{"id":1094,"date":"2023-05-22T16:37:46","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T16:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/blog\/fulfillment-basics-how-do-shipping-labels-work\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T21:13:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T21:13:46","slug":"fulfillment-basics-how-do-shipping-labels-work","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/blog\/fulfillment-basics-how-do-shipping-labels-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Shipping Labels: How They Work and How to Print Your Own"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Table of Contents<\/p>

** Minutes<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

What is a shipping label?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding shipping labels<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to create a shipping label<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shipping label best practices<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perfect shipping labels every time with a 3PL (like ShipBob)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have a warehouse and need a WMS?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shipping label FAQs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2><\/span><\/div>
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1<\/p><\/div>

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A shipping label contains essential information such as recipient and sender addresses, tracking numbers, barcodes, package weight, shipping method, and payment status to ensure accurate and efficient delivery.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2<\/p><\/div>

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Incorrect or missing shipping labels can cause delays, lost packages, and negative customer experiences, impacting brand reputation and sales.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3<\/p><\/div>

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You can create shipping labels using carrier websites, online templates, shipping software, or by partnering with a third-party logistics provider that handles label generation and order fulfilment.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4<\/p><\/div>

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Best practices for shipping labels include double-checking all information for accuracy, securely attaching the label to the package, understanding shipping requirements, and budgeting for shipping costs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Shipping labels may seem like a tiny piece of the ecommerce puzzle, but they are critical to both inbound and outbound logistics<\/a> and are vital to your online store\u2019s success and customer satisfaction. Shipping labels share important information with your supply chain, helping technology and people alike understand the origins and destination of your package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without clear shipping labels, your customers\u2019 orders could be lost or mishandled, creating a bad customer experience<\/a>, damaging brand loyalty, and ultimately losing sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article will cover the information included on a shipping label, how to create shipping labels for self-fulfilled orders, and how a third-party logistics (3PL<\/a>) provider can help take the hassle out of the shipping process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is a shipping label?<\/h2><\/div>
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Shipping labels display important information about a package\u2019s destination to a carrier during transportation. These labels help describe and specify where the package is going, and in the cases of international shipments, what\u2019s inside a package. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pertinent information on a shipping label includes postal code, country, tracking number, weight, destination address, return address, shipping method (expedited, standard, etc.), and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are shipping labels important?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shipping labels are important because they clearly display the information couriers need to deliver packages from their start destination (either a warehouse or fulfilment centre) to their end destination (customer\u2019s doorstep). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If shipping labels are incorrect or not included on a parcel, packages can be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n