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How to Assign ShipperHQ Product Attributes on BigCommerce

Set product-specific shipping attributes for accurate shipping calculations in BigCommerce

Table of Contents

Overview

When you install the ShipperHQ BigCommerce App, you'll see additional shipping-related fields when editing your Products in BigCommerce. These fields help set up product-specific shipping information, such as the origins the products ship from, shipping groups, and any applicable packing rules. This guide walks you through these fields and when to use them. 😊

Product Setup in BigCommerce

Individual Products

  1. In your BigCommerce Dashboard, go to Products and select "View".
  2. Select the product you wish to edit.
  3. Find the shipping-related fields in the "Shipping" section of your product details.

  4. Copy/paste the exact name of your Shipping Group, Origin, or Packing Rule (Dimensional Rules) into the relevant field.

    • Example: If you have a Shipping Group called "SURCHARGE", enter "SURCHARGE" in the Shipping Groups field.
    • Note: Names are case sensitive. If you need to assign more than one Origin or Shipping Group to a product, separate the names with:
    • Standard ShipperHQ: a comma
    • ShipperHQ Plus: hash (#) symbol

Location to update ShipperHQ metafields in BigCommerce portal. Shipping section on Products in BigCommerce. Shows: Shipping Group field, Origin field, Dimensional Rule field.

Variant Products

  1. To assign attributes to a variant (child) product, go to the product's page in BigCommerce, then click "Options & SKUs" along the top.
  2. Click "SKUs".
  3. Click the "..." under "Action", then choose "Edit".
  4. Copy/paste the exact name of your Shipping Group, Origin, or Packing Rule into the relevant field.

Location to assign variant products.

💡 Note: You don't have to assign attributes to every product, only those for which you want a specific shipping rule. For instance, if you have just one origin, you can set that as the default, and no origin assignment is necessary.

Bulk Import & Utilizing the API

For updating multiple products, consider a bulk CSV import. BigCommerce provides guidance for exporting and importing product information by custom export templates. Test by creating a product manually and exporting it to see the format.

The BigCommerce API can also update product attributes more efficiently. Check out the robust API documentation available here:

💡 Note: If you enter values via a third party or API, wrap shipping group names with [\" and \"] when importing into BigCommerce. For example, import the "OVERSIZE" shipping group as [\"OVERSIZE\"]. Separate multiple shipping groups, e.g., "OVERSIZE" and "HAZMAT", with a comma like [\"OVERSIZE\",\"HAZMAT\"].

Shipping Fields

Shipping Groups

The Shipping Groups field lets you assign a product category for unique handling, such as perishable or bulky items. Create your Shipping Groups in ShipperHQ and enter the group name in the "Shipping Group" field on the product details.

Example showing list of shipping groups. Shipping Groups in ShipperHQ

If all products share the same shipping rules, you won't need to use Shipping Groups. For products handled differently, leave this field empty on those that don't belong to a group to allow the default shipping configuration.

SKU-Based Shipping Groups

An SKU-based Shipping Group sets rules by product SKU code instead of a group in BigCommerce. Match the Shipping Group Name within the product SKU; for example, name a group “LARGESIZE” to match with "SM1-LARGESIZE." This setting is case-sensitive. Enable the "SKU Based Shipping Group" option in ShipperHQ's Advanced tab for this purpose.

HS Codes

HS codes support duties and tax calculations for international shipping or when using the ShipperHQ Landed Cost Engine. Set HS Codes in BigCommerce with the Shipping Group attribute using "^HS:" followed by the code, like "^HS:22.18.93". Combine with standard Shipping Groups similarly by separating values with:

Example:

  • Standard ShipperHQ: For "LARGE" Shipping Group with HS Code 53.41.87, use "LARGE,^HS:53.41.87".
  • ShipperHQ Plus: Use "LARGE#^HS:53.41.87".

Origin Locations

Specify the origins from which a product can be shipped. Define these in ShipperHQ and enter the names here. If shipping from a single origin, leave this field blank for default use.

Example showing list of origins in ShipperHQ dashboard. Origins in ShipperHQ

Packing Rules

Set up specific Packing Rules in ShipperHQ to handle certain products differently during dimension calculation, such as items shipped separately. Enter the Rule Name in the Dimensional Rules field.

Example of packing rule. Packing Rules in ShipperHQ

Defining Master Packing Boxes

In scenarios using a Master Packing box, define boxes in the same area as packing rules. If already defining a packing rule, it will override any master packing box.

Location to define master packing boxes.

How-To Video

🚀 Check out our instructional video for a visual guide on assigning ShipperHQ attributes to your products.