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GLS

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Important

GLS is discontinuing its current Shipments WebAPI by 12/31/2026. Its successor is the ShipIT Farm API, which offers more stability, full service support, and OAuth2 security. To keep using GLS from within Xentral after that date, you need credentials for the ShipIT Farm API.

Note

As of: 11/2026

Currently, you can only store your GLS app credentials in the GLS integration. More information on using the shipping method and on the migration will follow.

With the GLS integration, you connect Xentral to the GLS ShipIT Farm API. To do so, you create an app in the GLS Developer Portal, have GLS activate it, and then store the credentials in Xentral.

Prerequisites

  • You work with GLS as a business customer.

  • You know your GLS Contact ID. You can find it in your GLS contract documents.

Creating credentials at GLS

GLS issues the credentials for the ShipIT Farm API directly to you. Xentral cannot request them on your behalf. To get them, you create an app in the GLS Developer Portal and have the GLS IT customer support activate it. The portal interface is in English.

Tip

Video tutorial: Creating credentials for the GLS integration

Would you like to get an overview of creating your GLS credentials in just a few minutes? Then our video tutorial is just right for you. Watch it now!

Creating an app in the GLS Developer Portal

  1. Open the GLS Developer Portal at dev-portal.gls-group.net and register or log in.

  2. Click on your email address in the top right corner and then on My Apps.

  3. Click on + new app and enter a name in the New App form, e.g., your company name.

  4. For each of the following interfaces, click on Enable or Request:

    • Authentication API v2

    • ShipIT-Farm API v1

    • Customs API v3

  5. Click on Save.

Requesting activation from GLS

  1. In My Apps, open the details of your app and note down the App ID.

  2. Send an email to it-kundensupport@gls-germany.com and ask for the ShipIT Farm API and the Customs API to be activated. Include the email address from the portal and the App ID.

    GLS informs you as soon as the app is activated.

You can use the following template for the email:

Subject: Activation of ShipIT Farm API and Customs API

Dear GLS IT customer support,

Please activate the ShipIT Farm API and the Customs API for my app in the GLS Developer Portal. I would like to use them to create my GLS shipping labels from Xentral.

Email address in the GLS Developer Portal: [your email address]
App ID: [your App ID]
Company: [your company name]

Retrieving the API key and API secret

  1. After the activation, open the details of your app in My Apps.

  2. In the API Keys area, copy the key.

  3. Click on Show secret and copy the secret.

Caution

Treat the API key and API secret like a password and do not share them with third parties.

Storing the credentials in Xentral

As soon as you have the API key and API secret from GLS, you create the GLS integration in Xentral. A wizard guides you through the setup in three steps: Credentials, Details, and Review.

Important

Create only one GLS integration. Currently, it is only intended for the credentials.

Installing GLS and starting the wizard

  1. Navigate to Settings > Integrations and click on New integration.

  2. On the Integrations page, enter "GLS" in the Search field.

  3. Depending on whether GLS is already installed in your system, you have two options:

    1. GLS is not installed yet: Click on the GLS card (Shipping service provider, Free, by Xentral) and then on Install.

    2. GLS is installed (Installed area): Click on the GLS card.

      Xentral opens the Create new GLS integration wizard.

gls-katalog.png

You can find general information on the catalog and the installation in the article Adding a new integration.

Step 1: Credentials

In the first step, you enter the credentials you received from GLS.

  1. Carry out the settings based on the following table.

  2. Click on Test connection.

  3. As soon as Xentral displays Connection successful., click on Next.

gls-assistent-schritt1-zugangsdaten.png

Field name

Description

Environment

Select Production. Use the Sandbox environment only with a GLS test app.

API Key

Paste the API key of your app from the GLS Developer Portal.

API Secret

Paste the API secret of your app from the GLS Developer Portal.

Contact ID

Enter your GLS Contact ID. Xentral transmits it to GLS with every shipment.

Step 2: Details

  1. In the Name field, enter a unique name under which you can find the integration in the overview, e.g., "GLS".

  2. Click on Next.

gls-assistent-schritt2-details.png

Step 3: Review

  1. Check the summary. If needed, you can adjust the name by clicking on Change.

  2. Click on Create integration.

gls-assistent-schritt3-ueberpruefen.png

Xentral creates the integration and displays it under Settings > Integrations.

gls-integrationen-uebersicht.png

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find my Contact ID?

In your GLS contract documents or from your GLS account manager. If you have been using the GLS (API) shipping method so far, it is usually the GLS Contact ID stored there. Enter only the Contact ID, not the GLS Customer ID. If GLS rejects the Contact ID, ask GLS whether it is activated for your app.

The connection test fails. What can I do?

Check the following points:

  • The API key, API secret, and Contact ID are pasted completely and without spaces.

  • Production is selected in the Environment field.

  • GLS has activated your app.

I renewed the API key and API secret at GLS. What do I need to do in Xentral?

Navigate to Settings > Integrations and open your GLS integration by clicking on the gear icon. In the Credentials area, enter the new values, click on Test connection, and then on Save credentials.

Who can help me?

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