Articles on: Shipping

Shipping: Overview

Set up standard shipping to offer delivery to your customers. Configure availability schedules, preparation times, product restrictions, and all shipping-related features to maximize flexibility.



Table of Contents




How Shipping Configuration Works


All shipping settings are configured in one central location in the Bird App. Unlike pickup and delivery which are configured per location, shipping uses a single global configuration that applies to all shipping orders.


Navigation: Bird Settings > Shipping


Basic Settings


The Basic Settings section allows you to enable standard shipping and manage your shipping calendar basics.


  • Standard Shipping: Toggle this on to offer shipping as a fulfillment option.
  • Manage Shipping Calendar: Controls the display of the shipping calendar widget.



Prerequisites: Before You Begin


Complete these steps before configuring shipping. Missing any of these will prevent shipping from working correctly.


1. Enable Widget in Your Theme


The widget must be enabled for customers to see shipping options on your cart page.


📖 Detailed Guide: How to Enable Bird Pickup and Delivery Date Widget in Your Shopify Theme



2. Assign Inventory to Locations


Products must have inventory assigned to locations in Shopify.


How it works:

  • Bird Pickup & Delivery does not manage inventory
  • All inventory is handled through Shopify's native inventory system
  • Products without inventory will lead to checkout issues


Steps to assign inventory:

  • Go to Shopify Admin > Products and assign inventory to the respective product
  • For virtual locations or to map inventory from different warehouses, go to Bird Settings > Inventory


Optional Inventory Settings in Bird Settings > Inventory:

  • Inventory Mapping: Map Bird locations to Shopify locations/warehouses for virtual locations or different inventory sources




3. Mark Products as Physical


Products must be marked as physical in Shopify for shipping to work correctly.


Why this is required:

  • Virtual/digital products don't require shipping
  • Shipping options will not appear for non-physical products


📖 Detailed Guide: How to Mark Products as Physical Products in Shopify



Quick Start: Enable Shipping


Get shipping running in 2 steps.


Step 1: Access Shipping Settings


  1. Go to Bird Settings
  2. Click Shipping in the navigation menu


Step 2: Enable Standard Shipping


  1. In the Basic Settings section, find Standard Shipping toggle
  2. Toggle Standard Shipping to Enable to turn on shipping functionality
  3. Toggle Manage Shipping Calendar if you need customers to select dates/times
  4. Click Save



You've enabled shipping! Customers can now select shipping as a fulfillment option. Continue with the configuration options below to customize shipping behavior.



Shipping Configuration Options


Configure all shipping features to match your business needs. Each feature has a detailed guide.


1. Configure Availability


Control when customers can select shipping slots.


What it does:

  • Sets slot type (Only Date, Date & Time, etc.)
  • Defines availability schedule (Same for all days or Customize by day)
  • Limits maximum orders per day


Quick Setup:

  1. Go to Bird Settings > Shipping
  2. Scroll to Configure Availability
  3. Choose your schedule type and date/time options
  4. Add time slots if using "Date & Time" or "Date & Time Range" options
  5. Set order limits (optional)
  6. Click Save


📖 Detailed Guide: Shipping: Configure Availability



2. Preparation Time


Set minimum time required to prepare orders and cut-off times.


What it does:

  • Sets lead time (preparation time) before an order can be shipped
  • Optional cut-off times for same-day or next-day processing
  • Can be customized by day or global


Quick Setup:

  1. Go to Bird Settings > Shipping
  2. Scroll to Preparation Time
  3. Toggle Enable Preparation Time to Enabled
  4. Choose Same for All Days or Customize by Day
  5. Enter lead time (e.g., 4 hours, 1 day)
  6. Optionally set cut-off time and separate lead times
  7. Click Save


📖 Detailed Guide: Shipping: Preparation Time



3. Blockout Dates


Block specific dates from the shipping calendar.


What it does:

  • Disables specific dates or date ranges
  • Prevents selection on holidays or non-shipping days
  • Sets maximum available days (how far in advance customers can book)


Quick Setup:

  1. Go to Bird Settings > Shipping
  2. Scroll to Blockout Dates
  3. Choose Single Date or Date Range tab
  4. Select date(s) from calendar
  5. Optionally set start/end times for time-specific blocks
  6. Click Add to confirm
  7. Optionally set Maximum Available Days (e.g., 30 days)
  8. Click Save


📖 Detailed Guide: Shipping: Blockout Dates



4. Order Value Validation


Set minimum order value required for shipping orders.


What it does:

  • Requires customers to meet a minimum cart value before checkout
  • Applies global minimum order requirements for shipping
  • Currency is inferred from Shopify's default currency


Quick Setup:

  1. Go to Bird Settings > Shipping
  2. Scroll to Order Value Validation
  3. Optionally enter Minimum Order Value (e.g., 50 for $50 USD if Shopify currency is USD)
  4. Click Save




5. Product Availability


Control whether shipping applies to all products or only specific products.


What it does:

  • Applies settings to All Products (default)
  • Can include or exclude products based on tags
  • Useful for restricting shipping for certain items


Quick Setup:

  1. Go to Bird Settings > Shipping
  2. Scroll to Product Availability
  3. Choose All Products, Include Products Tagged With, or Exclude Products Tagged With
  4. If using tags, enter product tags in the search/select field
  5. Click Save


📖 Detailed Guide: Shipping: Product Availability



6. Shipping Note


Allow customers to enter shipping notes or special instructions.


What it does:

  • Adds a text field for customers to leave notes
  • Can be enabled or disabled


📖 Detailed Guide: Shipping: Note



7. Advanced Settings


Configure validation and selection expiry settings.


What it does:

  • Makes date/time selection mandatory before checkout
  • Expires old selections to ensure current availability


📖 Detailed Guide: Shipping: Advanced Settings



Testing and Verification


Verify your shipping configuration is working correctly before going live.


Use Widget Preview


Widget Preview allows you to test your configuration without placing actual orders.


Steps:

  1. Go to Bird Settings > Shipping
  2. Make your desired configuration changes
  3. Click Save to apply all changes
  4. Click Widget Preview to see your updated configuration
  5. Select Shipping method in the preview dropdown
  6. Simulate any date and time via Change Current Date and Time option
  7. Verify:
  • Time slots show correctly (if configured)
  • Blocked dates are grayed out
  • Preparation time is respected (earliest available date/time)
  • Order limits are enforced



Note: Widget Preview simulates the customer experience. Use it to verify your settings before customers place orders.



Place a Test Order


Complete end-to-end verification by placing a test order.


Steps:

  1. Go to your store's cart page
  2. Add products to your cart
  3. Look for the Bird shipping widget
  4. Select Shipping method (if multiple fulfillment methods are available)
  5. Select date and time (if configured)
  6. Add any shipping notes (if enabled)
  7. Complete checkout
  8. Verify order appears in Shopify Admin > Orders with correct shipping details


📖 Detailed Guide: Verify Your Widget Setup: Place a Test Order

Updated on: 01/18/2026

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