Read this guide to understand how the Shippo API uses objects and object IDs.
In the Shippo API, objects use used to stored information. Objects are stored in the Shippo database. Examples of objects include addresses, carrier accounts, transactions, and labels.
Each object has an associated object ID. Each object ID is unique and you can use the object ID to reference and use the data in the object.
Use POST requests to create objects, GET requests to retrieve objects, and PUT requests to update objects.
Most objects in the Shippo API are immutable. This means that once you have created an object, you cannot change it. Instead, you must create a new one with the updated values. Carrier Accounts, Service Groups, and User Parcel Templates are the only objects that you can update.
Follow this example to help understand how to use Shippo API objects.
Before starting this example, make sure you have generated your test token. In each example, replace <API_TOKEN> with the test token you have generated.
curl https://api.goshippo.com/addresses/ \
-H "Authorization: ShippoToken <API_TOKEN>" \
-d name="Shawn Ippotle" \
-d company="Shippo" \
-d street1="215 Clayton St." \
-d street2="" \
-d city="San Francisco" \
-d state="CA" \
-d zip=94117 \
-d country="US" \
-d phone="+1 555 341 9393" \
-d email="shippotle@shippo.com"\
-d is_residential=True\
-d metadata="Customer ID 123456"The expected response is a view of the address object that includes the address you created along with its metadata. It includes the object ID, "object_id" that you can use to reference the object.
{
"is_complete": true,
"object_created":"2022-07-09T02:19:13.174Z",
"object_updated":"2022-07-09T02:19:13.174Z",
"object_id":"d799c2679e644279b59fe661ac8fa488",
"object_owner":"shippotle@shippo.com",
"validation_results": {},
"name":"Shawn Ippotle",
"company":"Shippo",
"street_no": "",
"street1":"215 Clayton St.",
"street2":"",
"street3":"",
"city":"San Francisco",
"state":"CA",
"zip":"94117",
"country":"US",
"longitude": null,
"latitude": null,
"phone":"15553419393",
"email":"shippotle@shippo.com",
"is_residential":true,
"metadata":"Customer ID 123456"
}
curl https://api.goshippo.com/addresses/d799c2679e644279b59fe661ac8fa488/ \
-H "Authorization: ShippoToken <API_TOKEN>"In this example, d799c2679e644279b59fe661ac8fa488 is the object ID of the address you have created.
The expected response is a view of the address object that includes the address you created along with its metadata. The same response you received when you created the address object.
{
"is_complete": true,
"object_created":"2014-07-09T02:19:13.174Z",
"object_updated":"2014-07-09T02:19:13.174Z",
"object_id":"d799c2679e644279b59fe661ac8fa488",
"object_owner":"shippotle@shippo.com",
"validation_results": {},
"name":"Shawn Ippotle",
"company":"Shippo",
"street_no": "",
"street1":"215 Clayton St.",
"street2":"",
"street3":"",
"city":"San Francisco",
"state":"CA",
"zip":"94117",
"country":"US",
"longitude": null,
"latitude": null,
"phone":"15553419393",
"email":"shippotle@shippo.com",
"is_residential":true,
"metadata":"Customer ID 123456",
"test": true
}The following is a list of objects created in the Shippo API.
| Object | Object Name |
|---|---|
| Address Object | AddressId |
| Parcel Object | ParcelId |
| User Parcel Object | UserParcelTemplateObjectId |
| Shipment Object | ShipmentId |
| Rate Object | RateId |
| Transaction Object | TransactionId |
| Batch Object | BatchId |
| Customs Item Object | CustomsItemId |
| Customs Declaration Object | CustomsDeclarationId |
| Carrier Account Object | CarrierAccountId |
| Manifest Object | ManifestId |
| Pickup Object | PickupId |
| Order Object | OrderId |
| Refund Object | RefundId |
| Invoice Object | InvoiceObjectId |
| Service Group Object | ServiceGroupId |
| Shippo Account Object | ShippoAccountId |