How can I include product dimensions in my listings?

[MashaoR]

Greetings,

Is there a way to add a production's dimensions, e.g.
length, width, height?

Regards

[Anonymous]

Shopify doesn't have support for that. We use an app called boxify, it could be useful if they have the shipping integrations you need.

[Furnituremaker]

How is that even possible!?!?!  Every vendor has multiple products and multiple box sizes.  It would just be another field to enter the information under each product.   If you don't purchase an after market app is there a workaround so you can still use Shopify's shipping discounts since every carrier computes shipping rates that include box dimensions?

[TheGameSteward]

We agree with Furnituremaker.

We have Shopify Shipping Carriers setup in Shopify to send shipping costs directly to checkout.

How do Shopify Shipping Carriers look up the product's package dimensions? 

If Shopify has a common place (schema) to associate a product_id with a package_id then all Shopify Shipping Carriers setup in Shopify can API the correct dimensions in cart/checkout to get the correct shipping cost. 

If every Shopify App stores the package_id dimensions (associated to a given product) separately, how do Shopify Shipping Carriers look up the product's package dimensions? 

[MoondanceMagik]

A few days ago, I saw something when I opened Shopify that read NEW! or NEW FEATURE!  It was something that addresses this very problem. It was about adding dimensions to products so that we could EASILY figure accurate shipping costs so that our customers can pay accordingly by dimensions x weight x distance to travel for each carrier we use. I was so excited to see it, but now it is nowhere to be found now that I have time to actually work on it. Please guide me! 

[MoondanceMagik]

I have tiny objects that I ship that weigh ounces and only use a box that is 8x8x8" and I have very large items that need a box that is 24" and weight 6 or 8 pounds. Only choosing one default box size either makes the customer pay way too much for their shipping (if I choose the largest sized box we use) and therefore, I am losing sales, or if I choose the smallest box, I get ripped off on shipping charges. If I list on etsy, eBay, Bonanza or anywhere else, I don't have to worry about this issue. I hope I didn't dream this whole thing! But now I cannot figure out how to add dimensions to my products or populate lists for different sized boxes. Please help!

[PluginHive]

Hi,

As it is mentioned, Shopify only allows you to add product weight and not dimensions. If you would like to calculate the rates based on both product weight & dimensions, you will have to use an app like our Multi Carrier Shipping Label app. The app helps you add product weight & dimensions, and also integrate with multiple shipping carriers and calculate the shipping rates.

[netzerotools]

Interesting. So are you you saying the total shipping rate will be calculated with product dimensions?

[TheGameSteward]

Hi Netzerotools, total shipping rate will be calculated with out product dimensions.  May I ask where you say that "total shipping rate *will be* calculated with product dimensions?"  I searched the thread, but couldn't locate it and was told by Shopify that they currently don't support dimensions for their own shipping rates that work off of dimensions.  Much thanks!

[Furnituremaker]

Since all of the major shippers require weight AND dimensions to
accurately compute shipping costs, as best as I can tell,  this shipping
upgrade does nothing at all to fix the problem.  You will still need an
external app to do this properly.

[netzerotools]

I was actually asking the same question. It's disappointing that Shopify doesn't offer this to us. Hopefully that will change this 2023.

[Furnituremaker]

I would hope they would do the right thing and add that functionality but don't expect them to. It's my understanding that Shopify gets a percentage of the fee for each additional app used. By forcing you to use an additional shipping app that does this, it effectively Shopify raises the cost to users of its site while still allowing them to advertise low monthly fees.  Kind of like selling a car and making a steering wheel and brakes extra. Simply put, it's not in their interest to fix this.

[TelescopesCan]

Agreed, we use Boxify and it helps solve this for us to give us correct rates for customers, but now as of September 2022 Google requires shipping information for Google Shopping and tries to post shipping costs for customers to see in Google Shopping, we're left out in the cold because we don't have dimensions to be able to provide accurate shipping rates.  Google US will use carrier calculated rates, but not in Canada.  This is really hurting us as we no longer appear in search results.  Google's solution to this so far is "make up a number".

[DavidNZSSI]

I know it's not always ideal to bring on another solution, but Starshipit supports this through the Product Catalogue feature. You can add dimensions (as well as other details like HS codes, etc). Just a suggestion in any case!

[rbortner]

Since posting this many months ago, I have implemented Boxify. It took a
little getting used to but has provided customers with fairly accurate
shipping quotes. Also, it's another step to have to go through to manually
add the dimensions for any new listing through the Boxify app. It isn't that
much more work than to have to remember to manually add a new product to a
Shopify custom shipping rate.

[DavidNZSSI]

Good to hear you've found a solution. Do you find they cover all the carriers you need?

[rbortner]

Yes it does. We don't use any unusual shippers though.

[DrOdin]

There is no option right now. If you get any solution do let us know

[joel-vl]

You can use Metafields to add custom variables such as width or length to the product definition.

Go to Settings > Metafields > Products > Add definition 

You need to add a metafield for each dimension (width, length, etc.)

[TheGameSteward]

Hi Joel,

Sadly, the posted issue of using Shopify Metafields for product dimensions is that Shopify Metafields work with neither Shopify Labelling or Shopify Checkout Shipping Pricing.  That is to say adding metafield-dimensions in Shopify aren’t accessible or used by Shopify Shipping Label creation for shipping services that use dimensional-weight (LxWxD / 166).  Same problem for shipping pricing in Shopify Checkout.

For more details, please see our post on this same thread and thanks.

[caron23]

Have you found a solution about this?

[TheGameSteward]

No, everyone should contact Shopify support and ask about Shopify adding dimensions to Shopify's native shipping and Shopify's order label pricing.  The issue is that Shopify doesn't know what merchants want if they don't call in and ask for it in large numbers.

[Rx7Parts_com]

Was really excited, then let down, I ship car parts. I have been having a handful of issues (im still a new store) with large boxes. For instance a door panel and the shipping pricing being billed different from what I come up with on my final tally.. WHY am I entering the dimensions to ship my items after the customer has already paid a 'calculated shipping cost' based off a calculation that doesnt have all the variables? I dont understand why this option (That could remain optional for many) is so difficult to add. 

[Furnituremaker]

It would be very easy to add. I could be wrong about this but I assume that Shopify gets a cut of any aftermarket apps you buy through their App Store. There are aftermarket apps that will make these calculations for you. But there is a monthly fee. The effect then is to significantly increase the actual annual cost of your Shopify store but leaves Shopify able to still advertise a relatively low monthly fee. Please somebody in an official capacity jump in here and tell me I’m wrong.

[Rx7Parts_com]

Trying to sort through the options now, as I import all my products via a
google sheet setup I built, now i'm trying to find something that I can
modify my setup to just import my product dimensions into, I have 500
products and adding around 40 a day. Maybe shopify isnt the correct product
for me, just trying to do my best with what I have 🙂

[TheGameSteward]

To my knowledge Rx7Parts, there is currently no way to enter dimensions into Shopify so that Shopify shipping will utilize the dimensions for Shopify Shipping rates that require dimensions.  This is the change, that if you want to see it in Shopify, suggest you call support and let Shopify know.  Otherwise, they have no idea that any of their merchant customers want this enhancement made to Shopify.

[Velmzee]

We have lost so much money because of this very situation, If we ship something large but not heavy, we generally are stuck paying an additional $10-$15. It's maddening. I've moved several of my items over to ebay which calculates within the item description, it would be nice to have a fully functional platform that can see the process through. 

[YOD_Solutions]

It is unfortunate that product dimensions are not taken into account for Shopify shipping. One possible work around is to define a cubic weight, Cubic weight = H x W x L x 250  (where the dimensions are in meters) and compare it to the actual weight of the item in kilograms, and save the larger of the two for Shopify shipping calculation. This is how carriers use the dimension information to calculate rates. For example, if the cubic weight of the item is: (H) 0.8m x (W) 0.5m x (L) 0.15m x 250 = 15kg, and the actual weight is: 5kg, you will take the larger (which is 15 kg) and save it as your product weight. This way you have more accurate rates from Shopify.

Alternatively, if you have CCS activated on your store, our app JsRates can easily utilize the dimension information saved on metafields.  Knowledge of JavaScript is essential to effectively utilize JsRates. If you are not familiar with JsRates, we can assist you in setting up your rates.

[TheGameSteward]

Hi Joel-VI,

We agree with Furnituremaker response as well.  This suggestion does not address the issue in a meaningful way, that is it does not provide a working solution.  To be clear, yes, we can place any data we like into Metafields. Does any of that data, however, tie into Shopify Shipping so that is applied to the Shopify Shipping bought labels that use dimensions in their rates? 

The answer to date from online materials and Shopify Support is "no, Metafields do not do that"  Hence your suggestion would appear meaningfully moot to this issue. 

If there's perhaps a new Shopify Shipping feature you know that you know of that causes Shopify Shipping Labels to utilize a Metafields named for a product dimensions, that would be a welcome solution and we urge you to please share that.  

We look forward to your response Joel-VI and thanks for all your hard work.

[Janit_Calvo]

Throwing my name onto this thread to request "PRODUCT-SIZE-BASED SHIPPING." 

It just makes sense. 

And I should NOT have to upgrade and pay thousands of dollars for the "mid-tier plan" on Shopify in order to implement this. 

This is not new either: My old Quick Shopping Cart from GoDaddy had sized based shipping since at least 2006, when I started my first ecommerce website. Their program would even tell you HOW it packed the boxes so you can see HOW it calculated the shipping. No complaints. No lost sales. No unhappy customers. Maybe I shouldn't have switched to Shopify after all. Ugh. 

[rbortner]

This is incredible important and it boggles the mind that a product that is supposed to support online businesses doesn't have. We just lost our entre profit on the sale of an item because I thought by adding the item to a shipping profile I called Large Packages, it would charge approximately the correct amount. The system charged the customer about 1/2 the correct amount. The profit margin we had on that product was slim and so this wiped out any profit. Even the most basic marketplace platform provides the ability to enter shipping dimensions! 

[Velmzee]

We are fighting the exact same issue and have moved several of our items over to ebay and off of Shopify for that reason. It's frustrating.

[TheGameSteward]

We agree. For a professional online store service provider with its own contracted volumetric shipping rates, there can be little doubt Shopify should have closed this feature-gap years ago with Shopify native capabilities.

It appears clear that to close this feature-gap Shopify needs to

1. Add Shopify Product Dimension fields to Shopify Products.
2. Employ user setup options for calculating the shipping dimensions for an entire Shopify Order based on the Shopify Product Dimensions of the products in the Shopify Order.
3. Employ their new Shopify Product Dimensions fields to determine the cost of Shopify Shipping in Shopify Checkout where Shopify contracted shipping services (UPS, USPS, DHL, etc), use product Dimensions for volumetric shipping rates based on the calculation.
4. Finally, Shopify should also include options to bypass steps 1, 2, and 3 (above) if a Shopify customer wants to use a third party application features instead.

Shopify Team, any response on this?

[CCSoleil]

This is such an important feature. With this high views number, sadly still not happening....

[dustindsmith]

As of February 25, 2024, this still appears NOT to be fixed. If anyone has found a solution that is not in the form of an additional app, please share. Thank you!

[masterlau]

Ready for my Hack ?

Shopify sends each unique product to the 3rd party gateway with a SKU code .. my SKU is not formatted as such - {unique identifier}-{LLWWHHWW} see below and what I can in my nodejs gateway is pickup the SKU and split the string on the "-" delimiter and subsequently split the resulting string into 2 digit Length width height and weight values ... 

Items: [ {"name":"Pot Still Irish Vodka - 1","sku":"123467-08083102","quantity":1,"grams":2000,"price"..... 

Boom