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PostNL

Interact with PostNL API

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Overview

This node integrates with the PostNL API to perform a Checkout operation related to shipment orders. It is designed to calculate and retrieve available delivery and pickup timeframes based on order details, shipping duration, cutoff times, holiday availability, and address information.

Typical use cases include:

  • E-commerce platforms wanting to offer customers accurate delivery or pickup options at checkout.
  • Logistics systems that need to validate and schedule parcel shipments according to PostNL's service constraints.
  • Businesses requiring dynamic calculation of delivery windows based on order date and location.

For example, an online store can use this node to provide customers with available delivery slots for their parcels, considering holidays and cutoff times, ensuring realistic expectations and smooth logistics.

Properties

Name Meaning
Order Date The date and time when the order was placed. Format must be dd-MM-YYYY HH:mm:ss. This is used to calculate available delivery timeframes.
Shipping Duration Number of days it takes for the parcel to reach PostNL after being shipped. For same-day delivery to PostNL, use 1; 2 means the parcel arrives the next day, etc.
Cut Off Times JSON array specifying daily cutoff times when shipments are accepted. Each entry includes the day, availability, type (e.g., Regular), and cutoff time (HH:mm:ss).
Holiday Sorting Boolean flag indicating whether shipments can be sent during holidays. If true, holiday dates are considered in scheduling.
Options JSON array listing delivery and pickup options such as "Daytime", "Evening", and "Pickup". These specify the types of services requested.
Locations Number (1-3) specifying how many locations should be returned in the response.
Days Number (1-9) specifying how many days ahead the timeframes should be calculated and returned.
Addresses JSON array of address objects where each contains fields like AddressType, Street, HouseNr, HouseNrExt, Zipcode, City, and Countrycode. These define the shipment destination(s) for which timeframes are requested.

Output

The node outputs JSON data containing available delivery and pickup timeframes based on the input parameters. The structure typically includes:

  • Timeframes grouped by day and location.
  • Details about available delivery options (daytime, evening, pickup).
  • Information respecting cutoff times and holiday sorting preferences.

No binary data output is indicated.

Dependencies

  • Requires an API key credential for authenticating with the PostNL API.
  • The node uses the PostNL API base URL configured via credentials/environment variables.
  • Depends on the PostNL API service being accessible and responsive.

Troubleshooting

  • Invalid Date Format: Ensure the "Order Date" follows the exact format dd-MM-YYYY HH:mm:ss. Incorrect formatting may cause API errors or unexpected results.
  • Shipping Duration Out of Range: Use valid numeric values for shipping duration; negative or zero values may cause failures.
  • Malformed JSON Inputs: Properties like "Cut Off Times", "Options", and "Addresses" require valid JSON arrays. Invalid JSON will cause parsing errors.
  • API Authentication Errors: Verify that the API key credential is correctly set up and has necessary permissions.
  • Exceeded Limits: The "Locations" property accepts values 1-3, and "Days" accepts 1-9. Values outside these ranges may result in errors.
  • Holiday Sorting Misconfiguration: If holiday sorting is enabled but no holiday data is available or configured, delivery options might not reflect expected availability.

Links and References

Discussion