How to connect a ShipStation API key and secret to Zendesk
By Jake Marsh · Updated
To connect ShipStation to Zendesk, open Settings > Account > API Settings in ShipStation, generate V1 API keys if there are none, and copy the API Key and API Secret. Then install Twinewell for ShipStation from the Zendesk Marketplace and paste them into its API key and API secret settings. Your ShipStation account must be on the Standard or Accelerate plan or higher, because lower plans have no API access.
Before you start
ShipStation offers its V1 API only on the Standard or Accelerate plan or higher. On lower plans, every API request is answered with HTTP 402, so no integration can read your orders. Check your plan in ShipStation first. You also need a Zendesk admin to install the app.
Steps
- Open API Settings in ShipStation. Go to Settings > Account > API Settings.
- Generate keys if there are none, then copy the API Key and the API Secret for V1 API keys.
- Install Twinewell from the Zendesk Marketplace and choose the Standard plan. The 14-day trial starts at install.
- Paste both values. The key goes into API key, the secret into API secret. Zendesk stores them as secure settings: agents never see them, and Zendesk only sends them to ssapi.shipstation.com.
- Set the currency. ShipStation's API doesn't say which currency an order is in, so set Currency to a three-letter code such as USD, CAD or GBP. The default is USD.
- Choose who may act. Who may take actions takes
admin(the default),agentfor everyone, custom role ids orgroup:<id>, separated by commas. Everyone else sees orders read-only. - Test it. Open a ticket from a customer who has ordered. Their orders appear in the sidebar.
The settings, one by one
| Setting | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Account name | Shown in the sidebar and, with two accounts, in ticket notes |
| API key / API secret | From ShipStation Settings > Account > API Settings |
| Currency | Three-letter code for this account's order amounts |
| Account brands | Zendesk brand ids whose tickets open this account first |
| Stores per brand | Like 360001: 12345; 360002: 22222, 22223 (brand id: store ids) |
| Account name (account 2) | Fill it in to turn on a second ShipStation account with its own key and secret |
To find store ids, open any ticket as an admin. Twinewell lists the account's stores with their ids under Stores and ids at the bottom of the sidebar.
Error messages and fixes
| The sidebar says | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "ShipStation did not accept the API key and secret" | The key expired or was pasted wrong | Generate a new pair in ShipStation and paste both |
| "HTTP 402" | The ShipStation plan has no API access | Move to Standard or Accelerate or higher |
| "Waiting for ShipStation's rate limit" | Each key allows 40 requests a minute, shared with your other integrations | Nothing: Twinewell pauses and continues by itself |
| Amounts in the wrong currency | Currency is still USD | Set the account's Currency |
Keys expire, so plan for rotation
ShipStation API keys expire, and ShipStation emails you before they do. When you rotate, paste the new key and secret into Twinewell's settings. ShipStation describes rotation on its API help page.
What it costs
Twinewell for ShipStation is $9 per agent per month, billed monthly by Zendesk, with a 14-day trial; Zendesk asks for a card at install. Your ShipStation plan is billed separately by ShipStation. Every setting is in the Twinewell documentation.
Twinewell for ShipStation
Your customer's ShipStation orders matched by email: tracking links, holds, tags, notes, all logged. $9 a month per agent.
Questions
Where is the API key in ShipStation?
Under Settings > Account > API Settings. Copy both the API Key and the API Secret for V1 API keys.
Why does ShipStation return 402?
Your ShipStation plan doesn't include API access. ShipStation offers the V1 API on Standard or Accelerate plans and higher.
Why does the ShipStation connection keep disconnecting?
The two usual causes are an expired key and a plan without API access. Twinewell names which one happened and how to fix it.
Can I connect two ShipStation accounts?
Yes. Fill in Account name (account 2) and give it its own key, secret, currency and brands. Agents switch accounts in the sidebar.
What should I do when I stop using the app?
Uninstall it in Zendesk, which deletes the stored key and secret. You can also regenerate the API keys in ShipStation.
More Twinewell for ShipStation guides
- How to hold a ShipStation order or fix its address from a Zendesk ticket
- How to add a ShipStation tracking link to a Zendesk reply
More Zendesk guides
- How to find duplicate users in Zendesk (Twinmend)
- How to split a ticket in Zendesk (Twigwell)
- How to load discount codes into Zendesk from a CSV file (Vouchwell)
- How to create a BigCommerce API account for Zendesk (Trolleywell for BigCommerce)