ShipStation ODBC Follow

To connect ShipStation to an ODBC database, first go to your ShipStation account's store settings to download the ShipStation ODBC program. You must install this program on a Windows computer. Detailed instructions below.

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Go to Account Settings (the wrench icon in the upper right).

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Select Selling Channels from the left-hand sidebar, then choose Store Setup.

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Click + Connect a Store or Marketplace.

Locate the ShipStation ODBC logo on the list and select it. This option will only be available if ODBC has been enabled for your ShipStation account.

Click Download ShipStation ODBC on the page that appears.

After installing the ODBC client, run the application and log in to the ShipStation ODBC popup using your ShipStation user credentials.

Click New to add a new store.

From here, you'll be prompted to give this new store a name. Enter the name for the store and click Next.

Select the data source that you wish to connect.

If the data source requires authorization to access, this is also where you will enter the username and password for authentication.

If you've already created the data source for a previous connection, you'll be able to select it as the ODBC Data Source. When you click Next > a new window will open which will allow you to define the Import Field Mappings.

If you haven't set up an ODBC Data Source yet, you'll need to add a new Data Source. The next section will go over creating a new Data Source.

Add a New Data Source

Click Add new Data Source from the data source selection window

Locate the Data Source Name from the User DSN, System DSN, or File DSN tab, depending on the type of data source you're using. Click Add... to create a new data source.

Choose the driver for the data source and click Finish.

Choose a Data Source Name and Description (optional) and configure any necessary settings in the Database section. The settings in the Database section will vary based on the driver you chose in the previous step.

Click OK when you're done.

The new data source will be listed under User Data Sources. If you ever need to edit an existing data source, click Configure... to adjust accordingly.

Click OK to be taken back to the step where you choose the ODBC Data Source.

Select the data source you created (and provide authentication credentials, if needed) as the ODBC Data Source, then click Next >.

At this point, a new window will open which will allow you to define the Import Field Mappings.

If you need to edit the mappings for an existing ODBC store, locate the ShipStation ODBC icon in the background programs area in the system tray.

Right click the ShipStation ODBC icon and click Settings.

Select the store that needs to be updated and click Edit.

The Edit Store modal will appear next. From here, you can adjust the store name, disable the ODBC store, adjust the Data Source and Mappings for Data Import and Postback, and set up Custom Queries.

Clicking the link next to Mapping for Data Import and Data Postback will let you redefine the Import Field Mappings and Postback Data Mapping. When editing, the modal will look the same as when you set up the mappings.

Click Save once you're done making changes to the mappings.

Click Done when you're finished editing the store

When creating or editing an ODBC store connection, you'll be able to set the Import Field Mappings, which is how data will be translated from the order source into ShipStation.

First, select the data source at the top of the Import Field Mapping modal.

There are many available fields to import, but only a few are actually required. The required fields are:

The Auto Match feature maps each Data Source to their corresponding ShipStation field. The matching is based off of the Field Name.

Additionally, you can map these fields manually if you prefer, or if Auto Match doesn't sync properly.

First, set up the order-level fields.

The Order Status field is not required, but highly recommended. If Order Statuses are not mapped, all ODBC orders will import into ShipStation as Awaiting Shipment.

Once you've entered the Order information, assign the fields for the Items, Shipping Options, Recipient and Billing tabs.

If you're creating a new store, click Next and you'll be directed to set the Postback Data Mapping.

If you're editing an existing store, click Save and you'll be directed back to the Edit Store window so you can finish making changes.

When creating or editing an ODBC store connection, you'll be able to set the Postback Data Mappings, which is how ShipStation will send shipment information back to the data source when a shipment or fulfillment is created in ShipStation.

First, choose whether the data source that will be updated is the same as the Import Field Data Source, a different data source, or if you do not want ShipStation to post data back to a data source.

Select the Database Table at the top of the window.

There are fewer fields available when posting back shipment information. The only required field is the Order #.

If you click on the Order # button, you will be able to trim any additional zeroes from the beginning or end of an order number.

Once you've entered the Package information, assign the fields for the Recipient tab. Click Save when you're finished.

If you're creating a new store, clicking Save will complete the process and you'll be taken back to the main window of the ShipStation ODBC Client. You can edit the ODBC Store to make further changes.

If you're editing an existing store, clicking Save will direct back to the Edit Store window so you can finish making changes.

By default, ShipStation ODBC only imports orders from a single table or file. However, this standard query may not be the best option for your business needs. This can be the case if your data is in multiple tables or you need to specify WHERE or GROUP BY clauses to improve performance or if you need to restrict the data that is being imported. In such cases the better solution may be to create a "View" in your database.

ShipStation supports the following query types:

If you attempt to import an order using Custom Queries and the required query type does not exist, the import will fail and you will receive an error. To resolve this issue, either disable Custom Queries, or update your query to include the missing query type.

Right click the ShipStation ODBC icon and click Settings.

Select the store that needs to be updated and click Edit.

In the window that appears, check the checkbox for Custom Queries and click Browse to locate the query you wish to customize.

An explorer window will open to a directory containing a readme and sample queries. Your queries must be located in this directory. For more information about the ShipStation custom query variables, import DB column names, and postback values, consult the sample queries and Readme.txt file contained in the directory.

Please note that the following query names are the only available options:

If you ever need to return to the standard queries, edit the store and uncheck the Custom Queries checkbox.

Do you have admin access to your database?   Yes   No

Can you create new tables or views if needed?   Yes    No

Who is your database administrator?