Firebase is a platform (backed by Google) for building and launching mobile and web apps. It offers a collection of extensions that developers can use to add functionality to their applications. Both Firebase and third parties build the extensions, and ShipEngine has built, tested and launched 4 newly available extensions for Firebase users.
With these Firebase extensions by ShipEngine, developers can quickly and easily add a series of shipping-related features and functionalities to their applications. ShipEngine’s Firebase extensions help streamline shipping tasks and processes for anyone building an ecommerce application.
See the video below to learn more about how to get started with Firebase extensions, and continue reading for details on the 4 ShipEngine extensions now available in the Firebase library.
1. Validate Addresses
ShipEngine’s Validate Addresses extension allows you to confirm deliverable addresses around the world. Validating addresses helps prevent returns when unvalidated addresses prove undeliverable, and address validation can also be used to ensure the sender chooses the proper service before shipping — which prevents service-change fees.
Our Validate Addresses extension listens for new documents that include address information. If and when ShipEngine detects a new address in your specified Cloud Firestone collection, it will attempt to match and validate the address. ShipEngine may also provide additional information on what was changed during the validation process.
ShipEngine can validate addresses in virtually every country around the world. See the full list of countries and their related levels of validation.
2. Calculate Shipping Rates
Use ShipEngine’s Calculate Shipping Rates extension to identify the best carrier and the best service for specific shipments. In some cases, shippers are searching for the least expensive option. In other cases, they are seeking the fastest transit time. ShipEngine’s Calculate Shipping Rates extension can help anyone find the option to meet their unique shipping needs.
Similar to our Validate Addresses extension, the Calculate Shipping Rates extension listens to your specified Cloud Firestone collection for new documents that include shipment and package information. ShipEngine uses this information to pull shipping rates and estimate delivery windows across any and all carriers that you’ve connected.
When you calculate shipping rates through ShipEngine, you enjoy access to more than 50 parcel carriers around the world. Check our full list of integrations to see if your preferred carriers are included.
3. Purchase Shipping Labels
Create domestic or international shipping labels using ShipEngine’s Purchase Shipping Labels extension for Firebase. You can connect to the same 50-plus parcel carriers mentioned in the Calculate Shipping Rates section above.
After you connect your preferred carriers, this extension listens to your specified Cloud Firestone collection for any new documents that contain shipping and package information. By adding a new document that includes this information to the specific collection, ShipEngine automatically generates a carrier-compliant label and then updates the document with labels in 3 different file formats: PDF, PNG and ZPL.
4. Track Shipments
ShipEngine’s Track Shipping Labels extension for Firebase allows you to send shipment tracking notifications. This real-time shipping information is helpful to ecommerce brands that are keeping tabs on order fulfillment progress, and these notifications also provide transparency to ecommerce customers who are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their orders.
This extension updates a specific Firestone Collection whenever a new tracking event occurs. Shipment tracking updates are available across the same 50-plus carriers available through ShipEngine’s Calculate Shipping Rates and Create Labels extensions.
Getting Started is Easy
Building with ShipEngine has never been easier. If you’re interested in validating addresses, calculating shipping rates, printing labels or tracking packages, you can:
- Get a free API key (no credit card required) and start playing in our sandbox environments.
- Use our software development kits in Javascript, PHP, Python, Ruby and C#.
- Connect to other popular applications using our Zapier integration.
- Find and install our Firebase extensions.
Need help getting started? Our team of shipping experts is always here to provide support. Get in touch to learn more about how ShipEngine can help you and your business solve shipping.
About Author
Leave a Reply