Push orders to fulfilment.
When Shopify creates an order, Pocketknife prepares the data the fulfilment system needs.
- Customer and delivery address.
- Line items, quantities and SKU codes.
- Shipping method and routing context.
3PL integration
Keep Shopify and your 3PL working from the same fulfilment data.
Pocketknife connects Shopify Plus to 3PL, WMS, carrier and fulfilment systems so orders can be pushed out, routed to the right warehouse, stocked by location and updated with tracking.
Orders outSend fulfilment-ready orders to the 3PL.
RoutingChoose the warehouse using stock and rules.
Inventory inUpdate Shopify stock by fulfilment location.
Status backReturn carrier, tracking and shipped status.
What gets connected
Keep fulfilment data accurate across every order.
Orders, inventory, locations and tracking move seamlessly between Shopify and your 3PL. Pocketknife keeps fulfilment data accurate and up to date, so your team can rely on the information without manual checks or spreadsheets.
Decide the right warehouse.
Orders can be assigned to a fulfilment location using stock, destination and business rules.
- Postcode and region routing.
- Fallback when a warehouse has no stock.
- Special handling for bulky or pickup orders.
Sync stock by location.
3PL stock can feed Shopify inventory levels so sellable stock reflects the warehouse network.
- SKU and warehouse quantities.
- Active locations only.
- Stock activation and correction.
Make Shopify location-aware.
3PL warehouses can become Shopify locations, giving checkout and rates the right source of fulfilment.
- Warehouse names and addresses.
- Shopify location IDs.
- Rate and checkout context.
Routing logic
Every order, sent to the right place.
The important part is not just sending orders to a 3PL. It is sending each order to the correct 3PL warehouse, with enough context for fulfilment, rates and stock to stay aligned.
Sydney 3PL receives the order.
The customer is in Sydney and every line is available at SYD-3PL, so the order routes to the closest warehouse and Shopify uses that location for fulfilment context.
Rule 1Postcode 2000
Rule 2All lines in stock
Rule 3Standard shipping
System responsibilities
Purpose-built responsibilities
Shopify drives commerce. Your 3PL handles fulfilment. Pocketknife connects both systems, ensuring orders, inventory and tracking stay aligned from purchase to delivery.
Data
Shopify
Pocketknife
3PL / ERP
Orders
Captures checkout and order details.
Adds routing and system context.
Receives the fulfilment-ready order.
Inventory
Displays sellable stock by location.
Maps SKU, warehouse and Shopify location IDs.
Provides stock on hand and available stock.
Locations
Uses locations for inventory and rates.
Creates or updates locations from warehouse data.
Owns warehouse names, addresses and codes.
Fulfilment
Shows carrier, tracking and shipment status.
Matches fulfilment updates to the order.
Ships the order and returns tracking data.
3PL integration FAQ
What to know before connecting Shopify to a 3PL.
Answers for Shopify Plus teams connecting 3PL, WMS, ERP, carrier and fulfilment systems across stacks like Pronto Xi, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Apparel21, ASW, Exact and Oracle E-Business Suite.
Can Shopify orders be pushed straight to our 3PL?
Yes. Pocketknife can send a fulfilment-ready order payload to the connected 3PL or WMS with customer, delivery, line item and routing context attached.
Can orders be routed to the correct warehouse automatically?
Yes. Orders can be routed using stock availability, destination postcode, shipping method, customer account, pickup location or forced warehouse rules.
Can inventory be pulled from the 3PL into Shopify?
Yes. Inventory can sync by SKU and warehouse, then update Shopify inventory levels so each Shopify location reflects stock from the fulfilment network.
Can 3PL warehouses be pushed into Shopify as locations?
Yes. Warehouse records can create or update Shopify locations with names and addresses, giving Shopify the location context needed for inventory and rates.
Does this help shipping rates use the right fulfilment location?
Yes. When Shopify has accurate locations and inventory, checkout can calculate rates against the location expected to fulfil the order.
Can fulfilment tracking sync back to Shopify?
Yes. Carrier, tracking number and shipped status can sync back to Shopify so customer accounts and support teams see the latest fulfilment state.
Can a 3PL integration work with Pronto Xi or Business Central?
Yes. Pocketknife is built for Shopify Plus teams with ERP-connected operations, including Pronto Xi, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Apparel21, ASW, Exact, Oracle E-Business Suite and 3PL systems.
Can we support multiple 3PL warehouses?
Yes. Multiple warehouses can be represented as separate fulfilment locations with their own stock, Shopify location mapping and routing behaviour.
Can bulky freight route differently from standard parcel orders?
Yes. Routing rules can use shipping method, product handling needs or warehouse capability so bulky freight goes to the location that can handle it.
Can this reduce overselling in Shopify?
Yes. Per-location inventory sync reduces the chance that customers buy stock that is no longer available from the warehouse expected to fulfil the order.
Can we see why an order went to a warehouse?
Yes. Routing can keep location and rule context so your team can understand why an order went to a specific 3PL warehouse.
Can Pocketknife connect to our specific 3PL system?
Yes, if the 3PL can provide the order, inventory, warehouse or fulfilment data needed for the workflow. Pocketknife is built to connect Shopify to the operational systems your business already runs.
Map Shopify to the 3PL flow your operation already needs.
We will map order payloads, warehouse rules, Shopify locations, inventory sync, shipping rate context and fulfilment tracking before anything starts moving automatically.
Talk through your stack →