Important notice: We have planning to retire our Dropbox integration in 2022.
After retirement, it will not be possible to integrate or import orders from Dropbox accounts within Click & Drop. We are asking all customers with Dropbox integrations to instead use our own file import applications, Click & Drop Desktop, or Click & Drop API.
For more information, please see the following guides: How to import orders with Click & Drop Desktop or How to import orders with the Click & Drop API.
What is Dropbox?
Dropbox is a cloud based secure file sharing platform. If you integrate your Dropbox account, it provides you with a quick and easy way to import your orders by simply dropping a spreadsheet into a Click & Drop folder.
How long does it take for the file to upload to Click & Drop from my Dropbox account?
When you add a file into your Click & Drop folder on your Dropbox account, your order data will be uploaded within seconds.
Connecting your Dropbox account
To begin, click the ‘Settings’ link within Click & Drop:
The 'Settings/ Overview' page will open. Under ‘Integrations’, click ‘Go’.
Your current integrations will be displayed. Click the ‘Add a new integration’ button to begin connecting with your Dropbox.
From the list of available integrations, click Dropbox:
A window will appear asking you to input the information required to configure your Dropbox integration:
Trading name: Select your company’s trading name from the dropdown box.
Integration name: Choose a name for the integration (this will be automatically completed once you have selected a trading name).
Print labels automatically after import: Check this option if you would like to print your labels automatically with Royal Mail Print Assist. For more information, see this guide: How to connect Royal Mail Print Assist.
Please note that labels will not print unless the orders have a weight, package size, and service assigned to them.
Upload labels to Dropbox: Check this option if you wish for your generated labels to be saved into your 'Results' folder. (Only available on OBA).
Please note that providing your imported orders have a weight and packaging size assigned, this option will generate the labels for your imported orders. For this reason, this option is not usable with our Scan and print functionality.
You will not be able to add any more information or configure your printers yet, so click the 'Save and Connect' button to continue.
Alternatively, you can click the 'Save' button to save the integration so you can connect later.
Dropbox will open in a new browser window. If you are not currently logged in, you will need to log in first:
then Click ‘Allow’ to give permission to Click & Drop to access a folder inside your Dropbox:
Your ‘Channels and stores’ menu will reload. When your connection has been successfully made, the chain link icon will turn green, and a message will appear to inform you the connection was successful.
You are now ready to begin importing orders.
Importing your orders
A new folder will have been created within your Dropbox called ‘Apps’. Within this folder, will be one called ‘Click & Drop.’
Please note that Click & Drop is only given access to your ‘Click & Drop’ folder, and cannot read or edit data from any other folders within your Dropbox.
Before you can drop your spreadsheets containing your orders into the ‘Click & Drop’ folder in your Dropbox, you must first map your spreadsheet fields in Click & Drop. To do so, you must perform a manual order import of at least one order.
The order can be deleted later, it does not have to be paid for or processed.
From any page in Click & Drop, hover over 'Orders', and from the drop down menu, click 'Import'.
You will be taken to the 'Order import' page where you can begin to map the fields of your spreadsheet to Click & Drop. This will ensure that any subsequent spreadsheets that you drop into your Dropbox account are recognised and processed by Click & Drop.
For a full guide on manually importing orders, see:
Uploading your Customer order details into click & Drop
Click the 'Upload a file' button, and select the file from your computer or device.
Next, please choose carefully from the options provided on screen.
Name format: Choose the format that matches the spreadsheets that contain your orders. First and last names can be in separate fields, or combined into one.
The first row is a header: Choose this option if the first row of your spreadsheet contains row headers, such as 'first name' or 'address line 1'.
Use address book reference: Choose this option if you would like to enter the reference number for your address book entries instead of mapping each full address.
Please note that only existing address book entries can be used.
Use shipping address for billing address: Check this box for Click & Drop to automatically use the shipping address data in your spreadsheet as the billing address data too. Otherwise, you can specify additional billing address data in your spreadsheet.
Create batches for the imported orders: Check this box for Click & Drop to automatically group your imported orders together into a batch, so that you can perform bulk actions on the orders such as generating labels and manifesting.
Update products weight and package size: Click & Drop saves products within your imported orders into your 'Products' page. Check this option for Click & Drop to automatically update weight and package size data of your saved products based on the data you import.
Otherwise, product weight and package size will remain unchanged.
You will now need to map your files. The required fields your spreadsheet must contain are:
- Name (First name and last name separate or combined)
- Address Line 1
- City
- Postcode
All other fields are optional.
Once your fields have been mapped, Click the 'Import orders' button.
After this is done, Click & Drop will remember your field mappings for all future files. If you have to make change to the columns on your spreadsheet, such as adding or removing a column, you will need to map the columns again in order to continue importing files with Dropbox.
Where do I drop my spreadsheet file?
Now you have manually imported an order and mapped the fields of your spreadsheet, you can simply drop new spreadsheets into your Click & Drop folder in Dropbox, and the orders will be automatically imported:
If there is an error with your order import, you will automatically redirected to the order import history page and informed that the order import failed.
From here you will be given an explanation of the fault, and given the option to download the file in order to fix the fields, or to undo the import.
What files are created in the 'Archive' and 'Results' folders?
Once you had successfully imported a file, the following files will be added:
- Your original spreadsheet file will be placed in your 'Archive' folder within Dropbox.
- A despatched order report spreadsheet will be created in your spreadsheet folder. This will contain the following columns: Order number, Channel, Channel reference, Printed date, Customer, Tracking number, Package size.
- If you have selected the 'Upload labels to Dropbox' option, a copy of your label will be saved into the 'Results' folder too.
Please note:
- A copy of your label will only be placed in your results file if your printers are active and connected.
- Any tracking numbers in your results folder will not be updated if you make any changes to the orders elsewhere within Click & Drop.
Example despatch report that will be placed in your Results folder for each successfully uploaded file.
What naming convention do the files use?
Files are saved with their original filesnames, prefixed by a string of digits representing the date.
For example, your your original filename was 'Order1', then your despatch report spreadsheet may look like this:
`201802201246123865.Order1.Csv
The timestamp prefix is arranged: year, month, day, hour, minute, second, fraction-of-second: `2018-02-20-12-46-12-3865`
Spreadsheets are saved in .csv format, and labels are saved as .pdf.
What happens if my file contains errors?
If your file contains an error, you will be able to view the error in your 'Order import history' page, that can be found by navigating to 'Orders' > 'Import' > 'Order import history'.
Check the import status - and the reason for any errors will be displayed.
To download a copy of your file, click the 'Download button'.
Please note that in imports containing more than 1 file, any successful orders will still download even if one or more unsuccessful orders creates an error. if you wish to undo the entire import, click the 'Undo import' button (recommended).
To continue, correct the affected fields and then drop the updated spreadsheet into your Dropbox folder again.
Be careful not to drop the same file in twice to as this could cause duplicate orders to be created. An import cannot be undone once it has completed successfully.
Producing CN22/CN23 documents via Dropbox
If you have checked the 'Generate customs declaration with Orders' option in your Label format settings page, then CN22 or CN23 documents will automatically be produced for any international orders imported where customs declarations are required.
The .PDF files will be saved to your results folder.
How to disconnect your Dropbox integration
You can disconnect your Dropbox integration at any time by navigating to ‘Settings’ > ‘Channels and stores’. Click your Dropbox integration to expand the integration details, and click the ‘Delete’ button.
To complete the process, you should also delete the Click & Drop folder from your Dropbox application.
You can reconnect your Dropbox integration at any time by following the above instructions again.