shippo-mcp 0.1.1

An unofficial MCP server for Shippo shipping API integration

Shippo MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with the Shippo shipping API to provide shipping functionality through an AI assistant. This server enables you to validate addresses, get shipping rates, create shipments, generate shipping labels, track packages, manage carrier accounts, and handle refunds.

Features

• Address Validation: Validate shipping addresses using Shippo's address validation service
• Shipping Rates: Get real-time shipping rates from multiple carriers
• Shipment Management: Create, list, and retrieve detailed shipment information
• Label Creation: Generate shipping labels for packages
• Transaction Management: List and manage shipping label transactions
• Refund Processing: Create and track refunds for shipping labels
• Package Tracking: Track packages using tracking numbers
• Carrier Management: List and manage configured carrier accounts

Prerequisites

1. Homebrew (macOS/Linux): Install from brew.sh

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
   

2. uv (Python package manager): Install via Homebrew

   brew install uv
   

3. Python 3.13+: This project requires Python 3.13 or higher (uv will handle this)

4. Shippo Account: Sign up for a free Shippo account

5. API Key: Generate an API Token from your Shippo dashboard

Installation

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Install dependencies using uv:

   uv install
   

Configuration

The server gets the Shippo API key from environment variables. You can set it either:

1. Via MCP client configuration (recommended for production)
2. Via command line for testing:

   export SHIPPO_API_KEY=shippo_test_your_api_key_here
   

Note: Use a test API key (starts with shippo_test_) for development and testing. Only use live API keys for production.

Usage

Starting the Server

For Development with MCP Inspector

export SHIPPO_API_KEY=shippo_test_your_api_key_here && uv run mcp dev server.py

For Streamable HTTP (Inspector Compatible)

export SHIPPO_API_KEY=shippo_test_your_api_key_here && uv run server.py```
The server will be available at: http://127.0.0.1:8000/mcp


### MCP Client Configuration

#### Claude Desktop Configuration

Add this configuration to your Claude Desktop config file (usually located at `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` on macOS):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shippo": {
      "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/uv",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--with",
        "mcp[cli],shippo",
        "mcp",
        "run",
        "/path/to/server.py"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SHIPPO_API_KEY": "shippo_test_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

Address & Validation

1. validate_address

Validate a shipping address to ensure it's deliverable.

Parameters:

• name (required): Recipient name
• street1 (required): Primary street address
• city (required): City name
• state (required): State/province code
• zip_code (required): ZIP/postal code
• country (optional): Country code (default: "US")
• street2 (optional): Secondary address line
• company (optional): Company name
• phone (optional): Phone number
• email (optional): Email address

Rates & Shipping

2. get_shipping_rates

Get shipping rates for a package between two addresses.

Parameters:

• from_name through from_zip: Sender address details
• to_name through to_zip: Recipient address details
• length, width, height: Package dimensions
• weight: Package weight
• from_country, to_country (optional): Country codes (default: "US")
• distance_unit (optional): "in" or "cm" (default: "in")
• mass_unit (optional): "lb" or "kg" (default: "lb")

3. create_shipment

Create a shipment and get basic information about available rates.

Parameters: Same as get_shipping_rates

4. list_shipments

List all shipments for the account with summary information.

Parameters: None

5. get_shipment

Get detailed information about a specific shipment, including all available rates.

Parameters:

• shipment_id (required): The ID of the shipment to retrieve

Labels & Transactions

6. create_shipping_label

Create a shipping label from a rate ID.

Parameters:

• rate_id (required): The ID of the rate to purchase (obtained from get_shipping_rates or get_shipment)

7. list_transactions

List all shipping label transactions to find transaction IDs for refunds.

Parameters: None

Refunds

8. create_refund

Create a refund for a shipping label transaction.

Parameters:

• transaction_id (required): The ID of the transaction to refund (obtained from list_transactions)

9. list_refunds

List all refunds for the account with detailed status information and visual indicators.

Parameters: None

10. get_refund

Get comprehensive details of a specific refund including status, dates, and transaction info.

Parameters:

• refund_id (required): The ID of the refund to retrieve

Tracking & Management

11. track_package

Track a package using its tracking number.

Parameters:

• tracking_number (required): The tracking number
• carrier (required): Carrier name (e.g., "usps", "ups", "fedex")

12. list_carrier_accounts

List all configured carrier accounts in your Shippo account.

Parameters: None

Example Workflows

1. Getting Shipping Quotes

1. Use `validate_address` for both sender and recipient addresses
2. Confirm package dimensions and weight with user
3. Use `get_shipping_rates` to get all available options
4. Present rates clearly to user for selection

2. Complete Shipping Process

1. Validate sender and recipient addresses
2. Confirm package dimensions and weight
3. Use `get_shipping_rates` to get available options
4. Present rates and ask user to select preferred option
5. Use `create_shipping_label` with chosen rate_id
6. Provide label URL and tracking information to user

3. Managing Existing Shipments

1. Use `list_shipments` to see all shipments and their IDs
2. Use `get_shipment` with specific shipment ID for detailed info
3. Use rate IDs from `get_shipment` to create labels with `create_shipping_label`

4. Refund Management

1. Use `list_transactions` to find the transaction ID for a purchased label
2. Use `create_refund` with the transaction ID to request a refund
3. Use `list_refunds` to see all refunds with status indicators
4. Use `get_refund` for detailed status and explanations

5. Package Tracking

1. Get tracking number from shipping label creation
2. Use `track_package` with tracking number and carrier
3. Monitor delivery status and history

Supported Carriers

Shippo supports many carriers including:

• USPS
• UPS
• FedEx
• DHL
• Canada Post
• Australia Post
• And many more regional carriers

The available carriers depend on your Shippo account configuration and carrier accounts you've set up.

Development

Project Structure

shippo-mcp/
├── server.py          # Main MCP server implementation
├── pyproject.toml     # Python dependencies and project config
└── readme.md          # This file

Testing

To test individual tools:

1. Start the server
2. Use an MCP client or test the functions directly
3. Use Shippo's test API keys to avoid charges

Error Handling

The server includes comprehensive error handling for:

• Missing API keys
• Invalid addresses
• Network issues
• Shippo API errors
• Invalid parameters

Security Notes

• Never commit your actual API keys to version control
• Use test API keys for development
• Live API keys will charge real money for label purchases
• Store API keys securely in production environments

API Rate Limits

Shippo has rate limits on their API. The server handles basic error cases, but for high-volume usage, consider implementing additional rate limiting or retry logic.

Support

• Shippo Documentation
• Shippo API Reference
• MCP Protocol Documentation

License

This project is open source. See the license terms in your repository for details.