Getting Started
This guide covers the initial setup of ECShip and ECPrintNode for Business Central.
Prerequisites
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central online (SaaS)
- An nShift (Unifaun) account with API access
- A PrintNode account (optional — required only for direct label/document printing)
1. Install the App
Install ECShip from Microsoft AppSource. The companion app ECPrintNode is installed automatically as a dependency.
After installation, assign the appropriate permission sets to users:
| Permission Set | Assign To |
|---|---|
FMD ECSHIP-ADMIN |
Users who create and manage shipping documents |
FMD ECPRINTNODE-ADMIN |
Users who need to configure or use PrintNode printing |
2. Create nShift API Keys
ECShip connects to nShift through their REST API. You need to create API keys in nShift Online (Unifaun Online).
- Sign in to unifaunonline.com with your customer credentials
- Navigate to Maintenance → API Keys
- Choose New API-key (if no key exists)
- Select the API key type
- Choose Finish to create the key
- Copy the ID and Secret — you will need these for ECShip Setup
Important: Store the API Secret securely. It is only shown once during creation.
3. Configure ECShip Setup
Search for ECShip Setup in Business Central to open the main configuration page.
API Connection
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| UF API Key ID | The API Key ID from nShift (step 2) |
| UF API Secret Key | The API Secret from nShift (step 2) |
| Unifaun Customer Account | Your nShift customer account number |
| Unifaun Sender Quick-Id | Sender identifier configured in nShift |
General Settings
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Shipment Nos. | Number series for shipping documents |
| Enabled | Master switch — enables or disables the ECShip integration |
| Use Test Flag | When enabled, shipments are sent to nShift but not forwarded to the carrier. Useful for testing. |
| Debug Mode | Enables additional diagnostic information for troubleshooting |
| Auto Create On Posted Shipment | Automatically creates an ECShip document when a warehouse shipment is posted |
| Auto Create Location Filter | Limits auto-creation to specific locations. Use pipe (\|) to separate multiple location codes, e.g. BLUE\|RED |
Default Values
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Default Content Description | Default text for parcel content descriptions |
| Default Shipm. Content Descr. | Default goods description sent to the carrier |
| Default Receiver Ref. Source | Which field to use as receiver reference: External Document No. or Your Reference |
| Shipment Date Source | How to determine shipment date: Source Doc. Shipment Date or Work Date |
| Default Pickup Time From / To | Default pickup time window |
Sender Settings
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Use Location As Sender | Uses the Business Central location address as the sender address instead of company information |
Printer Settings
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Default Doc. Printer | Default PrintNode printer for shipping documents (waybills) |
| Default Label Printer | Default PrintNode printer for shipping labels |
See Printing for detailed printer configuration.
4. Download Carrier Data from nShift
After configuring the API connection, download the carrier metadata from nShift:
- Open ECShip Setup
- Choose the Create Base Setup action
- The system downloads all available carriers, services, addons, and package codes from your nShift account
This also verifies that the API connection is working correctly. If the download fails, check your API Key ID and Secret.
The download populates the following pages:
- ECShip Carriers — available carriers
- ECShip Carrier Services — services per carrier
- ECShip Carrier Service Addons — addon services (e.g., notifications, cash on delivery)
- ECShip Package Codes — available package types
See Carrier Setup for how to configure carriers after download.
5. Set Up PrintNode (Optional)
PrintNode enables direct printing of labels and documents to local or network printers from Business Central online. If you do not need direct printing, you can skip this step and use manual PDF downloads instead.
Create a PrintNode Account
- Sign up at app.printnode.com — registration is free
- Generate an API Key in your PrintNode account settings
Install the PrintNode Client
- Download the PrintNode client from printnode.com/en/download
- Install it on the computer or print server that has access to the printers you want to use
- The client runs as a background service and makes local printers available through the PrintNode API
Configure PrintNode in Business Central
- Search for ECPrintNode Setup in Business Central
- Enter your PrintNode API Key
- Set PrintNode Enabled to on
- Choose Test PrintNode Connection to verify connectivity — this also fetches your account information
- Choose Show Printers to import all available printers from PrintNode
After importing printers, configure default printers in ECShip Setup (see Printing).
6. Verify the Setup
After completing the configuration:
- API connection — Run Create Base Setup in ECShip Setup. If carriers are downloaded, the nShift API connection works.
- PrintNode connection — Run Test PrintNode Connection in ECPrintNode Setup. If account info appears, the PrintNode connection works.
- Test shipment — Enable Use Test Flag in ECShip Setup, create a shipment from a Sales Order, and send it. The shipment is processed by nShift but not forwarded to the carrier.
Next Steps
- Carrier Setup — Configure carriers, services, account numbers, and package codes
- Shipment Workflow — Learn how to create and send shipments
- Printing — Configure printers for labels and documents