Routing Rules
Routing rules automatically assign shipping labels to the right printer – e.g. "DHL labels from warehouse A always go to the Zebra printer in warehouse A". They are based on the shipping provider, the label format and the location.
Opening the Page
- Via search: Print Routing Rules
- Via the Print Service Settings (action menu of the part → Navigate) → Routing Rules
Activation
The rules only take effect if the Routing Rules Enabled field is set in the Print Service Settings.
Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Priority | Evaluation order (1–9999, default 100). Lower values are evaluated first. Recommendation: steps of 10 so rules can be inserted later |
| Description | Optional description of the rule's purpose |
| Provider Code Filter | Shipping provider (e.g. DHL, DPD, GLS). Empty = all |
| Has Print Method Filter | If set, the rule only applies to labels in the format from Print Method Filter |
| Print Method Filter | PDF or ZPL. Visible and editable only when Has Print Method Filter is set |
| Location Code Filter | Location of the related sales order (for reports: location of the document, see Notes). Empty = all |
| Target Printer Code | Printer the label goes to when the rule matches (required) |
| Enabled | Whether the rule is active. New rules are enabled; disabled rules are skipped |
The order of the rules results solely from the Priority. To reorder them, change the priority.
Actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Printers | Opens the printer list |
How It Works
For every new shipping label that is printed automatically, the Print Service checks:
- The enabled rules are evaluated by Priority in ascending order.
- A rule matches if all filters that are set match the label (empty filters = "any").
- The target printer must qualify: enabled, same format as the label (a PDF label never goes to a ZPL printer) and status Online or Not checked yet. If it is Offline or Error and Fallback Enabled is set, a fallback printer is used (see Printers).
- If the printer of a matching rule does not qualify, the next matching rule is checked.
- If no rule applies, the Default Printer Code from the Print Service Settings is used – with the same checks.
- If no printer can be found at all, a failed print job with the reason is created.
New shipping label (DHL, ZPL, location WH-2), "Fallback Enabled" switched off
↓
Rule prio 10: DHL + WH-1 → ZPL-WH1 does not match (location)
↓
Rule prio 20: DHL + WH-2 → ZPL-WH2 matches, but printer is offline
↓
Rule prio 100: ZPL → ZPL-DEFAULT matches, printer online
↓
→ Print job goes to ZPL-DEFAULT
Example Configuration
| Priority | Provider | Location | Method | Target Printer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | DHL | WH-1 | ZPL | ZPL-WH1 | DHL labels in warehouse 1 on Zebra |
| 20 | DHL | WH-2 | ZPL | ZPL-WH2 | DHL labels in warehouse 2 on Zebra |
| 30 | DPD | PDF-SHIPPING | All DPD labels on PDF printer | ||
| 100 | ZPL | ZPL-DEFAULT | All other ZPL labels |
Notes
Specific rules first
Give specific rules (with multiple filters) low priority numbers and general catch-all rules high ones.
Shipping labels and reports
Routing rules apply to shipping labels during auto-print and to reports from print subscriptions that have no fixed printer or Use Routing Rules. For a report only rules without a shipping agent filter apply, and only PDF printers qualify. When printing manually, you choose the printer yourself.
Location for reports
For a report, the Location Code Filter is matched against the location of the document. That is the location from the document header; if the header has none, the one location all lines with a location share counts. If the lines have different locations, the document has none – then only rules without a Location Code Filter apply, otherwise the default printer. For warehouse shipments and transfer shipments, the header always counts.