How does the Shipping Insurance API work?

Send a request to Easyship's `shipments` endpoint with the data your fulfillment workflow already holds. Easyship creates the shipment object, evaluates the carrier setup, applies shipping rules where configured, and purchases the label in the same request. That's everything in one.

Generate your API key with the required shipment permissions
Send origin, destination, parcel, item and order details
Select a carrier service or receive the available rates
Apply shipping rules, add-on services and customs settings
Create the shipment, buy the label and add insurance as needed

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Create a shipment inside your fulfillment workflow

Create shipments when your business is ready to fulfill them. Your system makes the call at whatever trigger point fits: straight after checkout, once payment clears, after fraud review, when inventory is allocated to a warehouse, or at a specific OMS status.

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How orders and shipments differ in your data model

An order records what the customer bought. A shipment represents how some or all of those products physically move from an origin to the recipient. Sync address, SKU, quantity and value into the request, then add the parcel, warehouse, carrier and customs data.

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Simple multi-carrier shipment management

Implement one integration for every carrier. A `201` returns the full shipment object with its rates. A `202` returns a shipment that is partially created, usually because no rates matched the inputs, so your application can correct the weight, dimensions or address data and continue without losing the record. That's complete multi-carrier flexibility.

Shipping Insurance

What is a Create Shipment API for eCommerce orders?

A Create Shipment API converts order and parcel data into a carrier-ready shipment: one record covering origin and destination addresses, single or multi-box parcels, item data, weights, dimensions, carrier settings, shipping rules, insurance, incoterms, tax and duty calculations, HS codes and regulatory identifiers. Push your orders into shipments and deliver on your customer expectations, automatically.

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IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT

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Not sure how to get started? Generate your free API Key by clicking "Start Free" or complete this form to speak directly with an implementation expert. What once took months to build can now be achieved in days.

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Global Network: One API endpoint for 550+ global carrier services
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Built For Developers & Enterprise Brands

From merchants and marketplaces to global brands and retail operations, Easyship’s Create Shipment API makes syncing orders and creating universal shipment records for every sales channel simple.

eCommerce Brands

Instantly save on shipping and fulfillment costs with one unified shipping solution for every sales channel worldwide.

For Stores

Global Marketplaces

Offer a completely integrated global shipping experience for buyers and sellers with transparent rates, duties, insurance and discounts.

For Marketplaces

Technology Platforms

Connect and embed global shipping services directly into your application for seamless shipping, returns and payment flows.

For Platforms

Fulfillment & Warehousing

Automate shipping workflows, rate shopping, manifests, pickup scheduling, and analytics while reducing complexity and overheads.

For Logistics

Get started with Easyship's Create Shipment API

Power every shipping workflow—from startups to global enterprises—with a developer-first API built for performance, reliability, and scale. Clean JSON, predictable calls, and full flexibility mean you integrate once and ship anywhere.

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Create Shipment API FAQs

What does the Create Shipment API return?

The API returns a shipment that can be fulfilled by your operational team, taking the order details entered to create a universal shipment that can be fulfilled by the carrier of your choice. Once the shipment record is created, you can compare rates, manage fulfillment, share tracking updates and add insurance in a matter of clicks—or automatically with your pre-set automation rules.

What is the difference between shipment creation and labels?

Shipment creation produces the operational record: what is being shipped, where it is going, its parcel and product data, and how to handle it. Label generation books that shipment with the selected carrier and returns the label and documents. Request both in one call, or buy the label later. The choice is up to you and your specific operational workflow.

How to create a new shipment record?

It's easy. Simply send a `POST` request to Easyship's `shipments` endpoint with your origin, destination and parcel information. Add sender and return addresses, order data, metadata, insurance, incoterms and carrier settings as your workflow requires. Authentication uses a bearer API token. A `201` response confirms the shipment and its rates. A `202` marks partial creation, for example when no rates match your inputs, so you can adjust and retry.

What if I don't know the parcel dimensions at order time?

Reference product SKUs in the `items` array and Easyship uses the weight and dimensions already stored against those products. You can also send `actual_weight` and `dimensions` per item for automatic totals, or provide `total_actual_weight` and a box once your warehouse has packed the parcel. Some carriers bill on dead weight, others on dimensional weight.

Should we build shipment creation in-house or use this API?

Direct carrier integrations mean one API contract per carrier, each with its own schema, version churn and outage behavior, plus engineering time every time you add a carrier or market. One integration here covers 550+ carrier services, backed by 99.9% API uptime and SOC 2 compliance.

Can I add additional services or carrier-specific fields?

Yes. Shipment creation supports shipping settings, carrier settings, regulatory identifiers, insurance, incoterms, consignee tax information and other fields complex shipments need. For dangerous goods, validate eligibility against the specific carrier service. Support is available 24/7.

Can Easyship's API handle international shipping requirements?

Yes. International shipments carry Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) or Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) incoterms, also known as Delivered At Place (DAP), plus consignee tax IDs, regulatory identifiers, insurance and export information. Customs requirements stay attached to the shipment itself.

What does it cost to use the Create Shipment API?

Start on a free plan with no credit card required and pay as you go for the labels you buy. Applying shipping rules during creation needs a plan that includes them, from the Plus plan at $29/month. Higher-volume and enterprise plans add higher limits and dedicated support.

Can AI agents use the Create Shipment API?

An agent can turn an order into a labeled shipment end to end: compare carrier options, apply your shipping rules, create the shipment and buy the label. Easyship's MCP server is live, so that whole sequence runs on the same infrastructure your application already uses.

Try the composable shipping API for global eCommerce

Every Easyship API is modular. Allowing you to connect only what you need from rates to returns. Start with live pricing, then layer in label generation, tracking, duties and address validation as you grow.

Import Tax & Duty API

HS Code API

Insurance API

Rates At Checkout API

Address Validation API

Returns Management API

Automation Rules API

Shipping Analytics API

Own Carrier Account API

More Shipping API Resources

Technology

Shopify Australia

Easyship helped Shopify Australia enable it's merchants with access a diverse courier network, discounted rates and an integrated logistics solution leading to 4.5x growth in orders.

Technology

eBay

Find out how eBay leveraged Easyship to improve shipping efficiency, cut costs, and boost global sales, driving $3.68 billion in GMV across 200+ countries

Industry

Ostrichpillow

We helped this famous pillow improve their delivery service by expanding their distribution worldwide and reduce shipping costs by 62%.

Create Shipments API For Automated Multi-Carrier Fulfillment

Create and manage shipments across every major carrier and country

Why Brands Ship with Easyship's Create Shipment API

How does the Shipping Insurance API work?

Create a shipment inside your fulfillment workflow

How orders and shipments differ in your data model

Simple multi-carrier shipment management

What is a Create Shipment API for eCommerce orders?