FedEx Integration Using NodeJs

Hey! Let's Build a FedEx Integration with Node.js ????

So, you want to add FedEx shipping to your app? Cool! I just went through this whole process myself and it's not as scary as it looks. We'll figure out how to calculate shipping costs, track packages, and make shipping labels. Let me show you how I did it!

Getting Your API Keys

First things first, you'll need some API keys from FedEx:

• Create an account on FedEx's dev portal
• Get API keys for testing (sandbox) and the real thing (production)
• Save your clientId, clientSecret, and those API URLs somewhere safe

Setting Up Your Node.js Project

Let's get your project ready! Nothing too fancy here.

1. Getting the Packages We Need

Just copy-paste this into your terminal:

npm init -y
npm install @fedex/api-client axios dotenv

2. Setting Up Your Config

Make a config.js file to keep all your secret stuff:

require('dotenv').config();

const config = {
  sandbox: {
    clientId: process.env.FEDEX_SANDBOX_CLIENT_ID,
    clientSecret: process.env.FEDEX_SANDBOX_CLIENT_SECRET,
    apiUrl: 'https://apis-sandbox.fedex.com'
  },
  production: {
    clientId: process.env.FEDEX_PROD_CLIENT_ID,
    clientSecret: process.env.FEDEX_PROD_CLIENT_SECRET,
    apiUrl: 'https://apis.fedex.com'
  }
};

module.exports = config;

Getting Your Auth Token

FedEx needs a token to know it's you. Here's how to get one (put this in auth.js):

const axios = require('axios');
const config = require('./config');

async function getFedExToken(environment = 'sandbox') {
  const { clientId, clientSecret, apiUrl } = config[environment];

  try {
    const response = await axios.post(`${apiUrl}/oauth/token`, {
      grant_type: 'client_credentials',
      client_id: clientId,
      client_secret: clientSecret
    });

    return response.data.access_token;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Authentication error:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

module.exports = { getFedExToken };

Getting Shipping Rates

Now for the fun part - finding out how much shipping costs!

const { getFedExToken } = require('./auth');

async function getShippingRates(shipmentDetails, environment = 'sandbox') {
  const token = await getFedExToken(environment);

  try {
    const response = await axios.post(
      `${config[environment].apiUrl}/rate/v1/rates/quotes`,
      shipmentDetails,
      {
        headers: {
          'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
          'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        }
      }
    );

    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Rate calculation error:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

module.exports = { getShippingRates };

What You Need for Shipping Rates

Make sure you've got these basics covered:

• Where it's going from and to
• How big and heavy the package is
• What kind of shipping they want

Testing Your Stuff

• Always test in sandbox first
• Add some error handling (things will break!)
• Double-check you're sending all the required info

Going Live!

Before you hit the big red button:

• Switch to your production API keys
• Hide all your secret stuff in environment variables
• Add some rate limits so you don't go crazy with API calls

Extra Cool Stuff You Can Do

FedEx lets you do more than just shipping rates:

• Track Packages: See where stuff is in real-time
• Make Labels: Print those shipping labels right from your app
• Check Addresses: Make sure addresses are legit
• Schedule Pickups: Get FedEx to come grab your packages

And that's it! Now you've got FedEx working in your app. Pretty neat, right? Let me know if anything breaks - I've probably run into the same issues!