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title: Shipping Automation Best Practices
description: Optimizing Your Global E-Commerce Logistics with Comprehensive Rules and Smart Automation
---
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# Shipping Automation Best Practices
## Optimizing Your Global E-Commerce Logistics with Comprehensive Rules and Smart Automation
By following these best practices, you can create a robust and efficient shipping automation system.
#### Rule Creation:
- Ensure your rules have clear, specific conditions to accurately execute the expected actions.
- The most recently created rule will take precedence over any earlier conflicting rules.
- For shipments that do not satisfy the criteria of any existing rules, a shipment label cannot be generated. Users can navigate to the "Action Required" page to review and make necessary edits to the shipment details.
- You can change the rule and run the automation again while the order is in draft status. Once the order is submitted to warehouse or created, no further changes can be made.
### Common Rules for International Shipments
#### Shipment Purpose and Tax Handling:
Implement default settings to handle cases where shipment purpose or tax terms are missing from the order data. *These are mandatory fields for international shipping.*
- Preset the shipment purpose (e.g. Commercial Use, Personal Use) base on your required conditions ( e.g. routes, declared value, Shopify shipping rate)
- Determine the appropriate tax treatment rules based on your required conditions ( e.g. routes, declared value, origin, destination, and product details)
#### Carrier Service Selection:
- Establish clear criteria, such as shipping route, declared value, total weight, and overall declared value, to determine which courier service or group will be utilized for each shipment.
- For instance, set criteria to limit courier selection for shipments within the US to those with a declared value of under $800 and a maximum of 10 items.
💡Each courier has unique requirements regarding declared value limitation, size limitation, destination restriction, and tax handling term. It is essential to review the specific guidelines provided by each courier to ensure that your established conditions align with their policies and effectively manage shipment outcomes.
#### Free Item Value:
- For items classified as gifts with a declared value of $0, it is important to assign a nominal value (such as $5 or $10) to facilitate customs clearance. This practice ensures that the shipment is accurately declared, allowing it to navigate customs procedures smoothly. *Please note that this feature is specifically applicable to Shopify Orders.*
**
#### Spaceship Care :
- Automatically apply [Spaceship Care](https://support.spaceshipapp.com/en/spaceship-care-service-guide) (insurance coverage) for high-value shipments to protect your customers and reduces the risk of losses for high-value international shipments.
- For example, when the total declared value is greater than $1,000, apply Spaceship Care
*Last Update: 19 Feb 2025*
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