Main help

Note:
This documentation assumes that you already know how WooCommerce Shipping Zones works, if not, please read this article first: Setting up Shipping Zones

Briefly, in a nutshell

Fish and Ships is a plugin to calculate shipping costs easily and flexibly for stores that run under WooCommerce.

Rule based, they are analyzed consecutively, from up to down.

Each rule is divided into three sections: Selection Conditions, Shipping Costs, and Special Actions. If the selection conditions are met, the costs of the selection will be applied and the special actions, if any, will be triggered.

Whether a rule applies or not, the following rules will be analyzed:

Rules order execution

A simple example

Let's imagine a clothing store. We want to set the shipping costs based on the overall weight and volume of the cart. These are the conditions for the calculations:

Maximum weight: Maximum volume: Cost
#1 Up to 1 lb Any volume $5
#2 1 lb or more Up to 30 in3 $10
#3 1 lb or more Between 30 and 100 in3 $15
#4 Any weight More than 100 in3 $30. This carrier becomes too expensive, and we don't want to offer this shipping method.

Each exposed condition can be transformed into a rule. Rules #2 and #3 need two conditions: one for weight and another one for volume (note that they have a WHERE and an AND):

Rules for the clothes shop

Let's imagine the next shopping cart:

Product Quantity Weight Volume Total weight: Total volume:
Shirt 2 0.2 lbs 6 in3 0.8 lbs 22 in3
Trousers10.4 lbs10 in3

Weighing less than 1 lb, only the rule #1 meets:

Product Total weight: Total volume: Rule #1 Rule #2 Rule #3 Rule #4
Shirt 0.8 lbs 22 in3 max. 1 lbs:
min. 1 lbs:

max. 30 in3:
min. 1 lbs:

min. 30.01 in3:
min. 100 in3

Trousers
Shipping Costs: $5 (not applicable) (not applicable) (not applicable)

Total cost: $5

Let's add a second pants

Product Quantity Weight Volume Total weight: Total volume:
Shirt 2 0.2 lbs 6 in3 1.2 lbs 32 in3
Trousers20.4 lbs10 in3

The new weight prevents meet Rule #1, and the new volume, prevents meet Rule #2:

Product Total weight: Total volume: Rule #1 Rule #2 Rule #3 Rule #4
Shirt 1.2 lbs 32 in3 max. 1 lbs:
min. 1 lbs:

max. 30 in3:
min. 1 lbs:

min. 3 in3:
min. 100 in3:

Trousers
Shipping Costs: (not applicable) (not applicable) $15 (not applicable)

Total cost: $15

Let's add a bulky product

Product Quantity Weight Volume Total weight: Total volume:
Shirt 2 0.2 lbs 6 in3 4.2 lbs 112 in3
Trousers20.4 lbs10 in3
Coat13 lbs80 in3

The new volume, will make rule #4 fulfill:

Product Total weight: Total volume: Rule #1 Rule #2 Rule #3 Rule #4
Shirt 4.2 lbs 112 in3 max. 1 lbs:
min. 1 lbs:

max. 30 in3:
min. 1 lbs:

min. 30 in3:
min. 100 in3:

Trousers
Coat
Shipping Costs: (not applicable) (not applicable) $15 [ABORT]

Despite Rule #3 still being fulfilled, Rule #4 take the Special Action Abort shipping method, voiding any other rules. This shipping method will not be offered to the customer.

So far... easy?

We hope yes ... at wp-centrics we have been working hard to develop a simple yet powerful tool ... Maybe it not seem enough yet ... please read the next section about selection methods, to start seeing its full potential:

Selection conditions