ShipHero is a powerful warehouse management and fulfillment platform designed for modern eCommerce businesses. It supports real-time inventory tracking, order fulfillment, and multi-warehouse operations. This DIY Developer Guide for ShipHero provides a structured, scalable, and secure framework for building custom integrations with eCommerce platforms, ERP systems, CRMs, and 3PLs.

Prerequisites for ShipHero Integrations

• ShipHero Developer Account and API Key
• Familiarity with:
  • RESTful APIs and GraphQL
  • OAuth 2.0 Authentication (for public apps)
  • JSON data structures
• Tools: Postman, ShipHero API Documentation, SDKs (Python, Node.js)

Step 1: Authentication for ShipHero Integrations

ShipHero uses API Key or OAuth 2.0 for secure authentication.

API Key Example (GraphQL):

POST https://public-api.shiphero.com/graphql
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

Use the API token to authorize all GraphQL queries and mutations.

Step 2: Endpoint Discovery and Data Mapping

Common API Resources:

• Orders
• Products and Inventory
• Warehouses
• Shipments and Returns
• Vendors and Purchase Orders

Process:

• Study the ShipHero GraphQL schema.
• Map fields from external systems (e.g., order ID, SKU, warehouse ID) to ShipHero fields.

Important considerations:

• Managing multiple warehouse locations
• Tracking real-time inventory and fulfillment status
• Handling order status updates and shipment tracking

Step 3: Building Integration Workflows

Integration Patterns:

• Inbound (to ShipHero): Push orders, sync product details, create purchase orders.
• Outbound (from ShipHero): Retrieve fulfillment statuses, inventory levels, and tracking numbers.

Example: Creating an Order

mutation {
  order_create(data: {
    order_number: "12345",
    fulfillment_status: "pending",
    line_items: [
      {
        sku: "SKU123",
        quantity: 2
      }
    ]
  }) {
    request_id
    complexity
  }
}

Example: Fetching Inventory Levels

query {
  inventory {
    request_id
    data {
      sku
      on_hand
      allocated
      available
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Error Handling and Pagination

Error Handling:

• Capture GraphQL error responses and HTTP status codes.
• Implement retry logic for rate limits (status code 429) and transient errors.

Pagination:

• Use page_info and cursor fields in GraphQL responses for paginated results.

Example:

query {
  orders(first: 50, after: "CURSOR_TOKEN") {
    page_info {
      has_next_page
      end_cursor
    }
    data {
      order_number
      status
    }
  }
}

Step 5: Testing and Validation

• Use the ShipHero API Explorer or Postman for query testing.
• Validate inventory sync, order creation, and shipment tracking.
• Run test scenarios for peak season traffic and returns processing.

Step 6: Deployment and Security

• Deploy integrations on secure cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Store API credentials securely using environment variables or secret managers.
• Enforce HTTPS/TLS encryption on all communications.
• Set up real-time logging and alert systems for failed transactions.

Step 7: Maintenance and Monitoring

• Monitor ShipHero API changelogs and schema updates.
• Track integration KPIs such as fulfillment success rates, inventory accuracy, and API response times.
• Set up dashboards for visibility into integration health.

Optional Enhancements

• Middleware integration (Celigo, MuleSoft, Boomi) for complex workflows
• Webhook handling for real-time updates on shipments, returns, and inventory changes
• Custom reports for warehouse performance and order lifecycle tracking

Summary

Building custom ShipHero integrations empowers eCommerce and logistics teams to automate fulfillment, optimize inventory control, and enhance order tracking. This DIY Developer Guide for ShipHero provides a secure and scalable blueprint for creating efficient, real-time integrations.

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