Bolt.new AI and ShipStation integration: Step-by-Step Guide 2025

To integrate Bolt.new with ShipStation, you simply build a normal API integration inside your Bolt project. Bolt itself doesn’t “connect” to ShipStation automatically — you write code that talks to ShipStation’s REST API using your ShipStation API key and secret (basic auth), store those credentials in Bolt environment variables, and then call ShipStation endpoints (create orders, fetch shipments, create labels, etc.). Bolt is just the workspace where you scaffold, test, and iterate on that integration.

 

What the integration really is

 

You call ShipStation’s REST API endpoints from your Bolt.new backend (Node/Express, Next.js API routes, or anything similar). ShipStation uses Basic Authentication where you base64‑encode API_KEY:API_SECRET. Bolt.new holds these keys in its environment variables so they’re not hard-coded.

• ShipStation API docs: https://www.shipstation.com/docs/api/
• Auth method: Basic Auth with Base64(API_KEY:API_SECRET)
• Common tasks: create orders, get rates, create labels, track shipments

 

Step-by-step: How to integrate ShipStation inside Bolt.new

 

Below is the real, practical sequence you follow in bolt.new.

• Create a Bolt project. Choose a full-stack template (Node or Next recommended).
• Add environment variables in Bolt: SHIPSTATION_API_KEY SHIPSTATION_API_SECRET
• Write a backend route that calls ShipStation’s REST API.
• Test the route in Bolt’s sandbox using the built‑in runner.
• Hook it to your frontend (for example, a button that creates a shipping label).

 

ShipStation authentication inside Bolt.new

 

This is the only “tricky” part. ShipStation requires Base64 encoding of the key pair. Node makes that easy.

// utils/shipstationClient.js

const apiKey = process.env.SHIPSTATION_API_KEY
const apiSecret = process.env.SHIPSTATION_API_SECRET

const encodedAuth = Buffer.from(`${apiKey}:${apiSecret}`).toString("base64")

export async function shipStationRequest(endpoint, options = {}) {
  const res = await fetch(`https://ssapi.shipstation.com/${endpoint}`, {
    method: options.method || "GET",
    headers: {
      "Authorization": `Basic ${encodedAuth}`,
      "Content-Type": "application/json"
    },
    body: options.body ? JSON.stringify(options.body) : undefined
  })

  if (!res.ok) {
    const errorText = await res.text()
    throw new Error(`ShipStation error: ${res.status} ${errorText}`)
  }

  return res.json()
}

 

Example Bolt.new API route: Create an order in ShipStation

 

This is a real working pattern. This can live inside /api/create-order.js or a Next.js route.

// pages/api/create-order.js  (Next.js example)

import { shipStationRequest } from "../../utils/shipstationClient"

export default async function handler(req, res) {
  try {
    const payload = {
      orderNumber: req.body.orderNumber,
      orderDate: new Date().toISOString(),
      orderStatus: "awaiting_shipment",
      billTo: req.body.billTo,
      shipTo: req.body.shipTo,
      items: req.body.items
    }

    const data = await shipStationRequest("orders/createorder", {
      method: "POST",
      body: payload
    })

    res.status(200).json({ ok: true, data })
  } catch (err) {
    res.status(500).json({ ok: false, error: err.message })
  }
}

 

Testing in Bolt.new

 

In the Bolt runner:

• Hit the route with JSON payload.
• Check ShipStation dashboard for the new order.
• Confirm that your API keys are correct by inspecting error logs.

 

Example: Create a shipping label

 

ShipStation uses a different endpoint for label creation. Here's a real example you can drop into Bolt.

// pages/api/create-label.js

import { shipStationRequest } from "../../utils/shipstationClient"

export default async function handler(req, res) {
  try {
    const payload = {
      carrierCode: "fedex",
      serviceCode: "fedex_ground",
      packageCode: "package",
      confirmation: "delivery",
      shipDate: new Date().toISOString().split("T")[0],
      weight: { value: 2, units: "pounds" },
      shipFrom: req.body.shipFrom,
      shipTo: req.body.shipTo
    }

    const label = await shipStationRequest("shipments/createlabel", {
      method: "POST",
      body: payload
    })

    res.status(200).json(label)
  } catch (err) {
    res.status(500).json({ error: err.message })
  }
}

 

Hardening for production outside Bolt

 

Bolt is your prototyping sandbox, not the final environment. Once it works:

• Move env vars into your real deploy platform (Vercel, AWS, Render, etc.).
• Rotate ShipStation keys if you used test keys during development.
• Add retry logic and error logging for ShipStation rate limiting.
• Secure your API routes with server-side validation.

 

That’s the complete, real-world way to integrate Bolt.new with ShipStation: treat ShipStation as a normal external REST API, store credentials in Bolt environment variables, write server routes that call ShipStation through authenticated fetch calls, and test everything in Bolt’s sandbox before deploying.