Intuitive Shipping

You can control your shipping even at a product level. In addition to adding product dimensions, which are critical for our volume-based packing algorithms, you can apply other settings to each of your products, such as limiting which products are eligible for free shipping or blocking products from shipping to certain zones. You can even add custom shipping prices to products.

How It Works

When you install Intuitive Shipping, all of your products are synced with the app. When you make changes to your Shopify product settings, whether it’s adding new products or removing older ones, assigning tags or building collections, those changes are synced automatically.

Product weights and dimensions may be required, depending on your setup.

If you’re using custom service shipping methods with pre-determined shipping costs, product weights and dimensions are only required if you’re apply weight-based or volume-based conditions to your Scenarios, or if you’re using weight-based or volume-based rate calculations.

If you’re using parcel service shipping methods with live carrier rates, product weights are required for carrier rate calculations. If you’re using either the SmartBoxing™ or volume-based packing algorithm for your live rates, product dimensions are also required.

Adding products weights to Intuitive Shipping will override the product weight in Shopify. That means, if the weight in Intuitive Shipping is different than the weight in Shopify, Intuitive Shipping will supersede Shopify.

Since Shopify does not have dedicated dimensional settings for product length, width and height, dimensions will need to be added to Intuitive Shipping. To add shipping dimensions and product weight, and to update shipping settings for individual products, continue to Update Product Settings.

If you have a lot of products, you can add dimensions – and weights – to your products with a bulk update. To assign shipping dimensions and weights to multiple products in bulk using a CSV file, skip ahead to Add Physical Attributes For Multiple Products.

Update Product Settings

Click Products on the sidebar menu.

Search for a product by scrolling through the list or by filtering the list.

You have three (3) filtering options to choose from:

Filter by name – type in the full or partial name of the product, then hit Enter.

Filter by type – select the product type from the drop-down list.

Filter by vendor – select the product vendor name from the drop-down list.

Click Edit beside the product you wish to update.

Physical Attributes

If you’re using our SmartBoxing™ packing algorithm or the volume-based packing algorithm, you will need to add product dimensions. Otherwise, shipping methods using these algorithms will fail.

Simple packing algorithms, such as weight-based or quantity-based can also use product dimensions, though they are not required.

Enter the length, width and height for the shipping dimensions of the product.

For example, if a t-shirt is folded to dimensions 12 x 8 x 1 inches, those are the shipping dimensions of the product. Similarly, if a coffee mug ships in a retail gift box with dimensions 5 x 5 x 5 inches, the gift box dimensions are the shipping dimensions.

Dimensional units are managed in your Intuitive Shipping general settings.

However, if your custom service shipping method is in a Scenario that includes a dimension-based condition, you’ll still need dimensions for the condition to pass.

If desired, enter the shipping weight of the product. The product weight in Intuitive Shipping will override the weight in your Shopify Product Information settings.

If you choose not to enter a weight, Intuitive Shipping use the weight in Shopify for the rate calculation. That means you must, at a minimum, have weight in either Shopify or Intuitive Shipping for shipping methods that calculate live carrier rates.

Weight unit is managed in your Intuitive Shipping general settings.

Select a packing method.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

Pack with other products – the product will be packed with other products in the order depending on the packing algorithm and package options assigned to the parcel service shipping method.

Pack separately – the product will be packed in a custom package using the dimensions entered in Step 1.

If the product is being packed separately, we strongly encourage you to check the shipping dimensions in Step 1, and ensure they match the custom package the product ships in.

For example, if you sell products with actual physical dimensions of 3.5 x 4.5 x 6 inches, but you want to pack them separately in custom boxes that are 5 x 5 x 7 inches, the shipping dimensions in Step 1 should be 5 x 5 x 7.

That means, if you have a product set to Pack separately with dimensions 5 x 5 x 7 inches, and a customer orders 3 of those products, Intuitive Shipping will generate 3 packages of 5 x 5 x 7 inches.

Additional settings are available for packing points. If you’re not using the points-based packing algorithm, skip ahead to Shipping Settings. Otherwise, continue to Step 4.

Click Show additional physical settings.

If desired, assign packing points to the product.

Packing points are an arbitrary value assigned by you.

Learn more about the points-based packing algorithm.

Shipping Settings

Limit how and where certain products ship by adjusting the shipping settings. These settings can be applied whether you’re using custom service or parcel service shipping methods.

Choose if a product qualifies for free shipping.

You have three (3) settings to choose from:

Qualifies for free shipping – when free shipping is enabled in a shipping method, and activated at checkout, this product will be included in the free shipping method.

Exclude from free shipping – when free shipping is enabled in a shipping method, and activated at checkout, a shipping cost will only be calculated for products with this setting.

For example, if you have a parcel service shipping method that activates free shipping when the cart is over $100.00, the parcel service will calculate a paid shipping cost for products set to exclude from free shipping, even if the cart total is over $100.00

Always ship for free – a shipping cost will never be calculated for products with this setting.

For example, if you have a custom service shipping method with a $10.00 rate up to 5 items and a $20.00 rate up to 10 items, a customer ordering 6 items set to always ship for free plus one other item, will only be charged $10.00 for shipping, even though are 7 items in the cart.

Additional shipping settings are available for zone exclusion and custom shipping prices. If you don’t need to limit which zones your products ship to or if they don’t have their own unique shipping prices, skip ahead to Additional Pieces. Otherwise, continue to Step 2.

Click Show additional shipping settings.

If desired, select the zone (or zones) you want the product to be excluded from. When selected, customers from those zones with that product in their cart will be unable to complete their checkout until they remove the product.

That means, if you still have rates from other sources, like Shopify or another third-party calculator, products that ‘do not ship’ to regions you selected in Step 3 will only be prevented from shipping on rates calculated by Intuitive Shipping. Intuitive Shipping cannot override rates from other sources, including Shopify.

If desired, enter a custom shipping price for the product in one of your zones.

Cost of first quantity – this amount will be added to the final shipping cost when a customer has at least one of these products in their cart.

For example, if you only want to charge $10.00, regardless of what quantity of the product the customer orders, set the ‘first quantity’ field to ’10’ and leave ‘additional quantity’ blank.

Cost of each additional quantity – this amount will be added to the final shipping cost for each additional item the customer has in their cart. Leave this field blank if you are only charging one price for all quantities.

For example, if the cost of the first quantity is $10.00 and the cost of each additional quantity is $2.00, a customer ordering 3 items will be charged $14.00 for shipping this product. $14.00 will be added onto the final shipping cost, depending on how the Custom shipping blending settings are configured in your shipping methods.

If desired, repeat Step 4 for each zone. Custom shipping prices can be the same or different for each zone, depending on your requirements.

Additional Pieces

If your product ships in multiple pieces, you can add each individual piece to Intuitive Shipping.

For example, if you sell a bed frame that is sold as a single SKU, but ships in multiple pieces or 3 different boxes, you can add the other pieces, then add shipping dimensions and apply other physical attribute settings to each piece.

Click Add additional piece.

Enter a Title for the product piece, such as ‘Table Legs’ or ‘Piece 2’.

Enter the length, width and height for the shipping dimensions of the product piece.

For example, if the piece ships in its own box with dimensions 8 x 40 x 2, those are the shipping dimensions.

Enter the shipping weight of the product piece.

Select a packing method.

You have two (2) settings to choose from:

Pack with other products – the product piece will be packed with other products in the order depending on the packing algorithm and package options assigned to the parcel service shipping method.

Pack separately – the product will be packed in a custom package using the dimensions entered in Step 3.

For example, if you sell a table with removable legs, you can decide if the table legs – as a separate product piece (or pieces) – can be packed with other products in the order, or if they are packed separately in a custom package.

Additional settings are available for packing points. If you’re not using the points-based packing algorithm, skip ahead to Step 8. Otherwise, continue to Step 6.

Click Show additional physical settings.

Assign packing points to the product piece.

Click the Save button to save your product piece settings.

The additional piece will now be listed under Product pieces. You can edit the settings or delete the additional product piece at any time.

Repeat Steps 1 to 8 for each additional piece you want to add to the main product.

If your product has variants – for example, if you sell t-shirts that come in S, M, L, and XL sizes or you sell drinking glasses that come in different tints – you can apply unique physical attribute and shipping settings to each variant – or select variants – or use the Primary variant settings for every variant.

If you want all of your variants to use the Primary variant settings, skip ahead to Save Your Settings. If you prefer to apply unique settings to one or more variants, continue to Step 10.

Click on a variant tab.

Select Define settings for this variant.

When you select this setting, you’ll have the option to override any of the settings you applied to the Primary variant.

Repeat all of the steps above from Physical Attributes to Additional Pieces for your variant.

If desired, repeat Steps 1 to 12 for each additional variant. If you want some variants to use the same settings as the primary variant, leave them set to ‘Use all variant settings’.

Save Your Settings

Click the Save button to save your product settings.

Add Physical Attributes For Multiple Products

It may not be practical to add dimensions to all of your products individually, especially if you have dozens, even hundreds of products. With Intuitive Shipping, you can use a CSV file to add shipping dimensions – and shipping weight – to all of your products in bulk.

Click Products on the sidebar menu.

If you want to add physical attributes to all of your products – or only products that are currently missing dimensions and weights – skip ahead to Step 3. If you want to add products to a certain group of products, continue to Step 2.

Filter the product list.

You have three (3) filtering options to choose from:

Filter by name – type in the full or partial name of the product, then hit Enter. This will list all of the products that include that full or partial name.

For example, if you want to export products that have ‘shirt’ in the name, type ‘shirt’ in the search field.

Filter by type – select the product type from the drop-down list. This will list all of the products that belong to that product type.

Filter by vendor – select the product vendor name from the drop-down list. This will list all of the products that belong to that vendor.

Click Export.

Choose an Export setting.

You have three (3) settings to choose from:

All products – all products synced with Intuitive Shipping will be exported in the CSV file.

Currently filtered products – only products listed after filtering in Step 2 will be exported in the CSV file.

Products without dimensions – only products that are currently missing dimensions will be exported in the CSV file.

Click the Export button.

When the export is completed, you’ll receive a notification in the app. You’ll also receive an email notification at your primary and, if applicable, your secondary email contact address.

Your primary email contact address is synced with your Shopify settings and cannot be changed within the app.

Your secondary email contact address can be updated in your Intuitive Shipping general settings.

Click the Notifications icon.

Click the downward arrow to the right of the Product export complete notification.

Click on Download.

Depending on your browser or browser settings, you may be prompted to allow the download to proceed.

A CSV file called ‘[your Shopify domain]_products.csv’ will be sent to your Downloads folder.

Open the CSV file in your Downloads folder.

The columns are configured for Intuitive Shipping. Editing the columns or their headings can result in an import error.

Enter the shipping length for your first product under the Length column (Column G).

If your products have variants, check the Variant ID (Column B).

Entering dimensions in the same row as the [0] variant applies the dimension to all variants.

Entering dimensions in the same row as a unique, numerical Variant ID applies the dimension only to that variant. This is useful if some of your variants have different dimensions than others.

Enter the shipping width for your first product under the Width column (Column H). Add width to the same row selected in Step 10.

Enter the shipping height for your first product under the Height column (Column I). Add height to the same row selected in Steps 10 and 11.

Be sure to enter the shipping dimensions for length, width and height.

For example, if a t-shirt is folded to dimensions 12 x 8 x 1 inch when it’s shipped, enter the shipping length, width and height as 12, 8 and 1 respectively.

If desired, enter the shipping weight for your first product under the Weight column (Column J). Add weight to the same row selected for Steps 10 to 12.

If you choose not to enter a weight, Intuitive Shipping will use the weight from Shopify for the rate calculation. That means you must, at a minimum, have weight in either Shopify or Intuitive Shipping for shipping methods that calculate live carrier rates.

Repeat Steps 10 to 13 for each product or variant.

Save your CSV file changes. Be sure to remember the location you save it to.

Return to the Intuitive Shipping app.

Click Products on the sidebar menu.

Click Import.

Click Choose file, then select the CSV file from your save location from Step 15.

Click the Import button.

When the import is completed, you’ll receive a notification in the app. You’ll also receive an email notification at your primary and, if applicable, your secondary email contact address.

Your primary email contact address is synced with your Shopify settings and cannot be changed within the app.

Your secondary email contact address can be updated in your Intuitive Shipping general settings.

Click the Notifications icon.

Click the downward arrow to the right of the Product import complete notification.

The notification will indicate that the import was successful.

If the import was not successful, the notification will indicate that the import failed, and why it failed.

Click Products on the sidebar menu.

Click Edit beside a product included in the CSV import.

Review the shipping dimensions (and weight, if applicable) to confirm they have been added to Intuitive Shipping.

If desired, return to the Products page and repeat Steps 24 and 25 for any other products you wish to check.

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