Some carriers do not send a tracking number back to Shipstore. These are called generic carriers. When you ship on one, the tracking number stays blank unless you type it in yourself. This article shows you how to set up two business rules so Shipstore asks you for the number when you ship, and then saves it on the shipment.

Before you start

  • You need admin access. Business rules live under Home > System Settings > Admin > Business Rules. If you do not see that menu, ask an admin at your company to do this part.
  • Know the exact Service name of your generic carrier, spelled the way it appears when you ship.
  • You need two rules, not one. One rule asks you for the number before the shipment goes through. The other rule saves it right after. One rule on its own will not work.

Steps

First rule: ask for the number.

  1. Go to Home > System Settings > Admin > Business Rules.
  2. Click Add to start a new rule.
  3. In Rule Name, type a name that says what it does, for example Set Tracking Num for Generic Carrier.
  4. Set Event to Before Shipment Processes. This is what makes the question appear before the shipment goes through.
  5. Open Criteria and add one line so the rule only runs for this carrier: Object = Shipment, Field Name = Service, Comparer = Is, Value = your generic carrier service.
  6. Open Actions and click Add Action. Set Action Type = Prompt User, Prompt Type = Set Field, Object = Shipment, Field To Set = User Defined 1. Your site may have given this field its own name, so it can show up in the list as something else, for example Tracking Number. Look for it near the bottom of the list under Reference Properties, just after Memo 2. Whatever it is called on your screen, the second rule still reads it as {udf1}. This field is a holding spot: the number you type goes here first, and the second rule moves it onto the shipment.
  7. Leave Regex Format empty. Only fill it in if your carrier's numbers always follow the same pattern and you want Shipstore to check what you type.
  8. Click Save Changes.

Second rule: save the number on the shipment.

  1. Back on the Business Rules list, click Add again.
  2. In Rule Name, type Update Master Tracking.
  3. Set Event to After Shipment Processes. This one runs after the shipment goes through, which is when the shipment record exists to write to.
  4. Open Criteria and add the same line as the first rule: Object = Shipment, Field Name = Service, Comparer = Is, Value = your generic carrier service.
  5. Open Actions and click Add Action. Set Action Type = Set Field, Object = Shipment, Field To Set = Master Tracking Number, Set Type = Set Field to Value, and in Value type {udf1}.
  6. Click Save Changes.
  7. Ship one test package on that carrier. Type a number you will recognize when the box asks for it.

What you should see

When you ship on that carrier, a box appears and asks you for the tracking number. After the shipment goes through, open it in Shipment History and the number you typed is there as the master tracking number. Shipping on any other carrier does not ask you anything.

If something goes wrong

  • No box appears when you ship. Refresh the shipping screen so it picks up the new rules, then try again. See the article on a rule prompt missing from the shipping screen.
  • The box appears but the number is not saved. Open the first rule and check that Prompt Type is Set Field and that Field To Set points at User Defined 1, or at whatever your site has renamed it to under Reference Properties. If it is set to Message, the box only shows text and does not keep what you type.
  • The box appears on the wrong carrier. Check the Criteria line on both rules. The Value has to match your carrier's service name exactly, and Comparer has to be Is.
  • You picked a field that only looks right. Several fields in the list can be renamed by your site, so pick the one under Reference Properties after Memo 2. If you pick a different one, the second rule will not find your number.
  • You type the number but nothing lands on the shipment. Check the second rule. Its Event has to be After Shipment Processes, and its Value has to be {udf1} with the braces.

Related articles

  • A rule prompt is missing on the shipping screen
  • Reference 2 is blank in Shipping History after shipping
  • Find the tracking number for a return label you sent in a package