Linnworks and DHL for trade orders that need checking first
Linnworks already ships with DHL for standard web orders. We build for the trade orders it wasn’t set up for: emailed POs, account terms and checks before anything is booked.
- Linnworks
- DHL Parcel UK
- DHL Express
- Microsoft 365
Linnworks already connects to a range of carriers natively, DHL among them, and for consumer web orders going out as a standard parcel that connection is usually the right tool. We would not suggest replacing it for that. Trade orders are a different story: they arrive as emailed PDFs and spreadsheets, carry account prices and agreed delivery charges, and often need someone to check them before stock is committed or a courier is booked.
Zestcode Automation builds bespoke platforms that capture trade orders, check them against Linnworks, create them in Linnworks once approved and then get them booked with DHL, either through Linnworks’ own DHL setup or directly, depending on which fits your rules. The platform is yours to keep once it is live.
When the built-in Linnworks DHL connection is enough
If your orders come in through marketplaces and your web shop, are paid at checkout and go out on a standard DHL service chosen by weight, Linnworks’ native shipping integration and rules engine will usually cover it. Adding a bespoke layer on top would cost money and solve nothing. It is also worth checking that your Linnworks setup includes the DHL service you actually use, because DHL Parcel UK and DHL Express are separate businesses with separate accounts.
Signs your trade orders have outgrown it
- POs arrive by email as PDFs, Excel files or a few lines of text, and someone keys them into Linnworks.
- Trade customers have agreed prices, and you want a warning when a PO price doesn’t match yours.
- Delivery charges are agreed per customer, so a higher DHL cost needs a decision before invoicing.
- Some orders should never be booked until a person has looked, such as high-value or first-time customers.
- You mix DHL with a pallet network or another courier depending on what the warehouse packs.
Checks that run before a DHL booking
For each trade order, the platform runs through a sequence of checks before DHL is involved:
- Read. The email and every attachment are read together by AI, with each field scored out of 10. Anything under 7 is flagged, and missing details are left blank.
- Match. The customer is matched to their Linnworks record and the PO number is checked against previous orders to catch duplicates.
- Line checks. Each product code, price and stock level is compared with Linnworks.
- Approval. A person approves the order in the review queue, with the original email to hand.
- Delivery price. After packing, the DHL price is compared with the delivery charge on the PO, and any difference is held for the office.
- Booking. Only then is the consignment booked and the label printed.
The order review stage covers steps 2 to 4 in more depth.
Two ways to divide the work with Linnworks
Option A, Linnworks books DHL. The platform handles capture, review and creating the order in Linnworks. From there, Linnworks’ own DHL connection and rules take over. This suits businesses happy with their native shipping setup that only need trade orders to arrive clean.
Option B, the platform books DHL. The warehouse picks and packs on rugged Android devices, the platform prices and books with DHL through its API where your account has access, prints the 4x6 label and ship note, and writes tracking back to the Linnworks order. This suits teams that need the price hold, mixed carriers or rules their Linnworks setup can’t express.
What Option A and Option B cost
Option A is an order automation build, typically £8k–£12k ex VAT and around six weeks. Option B adds the warehouse and shipping phase, bringing the total to typically £20k–£30k over roughly 14 weeks. Either way, the quote is fixed after a free written specification and stays valid for 90 days.
Hosting is around $25 a month and AI order reading costs 2p–5p per order. The platform lives in hosting accounts registered to your company, with no seat licences, and we only maintain it if you want us to.
If trade orders are the awkward part of your Linnworks setup, book a discovery call and bring some real examples.
Common questions
Straight answers to what people ask us about this before a call.
Does this replace Linnworks?
No. Linnworks remains where your orders, stock and channel listings live. The platform handles the parts Linnworks isn’t built around for trade customers, such as reading emailed POs and approving them against your rules, and then creates the order in Linnworks through its API. Your web channels carry on unchanged.
Will this clash with our Linnworks rules engine?
It shouldn’t, provided the boundary is clear. If trade orders are created in Linnworks and Linnworks books DHL, your existing rules still apply to them. If the platform books DHL itself, those orders are excluded from the Linnworks shipping rules so nothing is booked twice. We map this out during the specification.
Which DHL service does this work with?
DHL Parcel UK for domestic deliveries and DHL Express for international ones are separate services with separate accounts. Whichever you hold, the integration route is confirmed during the specification, including whether Linnworks’ own connection already covers it for your account or a direct API connection is needed.
What do you need from our Linnworks account?
API access, a list of the channels and order sources you use, and examples of how trade orders are entered today. If the platform is booking DHL directly, we also need your DHL account details with API access enabled, your rate cards and your ship note layout.
Can web orders from Linnworks be approved automatically?
They can, but automatic approval stays off until you ask for it. A common setup is to auto-approve paid web orders while every emailed trade order waits for a person. The rules can be as narrow as you like, such as one channel, under a set value, from known customers only.