Linnworks is an order and inventory management system designed for businesses and retailers. Linnworks is cloud-based and has an open API that allows users to customize the system's features to suit their business. It integrates with e-commerce sites such as eBay and Amazon.

The Linnworks nShift plugin connects Linnworks and nShift Ship, making the extensive carrier library in Ship available to Linnworks customers. In Linnworks terminology, our type of integration is called an application and they refer to applications like ours as Shipping integrations. It is very easy to configure and get started.

Your Linnworks account must be linked to a Shipment Server account. Please contact our Customer Service to get a Shipment Server account if you don't have one already. 

This article will explain: 

• Installing the nShift plugin
• Enabling and authenticating the integration
• Configuring nShift Ship products and services

Installing the nShift plugin

The nShift plugin is currently a private app and must be installed prior to use. A private app means that it has not been verified by Linnworks yet. (The verification is in progress).

1. Click here to download the nShift Linnworks plugin. If it doesn't work, try to log out from Linnworks and click the link again. (Note: This is a completely new rewritten version of nShift's Linnworks plugin called “nShift 2.0”. If you previously had a Consignor/nShift plugin for Linnworks, you will have two plugins in Linnworks after installing the new version. You will need to make settings for your shipping profiles and enter your nShift information again.)
   
   
2. You will be sent to a login screen. Enter your credentials and click Login.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the Install button. Once the installation is complete, you will see the following confirmation message:
   
   
   
   
4. If you navigate back to the Application Store, the nShift plugin should now be visible if you click My Applications.
   
   

Enabling and authenticating the integration

Before you can start using the nShift plugin you have to add the nShift integration to Linnworks. 

1. In Linnworks, select Shipping > Integrations in the menu:
   
   
   
   
2. You will now see a list of enabled integrations. Click the Add integration button. 
   
   
3. Locate nShift on the list of shipping integrations and click Integrate. Shipping couriers or just couriers in Linnworks are very similar to a carrier in nShift Ship but some Linnworks couriers can deliver products from several carriers. 
   
   
   
   
4. On the next page, enter an Account Name for the integration and click Next. This name will be used to make it possible for you to differentiate between different shipping integrations. The name must be unique and can not be changed later!
   
   
   
   
5. To authenticate with nShift, the plugin needs the Actor ID and key for Shipment Server and the Username for Portal. Enter the information and click Next. If you do not have a Shipment Server account, please contact our Customer Service.
   
   
6. Click Close on the last page to complete the registration.
   
   
7. nShift will now appear on the list of enabled integrations. The authentication information entered earlier (Actor ID, key, and username) can be modified by clicking the Config button. You can also remove the integration anytime by clicking the trash button.
   
   
8. The Status Complete means that the integration is ready for the configuration of services. As long as the number of services is 0 as in the example above, the integration cannot be used for sending shipments.

Configuring nShift Ship products and services

Adding an nShift Ship product

1. Click the Services button on the nShift integration to start configuring the services. 
   
   
   
   Note that what is called a service in Linnworks corresponds to a product with any add-on services in nShift Ship. This means that additional services must be added during the configuration as shown in the next steps.
   
   
2. Select a product from the drop-down list and click the Add button. 
   
   
   
   
3. The product is now shown in the list of Services. The Service Name cannot be changed but you may modify that name in the Linnworks Service column. This is the name that will be shown elsewhere in Linnworks so use a name that makes sense to you. Click Finish to save the product.
   
   
   

Adding an nShift Ship Product with an additional service

1. Click the Services button again to add more Ship products. This time we will try to add additional services to the product.
   
   
2. Again select a product from the drop-down list, and click the Edit button once you have added the product.
   
   
3. Now you will see a list of all the available add-on services for the product. Make your selections and click Ok.
   
   
   
   Make sure to give the product a good name in the Linnworks Service column so you can differentiate it - especially if you have multiple instances of the same product with different add-on services.
   
   

Extended properties

Linnworks use Extended Properties to add extra information to inventory items and orders. This is only relevant for products with customs details in nShift Ship. It is used for shipments crossing borders to another country and may contain customs information like commodity code, country of origin, total value etc. The nShift plugin supports both Item extended property and Order extendend property.

1. Click the Properties button on the nShift integration.
   
   
   
   
2. For Item extended properties, you can select among the available values using a drop-down list. 
   
   
   
   
3. For the Order extended properties, you must type in the necessary values. The values typed must match the values expected by the nShift Ship product and the values are case-sensitive. The values must be 100% identical to what nShift Ship expects. (See the article Using the Linnworks plugin for information about specifying the properties on an order). 
   
   
   
   

When you are done with setting up the nShift integration on your Linnworks account, you are ready to start making shipments. Read our article about Using the Linnworks plugin.