If you run a WooCommerce store and ship with DHL Express, you already know the problem: generating labels means logging into the DHL portal separately, copying tracking numbers manually, and hoping your customers see the right shipping rates at checkout. This guide shows you how to fix all of that in one setup.
By the end of this guide your WooCommerce store will show live DHL Express rates at checkout, generate DHL shipping labels directly from your orders page, and send tracking updates to customers automatically.
What you need before you start
Before connecting DHL Express to WooCommerce you need three things:
First, an active DHL Express business account. If you don’t have one yet, contact DHL Express in your country and request a business account. This is different from a personal DHL account – you need a business account to access the API.
Second, your DHL Express API credentials. These are your API Key and API Secret from the DHL developer portal. If you haven’t generated these yet, follow our guide on how to obtain your DHL Express REST API key and secret before continuing.
Third, the Shipi plugin installed on your WooCommerce store. Shipi connects your WooCommerce store to DHL Express and handles rates, labels, tracking, and pickups from one dashboard.
Step 1 — Install the Shipi plugin on WooCommerce
Go to your WordPress dashboard. Navigate to Plugins → Add New. Search for “Shipi Multi Carrier Shipping”. Click Install Now, then Activate.
Once activated you will see a Shipi menu item appear in your WordPress sidebar. Click it to open the Shipi dashboard.
If you need a detailed walkthrough of the installation, see our complete Shipi WooCommerce installation guide.
Step 2 – Create your Shipi account
On the Shipi dashboard you will be prompted to create an account or log in. Go to app.myshipi.com and sign up with your email. Once your account is created, connect it to your WordPress plugin by entering your Shipi account credentials in the plugin settings.
Step 3 – Add your DHL Express account in Shipi
Inside your Shipi account, go to Settings → Shipping Accounts → Add New Account. Select DHL Express from the carrier list.
You will be asked to enter your DHL Express credentials:
- API Key
- API Secret
- DHL Account Number
Enter these details exactly as they appear in your DHL developer portal. Make sure you are using Production credentials, not Test credentials – test credentials will not generate real labels.
If you are unsure where to find these, our DHL Express API key guide explains exactly where to find each field.
Once entered, click Save and Test Connection. Shipi will verify your credentials with DHL Express. If the test passes you will see a green confirmation. If it fails, double check that your account number matches the account linked to your API credentials.
Step 4 – Configure DHL Express shipping settings
After connecting your account, go to the DHL Express settings inside Shipi. Here you can configure:
- Which DHL Express services to offer at checkout – such as Express Worldwide, Express 12:00, or Economy Select
- Whether to show domestic and international services or only one
- Package types – document, parcel, or both
- Default package weight and dimensions if your products don’t have individual dimensions set
For international shipments you can also enable automatic customs document generation. This creates the commercial invoice required for cross-border shipments without any manual work.
For a full breakdown of every configuration option, see our DHL Express configuration guide.
Step 5 – Add DHL Express rates to your WooCommerce shipping zones
This is the step most people miss. Connecting DHL Express in Shipi is not enough on its own – you also need to tell WooCommerce to display Shipi rates at checkout.
Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping → Shipping Zones. Click on the shipping zone where you want DHL rates to appear – for example, your domestic zone or international zone.
Click Add Shipping Method. From the list, select Shipi. Click Save Changes.
Now when a customer checks out, WooCommerce will call Shipi which will call DHL Express in real time and return the available services and prices for that customer’s address.
Repeat this for each shipping zone where you want DHL Express rates to appear.
Step 6 – Generate your first DHL Express label
Go to WooCommerce → Orders. Open any test order or a real order. You will see a Shipi panel on the right side of the order screen.
Click Get Rates. Shipi will show you the available DHL Express services and prices for that shipment. Select the service you want and click Create Label.
Your DHL Express shipping label will be generated immediately. You can print it directly from this screen, download it as a PDF, or use the Shipi Label Printer software to send it directly to your printer without downloading.
The order will be automatically marked as fulfilled and the tracking number will be saved to the order.
Step 7 – Test the full flow
Before going live, place a test order on your WooCommerce store. Verify that DHL Express rates appear at checkout. Verify that you can generate a label from the order. Check that the tracking number is saved correctly.
If rates are not appearing at checkout, check that you have added Shipi to the correct shipping zone in WooCommerce settings.
Common issues and fixes
Rates not showing at checkout – You have connected DHL in Shipi but not added Shipi as a shipping method in your WooCommerce shipping zones. Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping → Shipping Zones and add Shipi to each zone.
Invalid credentials error – Make sure you are using your Production API key, not your Test API key. Also confirm that your DHL account number is the same account linked to the API credentials in the DHL developer portal.
Label generation fails – Your product weights and dimensions must be set in WooCommerce for DHL to calculate the correct label. Go to each product and add weight, length, width, and height under the Shipping tab.
Rates showing too high – This usually means your package dimensions are not set and DHL is defaulting to a large box. Add accurate dimensions to your products.
Using multiple carriers alongside DHL Express
If you ship with more than one carrier – for example DHL Express for international orders and a local courier for domestic – Shipi handles all of them from the same dashboard. You can connect UPS, FedEx, Aramex, and 10+ other carriers alongside DHL Express and manage all your labels, tracking, and pickups from one place.
Learn how to configure multiple carriers in Shipi → Shipping Accounts Guide
Ready to connect DHL Express to your WooCommerce store?
Install Shipi free from the WordPress plugin directory and connect your DHL Express account in minutes. No technical knowledge required.