Add your product dimensions
The first step in setting up cartonization is to add your product dimensions and packing preferences, such as whether an item ships alone, to Zonos Catalog.
Tip: Complete product dimensions unlock the 3D cartonization display, which helps you visualize packing efficiency and identify opportunities to optimize your box options.
Items that ship in multiple boxes
When an item is assigned multiple boxes, Zonos uses the weights and dimensions of all the assigned boxes to accurately calculate a shipping quote.
To set up items that ship in multiple boxes:
- Input your item dimensions into Catalog (see steps above).
- Download and open the spreadsheet Multibox CSV template.
- In the Master Spreadsheet tab, include all product SKUs and/or product IDs for your items that ship in multiple boxes.
- Use the Child Packages tab to list each SKU with the corresponding box(es). Ensure each box is listed in a separate row. For example, if SKU1 ships in two boxes, list SKU1 in two separate rows, each with the respective box name and shipping box dimensions. Similarly, list SKU2 in three separate rows if it ships in three boxes, including the box name and shipping box dimensions for each.
- Send the completed sheet to your Project Manager if you're going through onboarding, or to support@zonos.com if you're already using Zonos.
Add box options
The last step in setting up cartonization is to create your packaging options. If specific packaging options are not defined, a default size of 8x4x2 is applied.
Tip: The more box options you configure, the more efficiently cartonization can pack items. The 3D visualization helps you see which box sizes are used most frequently and identify gaps in your packaging strategy.
To add a box:
- Add your shipping boxes by going to Dashboard -> Settings -> Cartonization.
- Click Add box in the top right corner.
- Add your box's Dimensional unit, Length, Width, Height, Weight unit, Max weight, and Package weight.
- Optional— Name your box. If you don't, we'll name it based on its characteristics.
- Optional—Mark your box as your default box by checking the Make default box size box.
Note: Default boxes are used as a fallback when no box size is applied to the order.
- Click Add box.
To add boxes in bulk via CSV:
- Go to Dashboard -> Settings -> Cartonization.
- Click Add box in the upper right-hand corner.
- Download the cartonization CSV template and enter your box names, maximum weight, package weight, and dimensions in the designated fields. Once completed, save the file in CSV format.
- Upload your new CSV file to cartonization by dragging and dropping or by clicking browse to locate and select the file.
- Click Continue and view your newly added boxes.
Add inner dimensions (optional)
If you use cushioning—foam, bubble wrap, void fill, etc.—the usable space inside your box is smaller than its outer dimensions. Setting inner dimensions tells cartonization the true fit space without affecting carrier rate quotes. This avoids the trade-off between accurate cartonization (over-packs when based on outer dims) and accurate rate quotes (understated when inner is used in place of outer).
When you enable the Use inner dimensions for cartonization fit toggle on a box:
- Cartonization fit-checking uses your inner dimensions to decide which boxes can hold each item.
- Carrier rate quotes continue to use the outer dimensions—rate accuracy is preserved.
- Each inner dimension must be less than the corresponding outer dimension when the toggle is enabled.
- Inner dimension values are preserved when the toggle is off, so you can iterate without re-entering cushioning estimates.
To add inner dimensions to a box:
- Go to Dashboard -> Settings -> Cartonization.
- Click Add box to create a new box, or click an existing box to edit it.
- Under Inner dimensions (optional), check Use inner dimensions for cartonization fit.
- Enter the box's inner Length, Width, and Height. Each must be less than the corresponding outer dimension.
- Click Add box or Save box changes.
Note: You can configure inner dimensions on both custom boxes and carrier-preset boxes (FedEx, UPS, DHL). The outer dimensions on carrier boxes stay locked to the carrier's spec, but the cushioning inside is yours to define.
Next steps
Once you've set up your product dimensions and packaging options, you can take advantage of 3D cartonization to visualize how items pack into boxes, and packing optimization to optimize shipping costs and simulate different packaging options.
Set up cartonization
Set up product dimensions and box sizes to optimize shipping quotes and unlock 3D packing visualization.
Setting up cartonization is essential for an optimized shipping experience, helping to ensure accurate shipping quotes and efficient packaging. With proper setup, you'll also gain access to 3D cartonization visualization that shows exactly how items pack into boxes, giving you transparency into the cartonization process and insights to optimize your packaging strategy.
To begin, provide the dimensions of your products and shipping boxes, including box weights and maximum weight capacities. This information enables cartonization to calculate and pack items into boxes accurately and efficiently.