Shipping

Overview

The Shipping Module is used to upload accurate tracking numbers to eBay via API (KalkTrack and TrackTaco supported). The module grabs all order information from the last 6 days from AP, then navigates to Amazon to grab delivery estimates. It will then try to get a tracking number that matches the given tracking information via the API. The module will loosen the requirements (eg. dropping city, pushing delivery date back one extra day) if it cannot find a tracking number with perfectly matching results. AP Buddy will prioritize matching tracking info to a reasonable standard until the Force Ship day is meant, at which point much looser API requests are put into place to ensure a high chance of getting a tracking number.

Any package with an estimated delivery date within 72 hours on Amazon will be queued for tracking upload, and any package that that was fulfilled more than three days ago will be queued for tracking upload.

The module specifically checks the first page of orders, as such you should ensure your orders page displays the maximum amount (200).

API Variable Handling

When the Shipping Module is unable to find a tracking number with the given delivery information, it uses smart fallbacks to ensure the highest possibility of a tracking number being found and uploaded on time.

The initial API request attempts to get tracking information that perfectly matches the following:

• State

• City

• 1 day after the real delivery date

• ZIP (When applicable)

• Marked as delivered by carrier

• No signature, no photo

  • Important: “No photo” is not a permanent attribute. Before delivery, providers often show “no photo” simply because no photo exists yet; after delivery, the same tracking may show a photo.

The second API request changes the following:

• No signature, no photo -> Photo and signature allowed

Following requests wait until the order is at least 2 days old before being made.

The third API request further changes the following:

• 1 day after the real delivery date -> Range between real delivery date to 2 days after the real delivery date

The fourth request further changes the following:

• City -> No City

• ZIP -> No ZIP

• Photo and signature allowed -> No signature, no photo

The fifth request further changes:

• City -> No City

• ZIP -> No ZIP

• No signature, no photo -> Photo and signature allowed

Following requests wait until the order is at least 3 days old before being made.

The sixth request further changes:

• Range between real delivery date to 2 days after the real delivery date -> Range between real delivery date to 3 days after the real delivery date

The seventh request further changes:

• Range between real delivery date to 3 days after the real delivery date -> Range between real delivery date to 5 days after the real delivery date

• Marked as delivered by carrier -> Marked as In-Transit or Delivered by carrier

If after all attempts a tracking number is not found, a notification will be sent to your Discord webhook with the order number for manual intervention.

Force Shipping

If the configured "Force Ship After" date is met before an item is marked as shipped, looser fallbacks will be put into place. Instead of basing the delivery date off of the real delivery date we compare it to today. The tracking number tries to match the following when force shipping:

• State, City, and ZIP

• 2 days before the current day to 5 days after the current day

The next attempt changes the following:

• City/Zip -> No specified City/Zip

If at this point a tracking number is still not found, a notification will be sent to your Discord webhook with the order number for manual intervention.

Configuration

• Tracking API Key : The tracking API key for your preferred provider. KalkTrack and TrackTaco supported.

• Force Ship After : The number of days AP Buddy will wait before giving up on finding a reasonably accurate tracking number and using much looser fallback tracking. ( Recommendation: Same as your maximum handling time )

• Mark Only Delivered Orders Shipped : This will prevent AP Buddy from marking an order shipped if it was not marked as delivered by Amazon. Useful for maintaining tracking number accuracy but can lead to more manual work handling orders AP Buddy will ignore (orders that go unfulfilled, far-out delivery dates, etc.). ( Recommendation : Enabled )

  • Heads Up: Turning this OFF means orders can ship the same day they’re placed, just like any normal seller. This is faster, not “wrong.” If that scares you, leave it ON.

  • Enabling may provide a higher success rate in finding tracking numbers with no delivery photo.