Define Delivery Options Groups Action

The Define Delivery Options Groups action allows you to set up rules to match and categorize shipping options. This enables you to create logical groups of delivery methods for more advanced customization.

Define Delivery Options Groups Action

Overview

The “Define Delivery Options Groups” action allows you to set up rules to match and categorize shipping options. This enables you to create logical groups of delivery methods that can be used for discounts, hiding/showing options, or applying other delivery-related logic.

Available for Function Types

  • Discount
  • Delivery Customization

Purpose

This action creates named groups of delivery options based on matching criteria. These groups can then be referenced by other actions to:

  • Apply shipping discounts to specific groups
  • Hide groups of delivery options conditionally
  • Reorder delivery options by group
  • Apply different logic to different shipping tiers

Group Definition Methods

By Service Level

Group delivery options by speed or service type:

  • Express Group: Next Day, 2-Day Air, Priority
  • Standard Group: Ground, Regular, 5-7 Days
  • Economy Group: Smart Post, Super Saver
  • Premium Group: White Glove, Scheduled Delivery

By Carrier

Group by shipping carrier:

  • Carrier A Group: All Carrier A services
  • Carrier B Group: All Carrier B services
  • Third-Party Group: External fulfillment options

By Price Range

Group by shipping cost:

  • Free Shipping Group: $0 delivery options
  • Budget Group: Under $10
  • Mid-Range Group: $10-$25
  • Premium Group: Over $25

By Destination

Group by delivery location type:

  • Local Group: Same city/region delivery
  • Domestic Group: National shipping
  • International Group: Cross-border shipping
  • Remote Group: Hard-to-reach areas

Configuration Options

Group Properties

Define each group with:

  • Group Name: Unique identifier for the group
  • Display Name: Human-readable name (optional)
  • Description: Purpose of the group
  • Priority: Order for group evaluation

Matching Rules

Set criteria to include delivery options in groups:

Text Matching

  • Exact Match: Option name equals specific text
  • Contains: Option name contains text
  • Starts With: Option name starts with text
  • Ends With: Option name ends with text
  • Pattern Match: Regular expression matching

Attribute Matching

  • Price Range: Min/max delivery cost
  • Delivery Time: Estimated days to delivery
  • Carrier Code: Specific carrier identifier
  • Service Code: Specific service type

Dynamic Matching

  • Rate Source: Calculated vs. flat rate
  • Availability: Always available vs. conditional
  • Location: Origin warehouse or fulfillment center

Group Logic

  • Inclusive: Option can belong to multiple groups
  • Exclusive: Option belongs to first matching group only
  • Hierarchical: Groups can contain sub-groups

Examples

Example 1: Express Shipping Group

Group all fast delivery options:

Group Name: express_shipping
Matching Rules:
  - Name contains "Next Day" OR
  - Name contains "Express" OR
  - Name contains "Priority" OR
  - Delivery time <= 2 days

Example 2: Free Shipping Group

Group all free delivery options:

Group Name: free_delivery
Matching Rules:
  - Price = $0.00
Include: All carriers

Example 3: International Shipping Group

Group international delivery options:

Group Name: international
Matching Rules:
  - Name contains "International" OR
  - Name contains "Global" OR
  - Service code starts with "INTL_"

Example 4: Carrier-Specific Groups

Separate groups by carrier:

Group 1: fedex_options
  - Carrier code = "FEDEX"
  
Group 2: ups_options
  - Carrier code = "UPS"
  
Group 3: usps_options
  - Carrier code = "USPS"

Use Cases

For Discounts

Create groups to apply targeted shipping discounts:

1. Define "premium_shipping" group
2. Apply 50% discount to premium_shipping group
3. For customers with VIP tag

For Hiding Options

Create groups to conditionally hide delivery methods:

1. Define "express_options" group
2. Hide express_options group
3. When shipping to remote postal codes

For Promotions

Create groups for promotional campaigns:

1. Define "holiday_shipping" group
2. Rename group items with "🎄 Holiday Special"
3. During December only

Advanced Patterns

Pattern 1: Tiered Groups

Create hierarchical shipping tiers:

Tier 1: Premium (Next Day, Same Day)
Tier 2: Express (2-Day, Priority)
Tier 3: Standard (Ground, Regular)
Tier 4: Economy (Smart Post, Saver)

Pattern 2: Conditional Groups

Groups that change based on conditions:

If cart value > $100:
  Include Standard in "free_eligible" group
If customer is VIP:
  Include Express in "free_eligible" group

Pattern 3: Fallback Groups

Ensure coverage with catch-all groups:

Group 1: Specific carrier options
Group 2: Alternative carriers
Group 3: "other_options" (catch-all)

Best Practices

  1. Naming Convention: Use consistent, descriptive group names
  2. Documentation: Document group purposes and rules
  3. Testing: Test with various shipping scenarios
  4. Maintenance: Review groups when adding new carriers
  5. Performance: Optimize matching rules for efficiency

Integration with Other Actions

With Hide Shipping Methods

1. Define groups here
2. Use "Hide Shipping Methods" to hide groups
3. Based on additional conditions

With Shipping Discounts

1. Define groups here
2. Apply discounts to specific groups
3. Create tiered discount strategies

With Delivery Customization

1. Define groups here
2. Rename groups for clarity
3. Reorder groups for better UX

Limitations

  • Groups are evaluated at checkout time
  • Cannot modify actual shipping rates (only for categorization)
  • Group membership is determined by current option attributes
  • Changes to groups don’t affect existing orders
  • Maximum number of groups may be limited

Troubleshooting

Options Not Matching

  • Check spelling and case sensitivity
  • Verify carrier/service codes
  • Test with broader matching rules

Overlapping Groups

  • Review group priority settings
  • Consider exclusive vs. inclusive logic
  • Use more specific matching rules

Performance Issues

  • Simplify complex regex patterns
  • Reduce number of groups
  • Optimize matching order

Regular Expressions

String conditions in delivery customization functions support regular expression matching. Use the RegExp or RegExp* operators to match patterns in delivery option names, addresses, or other text fields.

See the Regular Expressions reference for supported syntax and examples.