Shipping rules can help you process orders more efficiently. If no rules are set, ChannelDock will automatically choose the cheapest shipping option when processing orders in bulk. However, you may prefer a more expensive option (e.g., express shipping) for certain orders. This guide explains how to set up shipping rules to streamline your order processing.
Setting up a shipping rule
Navigate to Settings > Shipping rules.
In the top left corner, click the green '+ New shipping rule' button.
A popup will appear to create a new shipping rule:
Shipping rule name: enter a name for the rule to easily identify it later. For example, you might create a rule for orders to Belgium.
Shipping rule priority: set the priority for your shipping rules. When multiple rules exist, the priority determines which rule takes precedence. !! When a shipping method is added through a rule, it stops checking the rest of the rules, so make sure that shipping method is lowest on your priority !!
Requirements: these are the conditions the orders must meet to be covered by this shipping rule. Use the ’+ Add Extra Requirement’ button to set multiple conditions for the rule. You can base these conditions on different order properties:
Actions: here you specify which shipping method the order should receive if it meets the 'Requirements' you have set.- Examples of conditions: Specify the sales channel (e.g., a specific marketplace or platform) to ensure the rule applies to the correct orders. Add destination countries as a condition, such as including all target countries in a single row to avoid splitting conditions across multiple rows. Use product identifiers, like product tags or EANs, to target specific items.
Tip: In ‘Connections > Carriers,’ you can create custom shipping methods. These can be assigned as an ‘Action’ in your shipping rule, useful for grouping certain orders for quick export from ChannelDock. Best Practice: Use consistent criteria when defining rules. For example, avoid mixing product tags and EANs in the same rule to prevent conflicts. If you already use product tags assigned to relevant items, do not add EANs as additional criteria.
Activating a shipping rule
After creating a shipping rule, activate it by toggling the switch on, as shown below. The rule will then apply to newly loaded orders. For orders already loaded in ChannelDock, open the order and the correct shipping method will be recalculated.
Troubleshooting
Here are a few reasons why your shipping rule may not be applying:
The selected shipping method is not activated on the Carriers page
The product sizes in the order don’t match the shipping method specified in the rule.
The shipping method chosen in the rule doesn’t support the destination country.4. The conditions defined in the rule do not align with the data in incoming orders, such as mismatched sales channels or destination countries.
Smart shipping rules in ChannelDock help automate and customize your order fulfillment, ensuring the right shipping method is applied based on your needs. This saves time, reduces errors, and optimizes order processing. Make sure to regularly review and update your shipping rules as your business needs evolve to continue benefiting from this functionality.
Example Scenario
To route orders from a specific sales channel to a desired shipping method:
Conditions:
Sales channel: Specify the platform (e.g., a marketplace like Decathlon).
Destination countries: Include all target countries in one row (e.g., all countries except NL and BE).
Product tags: Use tags assigned to relevant products.
Action:
Set the shipping method to the desired carrier (e.g., DPD). By following these steps, you can ensure that your shipping rules are configured effectively, minimizing errors and ensuring orders are routed to the correct shipping method.
Flexible Size (cm)
When a shipping rule uses Flexible Size, ChannelDock checks the final packaging dimensions of the order.
This means:
The dimensions evaluated come from the packaging type selected during order processing.
The rule applies if the packaging size meets the requirements you set.
Use this option if you want the rule to depend on the actual package size rather than the dimensions of individual products.
Length, Width, Height, Weight Requirements
If a rule is set to Length, Width, Height, or Weight, ChannelDock uses the combined dimensions of all products in the order, not the packaging.
The system calculates:
Total length
Total width
Total height
Total weight
And then checks whether these values match your requirements.
What this means:
Even if the packaging fits within the limits of the rule, the sum of the product dimensions may cause the rule not to match.
This is expected behavior when using individual dimension requirements.
Flexible size (cm)
Flexible size checks whether dimensions (length, width, height) fit within a maximum size you define.
It is called flexible because the system sorts the dimensions before comparing them, meaning the orientation of the box does not matter.
For example:
30 × 40 × 60
60 × 30 × 40
40 × 60 × 30
All represent the same size for this rule.
How to configure it
Operator:
is smaller thanValue: Three comma-separated numbers in centimetres
Example:
30,40,60
This means:
Dimension order | Maximum allowed |
Smallest side | ≤ 30 cm |
Middle side | ≤ 40 cm |
Largest side | ≤ 60 cm |
How the rule is evaluated
Both the rule values and the actual dimensions are sorted from smallest to largest before comparison.
The rule passes when:
smallest_dimension ≤ value_1
middle_dimension ≤ value_2
largest_dimension ≤ value_3
This ensures the rule works regardless of how the box is oriented.
Where the dimensions come from
Flexible size can be evaluated in different contexts depending on where rules are applied:
Order evaluation (live orders)
The system uses the combined package dimensions calculated from all products in the shipment.
Cron rule checks (background processes)
The system may check product dimensions instead of package dimensions:
Some processes evaluate each product individually, expanding bundles into their child products.
Other processes evaluate one product per order line.
In all cases the comparison logic remains the same: the sorted product or package dimensions must be smaller than or equal to the configured maximum size.