Guide: Using ShipStation with Databox (Custom API Integration)

IN THIS ARTICLE

• ShipStation Integration Details
• How to Connect ShipStation to Databox
• How to Use and Create ShipStation Metrics
• Additional Information

ShipStation Integration Details

IN THIS SECTION

• Overview
• Integration Basics

Overview

ShipStation is a SaaS (Software as a Service) shipping platform that allows you to manage all your small parcel and LTL shipping needs in one place. 

The ShipStation integration is designed for more tech-savvy users, as it syncs data through a Custom API integration. In order to create ShipStation metrics in Databox, you’ll need to use the Metric Builder. Learn more about the basics of Metric Builder for Custom API Integrations here.

Integration basics

How to connect ShipStation to Databox

IN THIS SECTION

• How to connect ShipStation to Databox
• How to access your API key, access token / API key secret

• What’s the maximum amount of historical data initially available when you use a new ShipStation Metric in Databox?
• What time zone does ShipStation data sync in?
• What type of pagination is supported by ShipStation Integration

How to connect ShipStation to Databox

To connect a ShipStation Account in Databox, go to  Data Manager > + New connection. Type ShipStation in the search bar and click on the Connect button. Next, click the green Connect now button.

This will open the  Authorization window, which is where you will be prompted to enter your API Key and API Secret to authorize the Databox app. Learn how to access your API Key and API Token here. 

How to access your API key, access token / API key secret?

To successfully connect your ShipStation with Databox, you will need to use your API key and API Secret in the connect process. 

You can find and access your API key and API Secret by navigating to your ShipStation  Account/API Settings. Learn more here.

What's the maximum amount of historical data initially available when you use a new ShipStation Data Source Metric in Databox?

• Custom Metric Setup: When a user creates a metric using an endpoint that supports date time parameters in the API request, those date time parameters determine the amount of historical data that will be pulled for the given metric. You can learn more about the date time parameters and pagination here.
•  API Limitations: APIs may have limits set by the system itself on the amount of historical data that is stored/ can be accessed.
•  Pagination Limitations: The pagination limit is set to 100 pages, which means that pagination will stop when the 100th page is reached. In cases where the metric is using pagination, of course, the interplay of date time parameters and pagination can have an impact on how much of the historical data the user can pull for a given metric.
•  Databox Plan: The amount of historical data you're able to access in Databox is dependent on your Databox plan. Learn more here.

What time zone does ShipStation data sync in? 

Currently, adjustment of dates in requests is not supported.

Learn more about ShipStation time zones here

What type of pagination is supported by ShipStation Integration

ShipStation integration supports the Page type pagination. Pagination limit is set to 100 pages which means the pagination will stop when the 100th page is reached. We recommend you use the “pageSize” parameter. This parameter will increase the default number of records returned (maximum 500, default is 100).  

Learn more about pagination here.

How to use and create ShipStation Metrics

IN THIS SECTION

• How to access pre-built ShipStation Metrics
• How to create custom ShipStation Metrics

How to access pre-built ShipStation Metrics

1. Navigate to Metrics > Metric Library.
2. In the  Browse by Data Source section, click the Data Source dropdown and search for ShipStation. This will filter out pre-built ShipStation Metrics.

How to create custom ShipStation Metrics

Let’s walk through how to create a Custom Metric for ShipStation.

In order to prepare API requests, you should reference API-specific documentation that can be found in the Databox app through the API Docs link in the top right of the Prepare API Request page. Or, use thisdirect link.

1. Navigate to Metrics > Custom Metrics to access the Metric Builder for ShipStation.
2. Click the green + New Custom Metric button and select your connected ShipStation Account from the Data Source drop-down list.
3. Open the API documentation for ShipStation to find the endpoint that will return the data needed for the given custom metric you wish to create. 
4. Click the drop-down to select GET or POST as the HTTP Method. This is dependent on the information you found in the API documentation. 
5. The Base URL is already predefined, you will need to copy the missing part of your chosen endpoint to sync the appropriate data. 
6. Add Parameters based on your HTTP Method. Parameters limit the records returned for the API request.
   1. If you’re creating a GET request, define the Key and Value pair(s). The API documentation provides information on endpoints for a field/ argument, which will be the Key. The condition (i.e., an ID, true/ false, etc.) will be the Value. 
      If the API documentation for ShipStation states that the Integration supports dynamic date ranges, you will be able to click the  calendar icon to add datetime parameters.
   2. If you’re creating a POST request, define the relevant JSON body.
      Click on the  calendar icon to add datetime parameters.
   3. Pro Tip: You can choose multiple Keys and Values for one Custom Metric. You can add an additional Key and Value by clicking on “+”. 
7. You can add Headers that include Key and Value pairs if the API needs this to successfully return data.
8. If the endpoint supports pagination, we recommend you select the appropriate method using the Pagination Method dropdown. 
9. Once you have the basic setup, click on the green Continue button. You will be directed to the Select value step.
10. In the Select value step, select a property that includes the metric value you'd like to track in your Custom Metric. A metric value must be purely numeric. 
11. Once you have selected the value, click on the green Continue button.
12. The Segment by dimension step is optional. This step will be taken into account only when you are trying to create a dimensional metric. If you'd like to segment your metric by multiple dimensions, choose one to complete during this set up, then begin again and select a different dimension until each desired metric is created.

    1. To skip this step, select None. 

13. The Select date step is optional as well. 
    1. Use current time of storing data (Dynamic): Select this option if you don’t want to select a date field
    2. Use a field from response (optional): Select this if you want to select a date in order to see your data in predefined intervals. 
14. In the Preview & Customize step, you can see the JSONata expression that has been created based on your selection of properties. 

    1. You can customize the JSONata expression (optional) in the right editor panel. 

15. To continue, click on the Preview data button to validate the expression and returned data. 
16. Once you have previewed your data, click on the green Continue button to proceed to the last step of setting up your Custom Metric.
17. In the Describe metric step, you can set up the following:
    1. Name your metric: Enter a name for your custom metric.
    2. Data Aggregation: These selections determine how your data is handled. This especially impacts the way data is grouped and displayed for longer Date Ranges. Learn more here.
    3. Favourable trend: You can select when "Trending UP is positive" or "Trending DOWN is positive," since some metrics are better (positive) when the value is lower (like Bounce rate, Churn rate, etc.). This will affect how comparison values and goal comparisons are calculated and calculated.
18. Once you completed the Describe metric step, click the green Continue button to finish the Custom metric setup.

Additional Information

IN THIS SECTION

• Integration limitations

Integration Limitations

• Databox limits the use of its integrations to GET requests. This is because our integration only reads your data.
• Rate limits: Rate limits are currently not supported.