Simulations

What Are Sandbox Simulations?

Sandbox Simulations let you:

• Test your integration with realistic, production-like data.
• Simulate actions that happen in a ShipBob facility (e.g., shipping or delivering an order).
• Spot and fix issues before they happen in real life.

Think of it as a practice run—everything works like the real thing, but no actual shipments are made.

Step 1: Set Up Your Sandbox Environment

Before running simulations, make sure your sandbox account is ready. Follow our Sandbox Setup guide to:

• Sign up for a sandbox account
• Generate an API access token
• Use the correct base URLs
• Add payment methods and inventory (if needed)

Once setup is complete, continue with the steps below to simulate fulfillment events.

Step 2: Understand How Simulations Work

There are two ways to run simulations:

API

1. Send a request to a Simulation API endpoint.
2. Get a simulation ID in response.
3. The simulation runs in the background (it might take a little time to complete).

UI Terminal

1. Open the Simulation Terminal from the sandbox dashboard.
2. Pick a workflow (e.g., fulfill-order, receive-wro, adjust-inventory).
3. Follow the interactive prompts to provide inputs and advance through stages.

Step 3: Pick an Action to Simulate

Using the API, you can simulate:

• Mark a Shipment/Order as Shipped
• Mark a Shipment/Order as Delivered

Using the UI Terminal, the following workflows are available:

• Receive WRO — Simulate receiving a warehouse receiving order.
• Fulfill Order — Simulate shipping and delivering an order.
• Adjust Inventory — Simulate inventory adjustments.

To simulate other actions, email techspecialists@shipbob.com.

Step 4: Prepare Your Shipment

Ensure your shipment is eligible:

• Inventory: Product must have stock in Cicero (IL) or Moreno Valley (CA).
• Packaging Preferences: Set in Merchant App → Products → [Your Product] → Packaging Preferences.
• Customs Info: Required for international shipments (set under Customs Information).
• Shipment Status: Must not be On-Hold, Exception, or Cancelled.
• Fulfillment Center: Inventory must exist in the selected location.
• Test Payment Method: Add dummy card in Dashboard → Payment Details using:
  • 4111 1111 1111 1111, any name, email, expiration, and CVC.

Step 5: Run a Simulation

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POST https://sandbox-api.shipbob.com/2026-01/simulate/shipment

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{
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  "shipment_id": 11471145,
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  "simulation": {
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    "action": "ShipOrder",
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    "delay": null,
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    "next": {
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      "action": "DeliverOrder",
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      "delay": 10
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    }
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  }
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}

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{
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  "shipment_id": 11471145,
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  "simulation": {
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    "action": "ShipOrder"
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  }
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}

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{
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  "shipment_id": 11471145,
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  "simulation": {
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    "action": "DeliverOrder"
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  }
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}

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{
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  "shipment_id": 11471145,
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  "simulation": {
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    "action": "ShipOrder",
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    "delay": 5,
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    "next": {
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      "action": "DeliverOrder",
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      "delay": 10
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    }
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  }
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}

Step 6: Check Simulation Status

Use the simulation_id returned from your request to check its progress.

Endpoint

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GET https://sandbox-api.shipbob.com/2026-01/simulate/status/{simulation_id}

Authorization: Bearer {token}

Response (200 OK)

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{
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  "simulation_id": "d1cdb...ef3",
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  "entity_id": "11471145",
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  "entity_type": "shipment",
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  "simulation": {
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    "action": "ShipOrder",
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    "status": "Success",
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    "message": "ShipOrder",
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    "schedule_time": "2025-06-01T14:00:00Z",
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    "next": {
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      "action": "DeliverOrder",
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      "status": "Pending",
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      "message": "DeliverOrder",
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      "schedule_time": "2025-06-01T14:10:00Z"
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    }
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  }
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}

Response Fields

• status — One of Success, Failed, Pending, or Skipped.
• schedule_time — Time the action is scheduled for (if delay was set).
• next — Nested action status (if multiple actions were simulated).

Simulation API Reference

FAQ