Welcome! In a few minutes you can turn your WooCommerce orders into a smooth, trackable workflow—ready for bulk labels, easy customer updates, and less manual work.
Time to set up: ~10 minutes
Who it’s for: WooCommerce store owners & managers (no coding needed)
What you’ll need
- WordPress: 6.0 or newer (latest recommended)
- WooCommerce: 7.0 or newer (latest recommended)
- PHP: 7.4+ (PHP 8.0–8.2 recommended)
- Email sending (recommended): an SMTP plugin (e.g. WP Mail SMTP / FluentSMTP) so your messages land in inboxes.
Don’t worry—if you’re unsure about versions, you can still start. We’ll let you know if something needs attention.
How InstaConsole fits your store
- Lite (Free): a faster, calmer order console. Smart filters, tracking badges, clearer “what’s next.”
- Pro (Add-on): import tracking from carriers via CSV, add canned replies, and save tracking details to orders.
- Premier (Add-on): create carrier-friendly export files (CSV) from your orders—upload to DHL/UPS/Royal Mail/FedEx portals and print labels in bulk.
Start with Lite. Add Pro or Premier when you’re ready—your store will gracefully fall back to Lite if an add-on is turned off.
Install in minutes
- Install Lite
Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload, install InstaConsole (Lite), and activate. - (Optional) Add Pro
Upload/activate InstaConsole Pro to unlock CSV imports, canned replies, and tracking helpers. - (Optional) Add Premier
Upload/activate InstaConsole Premier for carrier exports and saved mappings. - (Optional) Licensing server
If you manage licenses yourself, activate InstaConsole Licensing on your license server. (If you bought a license from us, just use the key we sent—no server needed.)
Activate your license (Pro/Premier)
- Open Settings → InstaConsole Pro License or Settings → InstaConsole Premier License
- Paste your license key → Save → Activate → Validate
- You’ll see Status: ACTIVE when you’re good to go.
Lost your key? Check My Account → My Licenses, or the order email we sent.
Your first 10 minutes
If you’re using Lite (Free)
- Open InstaConsole → Console
- Filter by date or status, and look for the Has tracking badge once tracking is saved on an order.
If you added Pro: import carrier tracking (CSV)
- Go to InstaConsole Pro → Imports (CSV)
- Upload your carrier CSV (e.g., DHL export)
- Map our fields (left) to their columns (right)
- Dry Run to preview results, then Import to write tracking into orders
- (Optional) Mark orders completed and add a private order note
Good to know
- The Autofill button guesses mappings for common carriers.
- If your file doesn’t include a tracking link, we generate one when we recognize the carrier.
If you added Premier: export to label portals (CSV)
- Go to Premier — Exports → Mappings
- Start with a Preset (DHL/UPS/Royal Mail/FedEx) or create your own
- Choose Row mode:
- Order rows = one CSV row per order
- Item rows = one CSV row per line item
- Add columns and pick data sources (or type custom ones like
literal:GB,meta:_shipping_phone_alt,itemmeta:_hs_code) - Save the mapping, then open the Export tab
- Pick a date range & status → Preview a few rows → Download CSV
- Upload to your carrier portal and print labels in bulk
Helpful flags
- Only unexported skips orders you already exported
- Mark exported tags orders so you don’t double-send next time
Customer updates (optional, Pro)
- Canned Replies: answer “Where is my order?” in two clicks.
- Tracking Helpers: store carrier + number + link on the order; the Console shows a tracking badge so you can spot it instantly.
Your account & licenses
- Create a page called My Licenses and add the shortcode:
[insta_licenses]
You’ll see product name, key, expiry, allowed/used sites, and activation history. - Admins can review keys in Tools → InstaConsole Licensing.
Tips for smooth exports
- Set weight units in WooCommerce (kg recommended if your carrier expects kg).
- Check addresses include City / State / Postcode / Country.
- Use the date format your carrier expects (e.g.,
Y-m-d). - Some EU portals prefer semicolon instead of comma as the CSV delimiter.
Troubleshooting
- CSV import finds no orders: map Order ID first if you have it; if you use custom order numbers, map Order Number.
- Export looks empty: widen the date range or choose “Any” status, then preview again.
- White screen or strange characters: re-save edited PHP files without BOM (UTF-8); temporarily disable other plugins to isolate a conflict; check your
debug.log. - Emails land in spam: set up an SMTP plugin and test.
Need a hand?
Email support@instaconsole.com with a short note, your WordPress/WooCommerce versions, and (if relevant) a sample CSV or screenshot. We’re happy to help.
Quick glossary
- Mapping: the blueprint that shapes your CSV for a carrier portal.
- Row mode: order vs. item rows.
- Only unexported / Mark exported: simple guardrails to prevent duplicates.