What you’ll Learn
This guide explains how to:- Create, update, and retrieve orders via the API
- Keep order data in sync with your upstream systems
- Use orders as the starting point for automated shipping and label generation
Note: This guide covers our latest version, Orders API v3. For full endpoint and schema documentation, see the API
reference.
When to use the Orders API
Use the Orders API when you want to sync and manage orders in Sendcloud before fulfillment. Typical use cases:- Importing orders from a webshop, marketplace, or ERP
- Preparing orders for fulfillment while shipping happens later
- Allowing operational review or corrections before shipping
- Using Sendcloud as a central place to manage incoming orders
If you already have shipping-ready data and want to create labels immediately, the Shipments API
is usually a better fit.
How it fits into the Sendcloud workflow
Orders sit between checkout and fulfillment. They represent the commercial side of a purchase — what was sold, to whom, and where it needs to be delivered. A typical flow looks like this:- An order is created in the source system (shop, marketplace, ERP)
- The order is created in Sendcloud via the Orders API
- The order can be reviewed or updated in Sendcloud
- The order is shipped by: a. Creating labels directly in the Sendcloud panel, or b. Using the Ship an Order API to programmatically generate shipments and labels
- Orders can include delivery details such as service point (locker) information
- Orders do not announce shipments to carriers by themselves
- Orders do not generate labels automatically
- An order can exist without ever being shipped