Use the rules engine to automate shipping decisions and optimise your delivery workflows. You don't need to make manual carrier selections, or adjust your settings, just set your rules and let the rules engine handle the rest.
The rules engine lets you define unique conditions for how carriers are chosen for your orders. You can assign carriers based on factors like order weight and dimensions, delivery destinations, and product information.
This article covers creating new rules for the rules engine. For some sample rules to start with, see the Getting started with the rules engine article. For more detail on the different rules you can create, see the rules engine collection.
Company and store rules
There are two levels of rules within the rules engine. Company rules apply to any or all the stores within a company, while store rules apply only to a single store.
Company rules can only be edited by head office administrators. Company rules are applied first, before store rules, and they are useful for automating how orders are allocated across all your store locations. You can also set company rules that apply to only one or some of your stores.
Store rules can be edited by store administrators as well as head office administrators. Use store rules to fine-tune allocation preferences for individual stores.
Activate the rules engine
Before you start creating rules, activate the rules engine in your Shippit account.
Activating the rules engine
Log in to your Shippit account.
For company rules, navigate to Settings → Company Rules. For store rules, navigate to Settings → Store Rules.
On the company or store rules page, click the rules engine toggle to the on position.
Create a rule
You can create rules based on your products, the order itself, parcel weight and dimensions, or the destination address. For a complete list of the available conditions and their definitions, see the Understanding the rules engine article.
Creating a rule
Log in to your Shippit account, and navigate to Settings → Company Rules. For store rules, navigate to Settings → Store Rules.
Click Create new rule.
For company rules, select which stores the rule applies to, or select all stores.
Give your rule a name. For example, Heavy items.
Create the conditions for your rule:
In the When this happens field, select Parcel dead weight.
In the Is field, select Greater than.
In the Enter value field, type the weight in kilograms. For example, 20.
To add additional conditions, click Add another condition. You need to select if the second condition applies instead of the previous condition, or as well as the previous one. For more information, see the multiple conditions section.
Select the carriers you do not want to allocate these items to. You can select all carriers, then unselect the carriers you want to allocate heavier items to.
Click Save to save your rule and return to the rules page.
Activate your rule by clicking the rule toggle to the on position.
Rules with multiple conditions
You can combine different conditions in your rules to map more complicated business preferences. You can create conditions that are combined with other conditions (orders over 5kg AND shipping to a metro postcode), or conditions that are alternatives (orders that have a dead weight greater than 56kg OR a volumetric weight greater than 60kg).
Combined conditions (AND conditions)
Combining conditions mean that orders need to meet two or more criteria to satisfy a rule. For example, you might want a rule to not allocate orders to Carrier A if an order is shipping to a postcode outside of the range 2000-2500, as well as being outside the range 1000-1500.
This rule is only applied if an order's postcode is outside both ranges.
Alternative conditions (OR conditions)
Alternative conditions mean that orders need to meet only of the criteria to satisfy a rule. For example, you might want a rule to not allocate orders to Carrier A if an order has a dead weight greater than 56kg, a volumetric weight greater than 60kg, OR a maximum dimension greater than 105cm.
This rule is only applied if an order's weight or dimensions is outside any one of the given values.
