DHL Express
Overview
DHL Express is DHL’s international express delivery service designed for time-critical shipments worldwide. It provides fast and reliable shipping across domestic, European, and global routes.
The DHL Express integration uses the MyDHL API and enables shipment creation, label generation, tracking, freight rate calculation, and paperless trade document handling.
This integration supports both document (Doc) and non-document (NonDoc) shipments across national, European, and international destinations.
Supported Operations
The following operations are supported through the DHL Express integration.
| Operation | Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Create Shipment | POST /shipments |
Creates shipments and returns shipping labels |
| Tracking | Shipment Tracking – Unified Push API | Receives shipment tracking updates via webhook |
| Proof of Delivery (POD) | Shipment Tracking – Unified Push API | POD information may be included in tracking updates |
| Freight Cost Calculation | GET /rates or POST /rates |
Retrieves shipping rate estimates |
| Paperless Trade | POST /shipments |
Uploads shipment documents electronically |
| Cancel Shipment | Not Available | DHL Express currently does not support shipment cancellation via API |
| Return Shipment | Not Available | Return label generation is not currently supported |
Carrier Services
The following DHL Express service features are supported.
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| Paperless Trade | Enables electronic submission of shipment documents |
| Tracking Push Notifications | Receives shipment tracking updates automatically |
| Freight Rate Calculation | Retrieves shipping cost estimates |
| Proof of Delivery (POD) | Access delivery confirmation data |
Paperless Trade
Paperless Trade allows shipment documents to be uploaded electronically instead of attaching physical paperwork.
Supported document parameters:
| Parameter | Description | Possible Values |
|---|---|---|
| documentType | Type of uploaded document | INV, PNV, COO, CIN, DCL, AWB, NAF |
| fileFormat | File format of uploaded document | PDF, PNG, GIF, TIFF, JPEG |
| file | Document content | Base64 encoded file |
Important
When using Paperless Trade, the request header must include:
bypassPLTError: true
Note
If paperless trade is not supported between the shipper and recipient countries, DHL returns a warning indicating that physical shipment paperwork must be attached!
Supported Products
The following DHL Express products are supported.
| Code | Product Name | Region | Shipment Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Express Domestic 9:00 | National | Doc |
| C | Medical Express | National / EU / International | Doc |
| O | Express Domestic 10:30 | National | Doc |
| 1 | Express Domestic 12:00 | National | Doc |
| N | Express Domestic | National | Doc |
| U | Express Worldwide | EU | Doc |
| W | Economy Select | EU | Doc |
| T | Express 12:00 | EU / International | Doc |
| D | Express Worldwide | International | Doc |
| Q | Medical Express | International | NonDoc |
| Y | Express 12:00 | International | NonDoc |
| P | Express Worldwide | International | NonDoc |
| H | Economy Select | International | NonDoc |
| L | Express 10:30 | EU / International | Doc |
| M | Express 10:30 | International | NonDoc |
| E | Express 9:00 | International | NonDoc |
| K | Express 9:00 | EU / International | Doc |
| X | Express Envelope | Global | Doc |
Note
Document shipments are typically used for paperwork and non-customs items, while NonDoc shipments require customs declarations!
Label Formats
DHL Express supports multiple label encoding formats.
| Label Format | Code |
|---|---|
| ZPL | zpl |
| LP2 | lp2 |
| EPL | epl |
Label Sizes
The following label templates are supported.
| Label Template |
|---|
| ECOM26_84_A4_001 |
| ECOM26_84_001 |
| ECOM_TC_A4 |
| ECOM26_A6_002 |
| ECOM26_84CI_001 |
| ECOM_A4_RU_002 |
The label format and template can be configured when creating shipments.
Integration Notes
Shipment Creation
Shipments are created using the DHL Express MyDHL API.
POST /shipments
The API returns shipment labels and shipment identifiers upon successful creation.
Shipment Cancellation
DHL Express currently does not support cancelling shipments via API. Only pickup cancellation may be available through carrier-specific workflows.
Tracking Integration
Tracking updates are delivered using the DHL Unified Tracking Push API. Since this is a push mechanism, an endpoint must be available on the receiving system to process tracking updates.
Proof of Delivery (POD)
Proof of Delivery may be included in tracking responses. If not available through the unified tracking API, POD can also be retrieved through DHL’s Electronic Proof of Delivery endpoint.
International Shipments
International shipments require additional customs information including:
- invoice data
- shipment value
- commodity codes
- country of origin
These details must be included when shipping NonDoc products.