Guide

Adding a Product

1. Go to Manage tab in your dashboard
2. Click "+ Add New Product"
3. Fill in product details:
   • Name: Product title (e.g., "Classic Cotton T-Shirt")
   • Base Price: Starting price (can be adjusted per variant)
   • Description: Product details, features, materials
   • Images: Upload product photos (first image is the main photo)
4. Click "Save Product"

Managing Variants (Colors, Sizes, SKUs)

Variants let you sell the same product in different colors, sizes, materials, etc. Each variant has its own:

• SKU: Unique identifier (e.g., "TSHIRT-BLUE-M")
• Attributes: Color, size, material (you choose what fields to use)
• Stock: Inventory quantity for this specific variant
• Price Offset: Price difference from base (+$5 for XL, etc.)
• Images: Optional variant-specific photos

Drag-and-Drop Reordering

• Products: Drag to reorder how products appear on your shop page
• Variants: Drag to reorder variants—the first variant's image becomes the main product image

Inventory Management

Stock is tracked at the variant level. When a customer purchases:

• Inventory automatically decreases for that specific variant
• If stock reaches 0, that variant becomes unavailable
• You can manually adjust stock from the Manage page

Search Inventory: Use the search bar on the Manage page to find products by name, color, size, brand, or stock status.

What is ShipEngine?

ShipEngine lets you:

• Get real-time shipping rate quotes from USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL
• Print shipping labels directly from your Orders page
• Add tracking numbers automatically
• Pay wholesale carrier rates (cheaper than retail)

Connecting ShipEngine

Printing Shipping Labels

1. Go to Measure → Orders
2. Click on an order
3. In the order modal, click "Get Shipping Rates"
4. Review rates from different carriers and services
5. Select the rate you want
6. Click "Buy Label"
7. Label PDF will download automatically
8. Tracking number is automatically added to the order
9. Customer receives shipping notification email

ShipEngine Billing

ShipEngine uses pass-through pricing:

• You pay wholesale carrier rates directly to ShipEngine
• No markup from AdaptiveShop
• Charges appear on your ShipEngine account
• You can add a credit card in your ShipEngine dashboard

What is Print-on-Demand?

Print-on-Demand means products are only manufactured when a customer orders them. You don't hold inventory—the POD provider prints, packs, and ships directly to your customer.

Benefits:

• No upfront inventory costs
• No warehousing or storage
• Automatic fulfillment—hands-free after order is placed
• Offer hundreds of products without holding stock

Supported POD Providers

AdaptiveShop integrates with:

• Printful - Largest selection, USA & global fulfillment
• Printify - Budget-friendly, multiple print partners
• Gelato - Global network, eco-friendly
• Prodigi - Premium quality, sustainable
• FourthWall - Creator-focused, merchandise

Connecting a POD Provider

How POD Auto-Fulfillment Works

1. Customer places order on your AdaptiveShop store
2. Order is automatically sent to your connected POD provider
3. POD provider manufactures the product (usually 2-5 business days)
4. POD provider ships directly to customer
5. Tracking number is automatically added to the order in AdaptiveShop
6. Customer receives shipping notification email

POD Pricing & Costs

You pay the POD provider for:

• Base Cost: Manufacturing cost per item (e.g., $10 for a t-shirt)
• Printing/Design Fees: Usually included in base cost
• Shipping: Cost to ship to customer

Your Profit = (Your Sale Price) - (POD Base Cost + Shipping)

Example: You sell a t-shirt for $30. Printful charges $12 (base) + $5 (shipping) = $17. Your profit = $30 - $17 = $13.

POD Production Times

Typical production + shipping times:

• Production: 2-7 business days (varies by product and provider)
• Shipping: 3-10 business days (standard), 1-3 days (express)
• Total: 5-17 business days for most orders

Set customer expectations by displaying production times on your product pages or in your shipping policy.

POD Best Practices

• Use High-Resolution Designs: Minimum 150 DPI, 300 DPI preferred
• Check Mockups: POD providers show mockups—review before going live
• Be Transparent: Let customers know items are made-to-order (reduces returns)
• Set Realistic Shipping Times: Underpromise and overdeliver
• Monitor Provider Performance: Check fulfillment times and quality regularly

Viewing Orders

Go to Measure → Orders to see all orders. You can:

• Search: By order ID, customer name, or email
• Filter: By fulfillment status (unfulfilled, processing, shipped, delivered)
• Export: Download orders as CSV for accounting
• Click Order: View full order details (items, customer info, shipping address)

Fulfilling Orders

For Manual Fulfillment (not POD):

1. Click on the order
2. Review items, quantity, and shipping address
3. Pack the order
4. If using ShipEngine:
   • Click "Get Shipping Rates"
   • Select a rate and buy label
   • Tracking number is automatically added
5. If using your own shipping:
   • Click "Mark as Shipped"
   • Enter tracking number and carrier
6. Customer receives shipping notification email

Fulfillment Statuses

• Unfulfilled: New order, needs to be processed
• Processing: You're working on it (packing, preparing to ship)
• Shipped: Package is in transit, tracking number added
• Delivered: Customer received the package

Handling Returns & Refunds

When a customer requests a return:

1. Go to the order in Measure → Orders
2. Click "Issue Refund"
3. Select Full Refund or Partial Refund
4. Enter refund amount if partial
5. Click "Process Refund"
6. Refund is processed through Stripe (appears in customer's account in 5-10 business days)