Overview of the GLS ShipIT action — what it does, what you need to get started, and how it fits into your flows.

GLS Action

The GLS Action integrates the GLS ShipIT API as an action. It lets you create, validate, cancel, and manage GLS parcel shipments directly from your flows — no manual API calls required.

What can the GLS Action do?

Create shipments of various types: standard delivery, shop delivery, returns, exchanges, Saturday delivery, and more
Validate shipments before committing them to the API
Cancel shipments that haven't been picked up yet
Retrieve allowed services for a given origin/destination combination
Get end-of-day reports summarizing all shipments dispatched on a given date
Update parcel weight after a shipment has been created
Reprint parcel labels in PDF, PNG, or ZPL format

Prerequisites

Before using the GLS Action you will need:

Hercules / Aquila

Requirement	Description
Running Aquila server	The action connects to Aquila on startup to register its functions
`HERCULES_AUTH_TOKEN`	Auth token issued by your Aquila instance
`HERCULES_AQUILA_URL`	Host and port of your Aquila server (e.g. `aquila.example.com:50051`)
Docker + Docker Compose	Used to run the action as a container

GLS Developer Portal

Requirement	How to obtain
`client_id`	Create an application at https://dev-portal.gls-group.net and find it under My Apps
`client_secret`	Found alongside the `client_id` in My Apps on the GLS developer portal
`contact_id` (optional)	Issued by GLS support — contact them directly to request it

Note: The contact_id is required for some shipment operations. If you are unsure whether you need it, contact GLS support.

Architecture overview

Your Flow
       │
       ▼
 GLS Action (this action)
       │
       ├── Authenticates with GLS via OAuth2
       │         └── GLS Auth API (/oauth2/v2/token)
       │
       └── Calls GLS ShipIT API
                 └── GLS ShipIT API (/shipit-farm/v1/backend/rs/...)

The action handles OAuth2 token management automatically, including caching and refresh before expiry. You only need to provide the client_id and client_secret in the action configuration.

Data flow

Flow Input
    │
    ▼
Builder Functions          ← createAddress, createConsignee, createShipmentUnit, ...
    │
    ▼
Shipment Functions         ← createShopDeliveryShipment, createExchangeShipment, ...
    │
    ▼
GLS ShipIT API
    │
    ▼
GLS_CREATE_PARCELS_RESPONSE  ← tracking IDs, barcode data, print data, routing info

Next steps

Quick Start — Create your first shipment in a few steps
Configuration — Full list of configuration options and how to get credentials
Functions — All available functions with parameter details
Types — All data types used in the GLS Action
Events — Events emitted by the GLS Action
Common Use Cases — Example flows for real-world scenarios
Troubleshooting — FAQ and community support

Overview

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