Shipping Rules Configuration

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Overview

Shipping Rules allow you to automate package selection and shipping options based on specific order conditions. This helps reduce manual work and ensures consistent shipping decisions across your store.

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Creating Your First Rule

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Rule Conditions

You can create rules based on various order attributes:

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Order Weight

• Less than or equal to: For lightweight items
• Greater than: For heavy items requiring special handling
• Equals: For specific weight thresholds

Example: Create a rule for lightweight items (2kg or less) or heavy items (over 10kg) to automatically select appropriate packaging and shipping services.

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Order Value

• Less than: For low-value orders
• Greater than or equal to: For high-value orders requiring signature

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Customer State

• Equals: Target specific Australian states or territories
• Useful for regional shipping preferences or restrictions

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Delivery Method

• Equals: Match specific delivery methods from your Shopify shipping settings
• Useful for applying different rules based on how customers choose to receive their orders
• Examples: Standard Shipping, Express Shipping, Click & Collect, Local Delivery

Example: Create rules that automatically apply different shipping services or package options based on whether customers selected Click & Collect, Express Shipping, or other delivery methods.

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Destination Country

• Equals: Match orders shipping to a specific country
• Not equals: Exclude orders shipping to a specific country
• Useful for applying different shipping rules for domestic vs international orders

Example: Create a rule that applies Express Post for all domestic orders (Australia) and standard international shipping for overseas orders.

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Fulfillment Order Line Items

Match orders based on specific products and quantities in the fulfillment order. This powerful condition allows you to create rules that trigger based on what items are being shipped. Configuration Options:

• Match Mode:
  • All of fulfillment order / line items: All items in the order must match your criteria
  • At least one of fulfillment order / line items: Any item in the order can match your criteria
• Product Title:
  • Equals: Product name must exactly match (case-insensitive)
  • Not equals: Product name must not match
  • Enter the product name exactly as it appears in your Shopify store
• Quantity:
  • Equals: Match items with a specific quantity
  • The quantity refers to the number of units being fulfilled for that product

Benefits:

• Product-specific shipping: Apply different shipping rules for specific products (e.g., fragile items, oversized products, hazardous materials)
• Quantity-based rules: Handle bulk orders differently from single-item orders
• Special handling: Automatically apply express shipping or special packaging for certain products
• Cost optimization: Use standard shipping for low-value items and express for high-value products

Example Use Cases:

1. Fragile Items Rule: If any order contains “Glass Vase” with quantity 1 or more, automatically use Express Post and require signature
2. Bulk Orders Rule: If all items in an order are “Bulk Pack” products with quantity 10 or more, use a large box package
3. Exclude Products Rule: If any order contains “Hazardous Material” products, use special handling and Express Post
4. Premium Products Rule: If any order contains “Premium Watch” products, require signature and use Express Post

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Rule Actions

When conditions are met, you can automate:

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Package Selection

• Flat-rate packaging: Choose specific Australia Post satchels or boxes
• Custom packages: Select from your defined custom packages
• Default package: Use your store’s default package setting

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Signature Requirements

• Required: Automatically add signature on delivery for high-value items
• Not Required: Skip signature for standard deliveries

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Shipping Service

• Parcel Post: Standard delivery service
• Express Post: Priority delivery service
• International: For overseas orders

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Best Practices

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Rule Organization

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Rule Priority

Rules are processed in the order they appear. Consider:

1. Most specific rules first: Narrow conditions before broad ones
2. Exception handling: Create rules for special cases
3. Default fallback: Ensure you have a catch-all rule

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Testing Your Rules

1. Create test orders with different weights, values, and locations
2. Enable rules one at a time to verify they work as expected
3. Monitor the results to ensure correct package and service selection
4. Adjust as needed based on real-world performance

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Common Rule Examples

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High-Value Items

Create a rule named “High Value - Signature Required” that:

• Condition: Order value is greater than or equal to $200
• Actions:
  • Require signature on delivery
  • Use Express Post service

This ensures high-value orders receive extra security and faster delivery.

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Heavy Items

Create a rule named “Heavy Items - Large Package” that:

• Condition: Order weight is greater than 5kg
• Actions:
  • Automatically select a large box package

This ensures heavy items are packaged appropriately without manual intervention.

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Regional Shipping

Create a rule named “WA Orders - Express Post” that:

• Condition: Customer state equals WA (Western Australia)
• Actions:
  • Use Express Post service

This helps you provide faster delivery to specific regions or handle remote locations differently.

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Delivery Method Based

Create a rule named “Click & Collect - No Signature” that:

• Condition: Delivery method equals Click & Collect
• Actions:
  • Signature not required
  • Use Parcel Post service

This optimizes shipping settings for pickup orders where signature requirements may not be necessary.

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Product-Specific Shipping

Create a rule named “Fragile Items - Express & Signature” that:

• Condition: Fulfillment Order Line Items
  • Match Mode: At least one of fulfillment order / line items
  • Product Title equals “Glass Vase”
  • Quantity equals 1
• Actions:
  • Use Express Post service
  • Require signature on delivery
  • Select appropriate protective packaging

This ensures fragile items receive special handling and faster delivery to reduce breakage risk.

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Bulk Product Handling

Create a rule named “Bulk Orders - Large Package” that:

• Condition: Fulfillment Order Line Items
  • Match Mode: All of fulfillment order / line items
  • Product Title equals “Bulk Pack”
  • Quantity equals 10
• Actions:
  • Select large box package
  • Use Parcel Post service

This automatically handles bulk orders with appropriate packaging without manual intervention.

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Managing Rules

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Editing Rules

1. Click on any rule name to edit its configuration
2. Modify conditions, actions, or rule name as needed
3. Save changes to update the rule

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Disabling Rules

• Toggle the rule status to Disabled to temporarily stop the rule
• Rules can be re-enabled at any time without losing configuration

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Deleting Rules

• Click the delete button next to any rule
• Confirm deletion to permanently remove the rule

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Troubleshooting

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Rule Not Working

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Conflicting Rules

If multiple rules apply to the same order:

1. Rules are processed in order of appearance
2. The first matching rule’s actions are applied
3. Reorder rules to change priority
4. Make conditions more specific to avoid conflicts

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Advanced Tips

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Complex Conditions

Combine multiple conditions for sophisticated rules:

• High-value AND heavy items
• Specific state AND weight range
• Order value AND customer location
• Delivery method AND order weight
• Delivery method AND customer state
• Product type AND quantity (using Fulfillment Order Line Items)
• Customer state AND specific products
• Order weight AND product type

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Seasonal Rules

Create temporary rules for:

• Holiday shipping deadlines
• Special promotions
• Weather-related shipping changes

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Performance Optimization

• Keep rules simple and specific
• Avoid overly broad conditions
• Regularly review and clean up unused rules
• Monitor rule performance and adjust as needed

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Using Fulfillment Order Line Items Condition