).

Troubleshoot Errors - ShipStation’s error messages can sometimes be unclear or uninformative.

Common Causes of Errors

If you encounter issues, here are some of the most frequent causes:

• Insufficient ShipStation balance

Ensure your account has enough funds to generate or purchase labels.

• Out-of-range weight values

Example: entering “100 kilograms” instead of “100 grams.” Double-check units and values.

• Invalid origin or destination address

This can include missing fields or unsupported shipping providers.

• Application outages

Occasionally, ShipStation services may be temporarily unavailable.

Need Help?

If problems persist, please contact our support team (support@puppetvendors.com) and include a screenshot of the issue. We’ll help you troubleshoot and resolve it as quickly as possible.

Updated on: 11/07/2025