Duplicating an Automation Rule creates a copy of its triggers and actions instead of rebuilding it by hand. Any account can copy a rule within itself, and a 3PL account can copy a rule from one client to one or more other client accounts when the rule's contents are valid for every destination.
Before You Begin
Duplication copies rule configuration only. It does not copy products, connected carrier accounts, addresses, or credentials. Copying between clients requires a 3PL account and access to both the source and destination client accounts.
For an orientation to the 3PL Automation Rules experience, see Overview: Managing Automation Rules as a 3PL in ShipHero.
Table of Contents
- How to Duplicate an Automation Rule Within the Same Account
- How to Duplicate Automation Rules Between 3PL Clients
- Automation Rule Values Blocked During Cross-Client Duplication
- Automation Rule Values That Depend on the Destination Client
- Why a Cross-Client Automation Rule Duplication Was Rejected
How to Duplicate an Automation Rule Within the Same Account
Same-account duplication is available to every account type, including 3PL accounts, 3PL client accounts, and standard accounts. The copy stays in the account that already owns the rule, so none of the cross-client restrictions apply.
- Go to Orders > Automation Rules.
- Select the checkbox next to each rule you want to copy.
- In the Bulk Manage panel, select Duplicate.
- Confirm the action. The page reloads and shows a success message.
- Open the copy, review its triggers and actions, and make your changes.
- Activate the copy when you are ready for it to run.
ShipHero names the copy after the original rule with Copy added to the end, and creates it as inactive.
Important
Same-account copies are always inactive. If a duplicated rule is not firing on new orders, check that you activated it. This is the most common reason a copied rule appears to do nothing.
How to Duplicate Automation Rules Between 3PL Clients
Cross-client duplication copies a rule from one client account into other client accounts you manage. ShipHero validates every selected rule against every selected destination client before it creates a single copy.
- Go to Orders > Automation Rules from your 3PL account.
- Filter by client or search to find the rules you want to copy.
- Select the checkbox next to each rule.
- In the Bulk Manage panel, select the destination client or clients.
- Select Duplicate.
- Confirm that the success message appears.
- Open each copied rule and review its triggers, actions, client-specific values, and active status.
A cross-client copy keeps the source rule's name and keeps the source rule's active or inactive status. A copy of an active rule is active in the destination client and begins running on that client's new orders right away.
| Value type | How ShipHero handles it |
|---|---|
| Portable | Copied exactly as configured, because the value does not depend on client records. |
| Mappable | Matched to the equivalent record in the destination client. Duplication is blocked when no clear match exists. |
| Client-specific | Blocked, because the value belongs to the source client and should not be assumed to apply to another client. |
Automation Rule Values Blocked During Cross-Client Duplication
The values below are never copied between client accounts. A rule that contains any of them can still be duplicated inside its own account.
| Blocked value | Why it is blocked |
|---|---|
| Client-owned list in a condition | The contents of the list belong to the source client. |
| Change SKU | The replacement SKU belongs to the source client's catalog. |
| Email actions | Recipient addresses belong to the source client. |
| Callback and post message to URL actions | The destination URL and message belong to the source client. |
| Tax identity actions | Tax identifiers belong to the source client. |
| Sold-to address actions | Address data belongs to the source client. |
To use one of these rules in another client, recreate it manually in that client account.
Automation Rule Values That Depend on the Destination Client
These values are copied only when ShipHero can match or validate them against the destination client's configuration. Whether they work depends on how each destination client is set up, so the same rule may copy to one client and be rejected for another.
| Value | Requirement in the destination client |
|---|---|
| Vendor trigger or action | Exactly one vendor with the same name. Duplication is blocked when there is no match or more than one match. |
| Warehouse trigger or action | The warehouse must be available to the destination client. |
| Shopify location trigger | The Shopify location to warehouse mapping must be available to the destination client. |
| Fulfillment status trigger or action | The status must exist in the destination client with the same name. |
| Shipping box action | A box with the required name must be available to the destination client. |
| Warehouse profile action | The profile must be available to the destination client. |
| FTR exemption action | The referenced FTR exemption must still exist and be available. |
| Only run after MWA | The destination must support rules that run after Multi-Warehouse Allocation (MWA). |
| Shipping method action | The method must meet the requirements in the shipping method section below. |
Shipping Method Actions During Cross-Client Automation Rule Duplication
Shipping methods need extra checks because some methods work for any account while others belong to a specific connected carrier account. An account-specific method only copies when the source and destination client resolve to the same carrier account.
| Shipping method type | Cross-client behavior |
|---|---|
| Standard shipping method | Copied when the method is available to the destination client's carrier account. |
| Global Cheapest | Copied. No connected carrier is required. |
| Custom Cheapest or Cheapest Profile | Copied as a portable configuration. |
| Generic label with no account-specific method | Copied as a portable configuration. |
| Account-specific generic label, API webhook, Webshipper, or Sendcloud method | Copied only when the source and destination resolve to the same carrier account and the referenced method still exists. |
| Any other account-specific method | Blocked. |
SKU Actions During Cross-Client Automation Rule Duplication
Change SKU is blocked between clients because its replacement SKU belongs to the source client's catalog. The following SKU actions are copied between clients:
- Add a SKU
- Add X units of a SKU
- Add X units of a SKU for every Y units
- Delete all instances of a SKU
- Delete one unit of a SKU
- Remove X units of a SKU for every Y units
- Set Wildcard Replacement SKU
Important
ShipHero does not confirm that the SKUs in these actions exist in the destination client's catalog. Open every copied SKU rule and check that the SKUs are correct for that client before you let the rule run.
Why a Cross-Client Automation Rule Duplication Was Rejected
ShipHero validates all selected rules against all selected destination clients before creating anything. One incompatibility rejects the whole request, so no copies are created. The error names the first incompatible value it finds.
Common reasons a cross-client duplication is rejected:
- The rule uses a client-owned list.
- The rule contains Change SKU or another blocked action.
- A vendor cannot be matched to exactly one vendor with the same name in the destination client.
- A warehouse, Shopify location, fulfillment status, shipping box, or warehouse profile is not available to the destination client.
- An account-specific carrier method belongs to a different carrier account.
- The destination client does not support rules that run after MWA.
To move past a rejection, do one of the following:
- Remove the rule that contains the incompatible value from your selection and duplicate the rest.
- Remove the destination client that cannot support the rule and duplicate to the remaining clients.
- Add the missing record to the destination client, such as a matching vendor or shipping box, then duplicate again.
- Recreate the rule manually in the destination client account.
If a duplicated rule was created but is not running as expected, see Troubleshooting: Why Is My Automation Rule Not Working?