This page of the  eConnect API Gateway is exclusivly for non productive beta features and is not representive of the whole offering. The current reflecting beta features are definied in the following overview:

Scope

• DHL Parcel Connect Light provides shipping of parcels to over 220 countries. Business customers benefit from simplified postal customs clearance, reliable transit times to key destinations using our global postal network and our international shipping expertise.
  • For low-value goods and mail
  • Suitable for items up to a maximum weight of 2kg
  • With worldwide coverage within the postal network to over 220 countries
  • Mailbox or doorstep delivery - depending on destination
  • End-to-End transparancy along the process chain via the tracked service for small parcels in more than 50 countries
  • Simplified customs declaration and clearance processing with CN22 for items up to 300 SDR (approx. 358,50€)
  • Transit times
    • EU: typically between 3-7 days
    • Rest of World: typically between 6-12 days

Feel free to check out our website for more detailed product information. For further information on the functionalities, please visit Use Cases.

In case you are a customer based in Germany, please check out our German portfolio at the DHL Developer Portal.

Access Channels

Please refer to our overview on the main page: DHL eCommerce Europe - eConnect API

Get Access

For onboarding, you need to follow this process guided by our country based DHL eCommerce teams:

1. To request access for our Production and Sandbox environments you have to sign up. To sign up, please get in touch with your local sales representative.
2. Implement your API solution in our Sandbox environment (see use cases) and seek approval from our DHL experts (for data and label).
3. Retrieve access to Production environment and start shipping.

To contact your DHL eCommerce team, please use this contact form.

Authentication

To get access to the API (Sandbox and Production environment), you will receive a Client ID and a password. Please use the contact form (including your company name, industry and contact details (incl. phone number and email address)) to apply for these.

The API provides OAuth 2.0 Access Token with various authorization scopes.

The "Get Access Token" API call provides an OAuth 2.0 Bearer token with authorization scope, assigned to your client id. It grants you an access to the CCC APIs.

The API operation is secured by HTTP Basic authentication, therefore you have to provide 'client_id' and 'client_secret' as an username and password, when calling the API. Credentials will be provided to you via secured channel.

Environments

The addressable API base URL/URI environments are:

The Sandbox environment can be used for testing freely. Only the production environment will trigger underlying processes, e.g. billing, operational procedures.

Information for Integrators

The DHL eConnect API differentiates between customers and integrators. If you are an integrator, you may retrieve permission to operate the API on behalf of an assigned customer. For administrative reasons, shipments are always assigned to a dedicated customer. API users with status "integrator" cannot generate shipments themselves, unless they additionally have a customer account.

The customer/integrator configuration is performed by DHL, please contact via the contact form.

Rate Limits

Rate limits protect the DHL infrastructure from suspicious requests that exceed defined thresholds.

Should you exceed your rate limit you will receive a HTTP status code within the API response that will indicate this.

In addition to the rate limit a so called "spike arrest" protects our API Platform from potential outages caused by a very large volume of requests sent in a short time span (minutes or seconds). This will be indicated by a different HTTP status code.

This API offers various functionalities that all support you in managing your DHL eCommerce Solutions cross-border parcel shipments. This page gives an overview and introduction to the available functionalities. A detailed developer's documentation is available in the "Reference Docs" section (see here).

Please note that all integrated API features need to be covered by the customer's DHL contract. The technical API integration of a feature alone is no sufficient precondition for feature usage on the production environment.

Shipment Data

• It is mandatory for the sender to send shipment data for each individual piece/parcel. Please see below explanations for details on the requested shipment parameter, in addition please check our use cases and the "reference docs" section on this website.
• Along with the address data, several additional shipment details need to be defined for each shipment:
  • Product type: DHL Parcel Connect Light Goods
  • CustomerIdendification: Must contain the senders DHL customer number (e.g. EKP, local ID)
  • Sender address data: Use these fields to define the shipper address on the label. 
  • Recipient address data: Use these fields to insert the consignee address.
  • Product features: Depending on the selected product type, various product features are to be selected in the shipment data:
    • Mandatory features
      • Tracked/Untracked: The service of Tracking must be defined as feature.
      • Gross weight: It is mandatory to provide the gross weight in kg.
    • Optional features
      • Size: It is conditional to either provide the size (length, height and width) or the piece format. Size information for shipments are in meter.
      • Format: It is conditional to either provide the size (length, height and width) or the piece format. Size information are explained in the overview section and can be given as "P", "G" or "E".

Label

• The API can generate high-resolution labels based each individual shipment data and provide the label files within the API response.
• All labels generated by the eConnect API come with an unique shipment identifier barcode (S10 format) which is assigned by the service. All these shipment identifiers have the same prefix "L" for tracked and "U" for untracked with a total length of 13 characters. They are unique for at least 13 months, before they are used again for another shipment.
• In certain cases it is possible to offer customer-individual shipment identifiers, please contact your DHL responsible if required.
• Currently the following product, formats, size and resolutions are available:
  • product: "DHL Parcel Connect Light"
  • size: 15x10cm
  • resolutions:
    • zpl-native: 150-300 dpi
    • png: 300-600 dpi
  • 3 formats: PDF, PNG or ZPL-native
• When creating shipments into customs areas please refer to below chapter "Customs Data".

Track & Trace

• The DHL Unified Shipment Tracking API provides you with the current status of all our parcels created via the eConnect API.
• Next to the API channel, customers shipments can be monitored as well via public websites, e.g.: www.dhl.com/tracking
• Senders can communicate track & trace information to their recipients via one link for all European destinations. The link gives direct access to tracking information: http://www.dhl.com/tracking?tracking-ID=#### and can be personalized with an individual shipping ID.

Customs data

• For parcels into customs destinations, it is mandatory send customs data per each shipment in addition to the shipment data.
• The call requires information about the content of the parcel (including its value and purpose). It will forward the electronic information to the customs entities.
• For customs destinations which require CN22 document, the eConnect API returns this document accordingly to the user on request. The CN22 document is returned as part of the shipment label (see explanations on "Label" above).
• Overview of use cases:
  • If you create a shipment to a non-customs destination, you don't need to send a Customs information. If you still send customs data, this call will be rejected.
  • If you create a shipment to a customs destination or region, the segment containing the customs data is mandatory. If you don't send it, your shipments will be rejected and you will not receive a shipment label.

Use Case Overview

Below you can find an overview of the different use cases, that are available via the eConnect API. In the next section you can find a short description for each use case. For request/response examples please see Reference Docs section.

Use Case 1: Create DHL Connect Light Goods shipment non customs destinations

Business Process

This request enables users to inject their shipment data for doorstep deliveries for DHL Parcel Connect Light shipments. If requested, the API will return the respective label in the desired format and resolution.

Key success factors:

• The recipient address must be the correct door address of the recipient

Request Examples

Request schema and Try-Out functionality see Reference Docs section under "Send connectLight". For examples select:

• DHL Connect Light Goods to Doorstep

Response Examples

Response schema Reference Docs section under "Send connectLight". Depending on how the request was specified, the response may optionally contain a shipping label in the specified format. The response will also contain a status code as well as a status message both indicating whether the request could be processed successfully or not.

Use Case 2: Create DHL Connect Light Goods shipment to customs destinations

Business Process

This request enables the user to send shipment and custom data for DHL Parcel Connect Light shipments. For this case, it is mandatory to send a Customs information as part of the request. The Customs information requires details about the content of the parcel (including its value and purpose) and if successful it will forward the electronic information to the customs entities. 

Key success factors

• Make sure that both shipment and customs information are correct, meaning that all mandatory fields are filled out, data specific to the customs clearance solution is populated and data is consistent (e.g. shipment weights; same currency is used for monetary values throughout the entire request). Otherwise, the system will reject the shipment.
• A overview of custom liable countries and needed information can be found under the Download section.

Request/Response Examples

Request schema and Try-Out functionality see Reference Docs section under "Send connectLight". For examples select:

• DHL Connect Light Goods to Doorstep with Customs

Response Examples

Response schema Reference Docs section under "Send connectLight". Depending on how the request was specified, the response may optionally contain a shipping label in the specified format. The response will also contain a status code as well as a status message both indicating whether the request could be processed successfully or not. As part of the label the CN22 customs declaration will be populated.

Support

To get access to the eConnect API and solve any business-related matters, please access our business customer service available here

In case of technical questions related to the eConnect API and it's associated services please contact our technical support.

Specifics for the use of DHL eCommerce Europe API

To register for the use of and/or access to DHL eCommerce Europe API and the underlying API Services (create shipment, generate label, track & trace, parcel shop finder) - hereinafter referred to as DHL eCommerce Europe API - you and/or the entity you are authorized to represent (hereinafter "You"/"Your") need to have an account with and/or have entered into a Customer Services Agreement with one of DHL eCommerce legal entities. If You engage an external developer or other IT services provider to represent You and to develop Your Application according to the General Developer Portal Terms of Use and these special API terms & conditions (also referred to as "Legal Terms"), You are liable for the acts or omissions of such third party in connection with the access to and/or usage of the DHL eCommerce Europe API.

These Legal Terms and the General Developer Portal Terms of Use govern your usage of and/or access to the DHL eCommerce Europe API including the API Services and, unless otherwise stated herein, do not replace and/or modify any other DHL eCommerce terms and conditions of Carriage, Customer Services Agreements and/or any other agreements, contracts or SOWs with DHL eCommerce or any of its affiliates, which govern services or products provided to you (separately, each an "Agreement"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, you expressly acknowledge and agree that solely with respect to your use of and access to the DHL eCommerce Europe API these Legal Terms and the General Developer Portal Terms of Use shall have preference over the terms and conditions in an Agreement, unless any terms and conditions in an Agreement specifically address the use of/access to the DHL eCommerce Europe API by You, in which case the specific terms and conditions of the Agreement shall prevail with respect to Your use of/access to the DHL eCommerce Europe API.

You shall use the services and/or data that You receive via the DHL eCommerce Europe API only for the legitimate contractual purposes and only in connection with DHL eCommerce carriage services.

The following prerequisites and/or restrictions apply for the usage of data or information received via the DHL eCommerce Europe API:

Label/Labelless Returns

The API Service "label" provides You with the possibility to create and download labels for singular shipments. The API Service “Labelless Returns” provides You with the possibility to create and download a QR- or Barcode instead of a label, which enable You or Your customers to drop off shipments in a DHL eCommerce service point without a label.

Please note that the creating and/or downloading of a label , a QR- or Barcode does not constitute the contract of carriage. Such contract will be concluded once the labeled package is handed over or picked up and accordingly accepted by DHL eCommerce.

Track & Trace

Data requested and received via this API, such as transport status, estimated delivery date, is hereinafter referred to as "Tracking Data".

Tracking Data is Confidential Information in the meaning of section "Communication" of the General Developer Portal Terms of Use. Other than set forth below You must not reveal and/or provide third parties with the Tracking Data and/or analyze, modify such data in any form and/or derive data/information especially for competitive purposes from it without DHL eCommerce prior written consent.

Tracking Data is provided to You and/or the entity you are authorized to represent (hereinafter "You"/"Your") under the prerequisite, that You retrieved the according tracking number in compliance with the applicable law, especially in the field of data protection and competition law and that You use the Tracking Data solely for Your own or Your customers' legitimate tracking purposes.

You shall not combine Tracking Data with advertisement or present it in a way that it could be regarded as advertisement.

Unless otherwise agreed, You shall delete the Tracking Data 90 days after the delivery (of the shipment) to the recipient is completed. DHL eCommerce shall not be required to provide Tracking Data to You that is older than 90 days from the delivery date.

The use and submission of Tracking Data - including submission to any of Your subcontractors - shall always be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including - without limitation - data protection laws and competition/antitrust law.

If You are neither the shipper/sender nor the recipient of packages the Tracking Data refers to,

• You shall ensure, that you are duly authorized to act on behalf of the sender and/or the recipient;
• You shall make the sender and/or the recipient aware of the restrictions set out in this User Guide just as the General Developer Portal Terms of Use;
• You shall make the sender aware of the necessity to inform the recipient transparently about the processing of his/her personal data according to applicable data protection laws;
• You shall inform the sender and/or recipient transparently that the use of Your Application may result in the disclosure of data being subject to postal secrecy and data protection laws to third parties (including You).

Customs

Provided you booked the shipping products “Parcel Connect” or “Parcel International” or “Return International” You can send customs information and customs documents to DHL eCommerce via the API. Provided you booked the shipping product “Parcel International” you can also receive CN23 documents.

If you send customs information and customs documents you must ensure that all information and documents you transmit via the API is complete, correct and accurate. With the transmission of the information and documents you grant DHL eCommerce the right to use all the information and documents for customs clearance and all other related services you ordered with DHL eCommerce. This includes the use of the transferred data and documents, including your company letterhead, electronic signatures and other intellectual property transferred with it.