Using Shippo, the GoShippo.com Shipping API Integration in Law Ruler Follow
The GoShippo.Com Shipping API is a third-party service that allows your existing shipping accounts from FedEx, UPS, US Postal Service (USPS), and DHL Express to be used in Legal CRM for mailing documents and packages. Most law firms will want to use this for mailing signup packets or settlement documents that require “wet signatures” from existing or potential clients. This is also a good strategy to sign up clients that may not have access to a smartphone to access e-sign documents.
Please note that GoShippo.com is a third-party vendor that has integrated with Legal CRM so if there are any support issues regarding their service, then please contact them directly. Legal CRM provides integration to the GoShippo.com service but does not provide support for the GoShippo.com service.
About Shippo and Pricing for the GoShippo.com Service
GoShippo.com has advised Legal CRM that they do not mark up any shipping accounts in any way, so the currently negotiated rates that your firm has with each shipping provider will remain in effect when using the GoShippo.com API integration. Also, if you would like to leverage the bulk discounts offered by GoShippo.com then you also have that option available to your firm.
However, GoShippo.com does charge a transaction fee per shipment. At the time of this document, May 11th, 2023, that fee is 5 cents USD per shipment with further discounts available based on volume. Please contact GoShippo.com directly about their pricing and services since they are a third-party vendor and Legal CRM may not adise you about it. Their public pricing page is located here: https://goshippo.com/pricing/
Signing up for a GoShippo.com Account, the API Token, and Webhook
To get started with using the GoShippo.com integration, you will go to the GoShippo.com website located at https://www.goshippo.com and sign up for an account.
*** Please note that you must verify your GoShippo.com account before it may be used with Legal CRM or any other integration partners of GoShippo.com. Your account will not be usable until you reply to GoShippo.com's request email to verify your account, and their support team approves your company. Please look out for it when you first sign up with GoShippo.com.
The GoShippo.com approval verification request email looks like this:
After signing up and being approved for a GoShippo.com account, you will be able to sync it with Legal CRM.
⚠️Even though you will see your GoShippo.com API credentials, it will not pair with Legal CRM until GoShippo.com support approves your company's new account.
After your account is approved, you can use the “API Token” This “API Token” is necessary to connect the GoShippo.com service with your Legal CRM system.
Inside of the GoShippo.com system, on the left menu bar, click on “Settings” and then “API” to access the API screen.
Next, click on the “Generate Token” button as shown in this screenshot.
The “API Token” for your GoShippo.com system will now be available. You will want to Copy and Paste the "API Token" value to your notepad or somewhere so you can insert it into Legal CRM to sync the two systems together.
🔒 As a reminder, the "API Token" will allow anyone to send shipments on behalf of your firm, so please keep it in a secure place.
Click “Done” after you have copied and pasted the “API Token”
Now, we need to set the “Webhook” to tell your GoShippo.com account how to reach your Legal CRM system. This is also an important step otherwise the two systems will not be able to communicate with updates in the tracking of the shipment.
On the GoShippo.com “API” screen, you will scroll down to the bottom to the “Webhooks” section.
To Add a “Webhook” follow these steps:
- Click the “+ Add Webhook” button
- Select “track_updated” for the “Event Type”
- Select “Live” for the “Mode”
- Add the name of your Legal CRM system here with “/ShippoHandler.ashx” appended to the end of your site name.
- How to add your “Webhook” URL: https://yoursitename.legalcrm.com/ShippoHandler.ashx If your site name was: xyzlegalcrm.com, then you would enter: https://xyzlawfirm.legalcrm.com/ShippoHandler.ashx
- Press the “Save” button
⚠️ Please note that this must be a complete web address and must include the https:// in the beginning, or it will not function properly from the GoShippo.com system.
Adding Shipping Providers in the GoShippo.Com Account
Inside of your GoShippo.com account, you will need to add 1 or more shipping providers to be able to use it for sending shipments. Otherwise, it will not work.
⚠️If you do not add a shipping provider and link it to your GoShippo.com account, then you will not be able to send any shipments from GoShippo.com or Legal CRM.
Inside the GoShippo.com system, click on “Settings” then “Carriers” to access the shipping providers menu.
Add one or more providers in the “Carriers” screen.
⚠️If you see empty dropdowns in Legal CRM for Carriers, then it means that GoShippo.com has not approved your account yet. You must contact GoShippo.com support to approve your account since they are a third-party company and that is not something that Legal CRM Support can help with. You will not be able to use it and add Carriers in Legal CRM, until they approve your account.
How to Sync Your GoShippo.Com API Account with Legal CRM
In your Legal CRM system, click on “Setup” then “Global Settings”
Then, click on “Shipping Settings” on the navigation menu on the right side of the screen.
Next, we will add the “API Token” You will take the “API Token” that you received in the GoShippo.com system and copy/paste it into the Legal CRM “Shippo API Token” field. Click the “Save Token” button.
Now, we will set the shipping defaults. It is highly recommended to set a default shipping provider, default service level, default parcel type, and if you would like return labels to be printed or not. This is a management function and should not be left to the intake team to decide these things or it will slow down the intake process.
Many firms will only use a provider like FedEx for the shipment to the client and may include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the shipment back to the firm. However, the actual process of setting up shipping defaults and how your firm uses it will be determined by your firm’s management.
Press “Save Shipping Settings” to finalize the GoShippo.com sync and setup process.
Setting Up a Mailed Document Template in Legal CRM
After you have added your “API Token” and set your shipping defaults, the last step is to set up a “Document Template” to be used with mailed/shipped documents.
On the left menu bar, click on “Documents > Document Templates” and then add a document template. Please make sure that the category is set to “Mailed Document” or it will not be able to be used by the GoShippo.com API. The GoShippo.com API is feature will only use document templates with a category of “Mailed Document”
Using the GoShippo.com Integration in Legal CRM
You must have a valid postal address to be allowed to send a shipment to a client. If you need to “Edit” the mailing address for a client, then click on the pencil “Edit” icon at the top of the screen in Legal CRM to edit the client contact. Then press “Save” in the contact. This will refresh the screen and load the updated address inside of Legal CRM.
After all the above steps are completed, we are ready to get started. From inside any lead, intake or case in Legal CRM, you will click on the “Documents” tab on the left menu navbar to open up the documents tool. With the documents tab open, click the “Document Options” button on the right hand side of the screen. Now, click the “Ship/Mail a Document” option from the drop down menu.
⚠️ Please note that you must have a valid postal address to be allowed to send a shipment. Address verification is performed by the GoShippo.com API, not Legal CRM. You will be advised if the address is not valid at the time of shipment.
⚠️ Please note that the "Ship Document" button will *not* appear in the lead/case pages if you did not successfully sync the GoShippo.com API token in your system.
When you click the “Mail/Ship a Document” button, the “Ship Contract” pop up will appear. Once you are ready to complete the document click the “Ship It” button to complete the process. If you do not have pop-ups enabled in your Google Chrome browser for Legal CRM, then please enable them at this time.
The default shipping settings will now display for the provider, service level and parcel type.
Please do not edit the Weight for any letter/envelope shipments. The price is the same and the maximum weight for a letter/envelope shipment is 8 ounces. Leave it as is to avoid issues with the GoShippo.com API.
Press the “Calculate Rate” button. At this time, the Legal CRM system will communicate with your GoShippo.com API account and download the rate for the shipment. After the rate is filled in the gray “Rate” field, you are ready to proceed.
⚠️ 🏠 Please note that you must have a valid postal address to send a shipment. If the address is not valid, then the rate will not calculate, and you will be warned by GoShippo.com to fix the address and then come back and try again. Address verification is performed by the GoShippo.com API, not Legal CRM. You will be advised if the address is not valid at the time of shipment.
After the “Rate” is available, click the “Ship It” button.
📬 Success! At this time, the document template will fill in the client’s information from the Legal CRM database and will print the shipping label and completed document into the lead, intake, or case. Also, the shipment Tracking Number will save to the lead, intake, or case in the Activity Log in Legal CRM.
⚠️💲 Please note that after pressing "Ship It" you will print a real shipping label and it will be billable at that time once the shipment is picked up by the shipping provider.
Printing Shipping Packets and Shipping Labels in Legal CRM
To access the shipping packet, click on the “Documents” tab in the lead, intake or case in Legal CRM.
🖨️ Print it and insert it into the shipping envelope or package window. You may also bulk print your shipping packets in the “Print Queue” in Legal CRM.
👍 You are all set! Please provide the completed shipping packets to your local shipping carrier or drop-off at the nearest pick-up location and you are good to go.
As a reminder, if there are any support issues with GoShippo.com, please contact their support team directly since they are a third-party vendor. Legal CRM Support is not able to provide support on the GoShippo.com service.