Choose or create a shipping profile Choose or create a shipping profile
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Choose or create a shipping profile

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When you list a product on Whatnot, you’ll choose a shipping profile.

A shipping profile contains item-level details and tells Whatnot how your item should ship. It includes the item’s packed weight, which is used to:

  • Calculate shipping costs at checkout

  • Determine eligible shipping services

  • Generate the correct shipping label

  • Group items into shipments using Smart Bundling™

For most items, you can use a suggested shipping profile. If you need more control or your item needs special handling, you can create a custom profile.

On this page: 

Suggested vs. custom shipping profiles

Suggested shipping profiles

Suggested profiles are the simplest option. They:

  • Use your item’s packed weight

  • Automatically apply Smart Bundling™

  • Require no extra setup

  • May vary by category

If you’re new to selling or shipping standard items, start here.

Custom shipping profiles (optional)

Custom profiles give you more control and can be reused across listings.

They’re helpful if you sell:

  • Fragile items (glass, ceramics, plants)

  • Bulky or heavy items

  • Pre-packaged or boxed items

  • The same item type repeatedly

With a custom profile, you can:

  • Save specific weights

  • Set incremental weight for bundled items

  • Limit how many items ship together

  • Add box dimensions or choose a Flat-Rate box (US sellers only)

How bundling works with shipping profiles

By default, Whatnot uses Smart Bundling™  to group items into the most cost-effective shipments based on total weight and size.

For most sellers, no extra setup is needed.

When bundling changes

Bundling behavior only changes if:

If a max bundle size is set

  • Items only bundle with other items using the exact same shipping profile

  • Bundling stops once the max number is reached

Example: If you set a max bundle size of 3 for an item and a buyer orders 4 → 3 ship together, 1 ships separately.

If no max bundle size is set, Smart Bundling™ continues automatically across listings, even when they use different profiles, unless another item has a max bundle limit. 

Choose a shipping profile when listing

You’ll select a shipping profile while creating or editing a product listing.

Tip: Always choose the true packed weight. Underestimating weight can lead to postage due later. Overestimating can overcharge buyers and affect bundling.

When creating a listing: 

  1. From the app or whatnot.com, open Seller Hub
  2. (On web) Go to your Inventory
  3. Select Create a Product
  4. Under Shipping Profile or Weight, choose a suggested or custom profile

You can update the shipping profile for active listings at any time.

Create a custom shipping profile 

Once created, a custom shipping profile can be reused for new or existing listings.

Create a custom profile in the app
  1. Tap Seller Hub at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap the menu (≡) in the top right.
  3. Scroll down and select Shipping.
  4. Tap Shipping Profiles.
  5. Tap the + icon.
  6. Fill out the profile details.
  7. Tap Save.
Create a custom profile on web
  1. Open Seller Hub.
  2. In the left menu, click the ▼ icon next to Shipments.
  3. Select Shipping Profiles.
  4. Click Create Shipping Profile.
  5. Fill out the profile details.
  6. Click Publish.

To edit or delete a custom profile, follow the same steps and select the profile you want to update.

Custom shipping profile fields

When creating a custom profile, you’ll complete the following:

Field What it means Example
Name (required)

Choose something you’ll recognize easily.

Label by item type, weight, or size.

“Skateboard deck,” “Heavy gowns,” “4-inch Funko”


 
Weight and scale (required)  Enter the total weight of one item including packaging, and choose the unit of measurement.  20 Ounce
Bundling options – Set max number of items in one package (optional)*

Limits how many of this item can ship together.

Useful for fragile, bulky, or boxed items.

You can also:

  • Enter custom box dimensions (optional), or 
  • Select a Flat-Rate box (US sellers only)
 Set max bundle size to 1 for a fragile vase so it never bundles 
Bundling options – Set a fixed weight for additional items (optional)* If the first item includes packaging and additional items won’t when bundled, enter a lower, incremental weight for each additional item. First item = 20oz (includes packaging),  each additional = 15oz (just the item) 
Update active listings (only appears when editing)

When editing a profile, you can apply changes to active listings that use it. 

Sold listings aren’t affected.

 ✅ = updates listings in your shop

*Note: Bundling options aren’t supported in Germany, the UK, or the Netherlands.

When to set a max bundle size

Set a max bundle size if you’re shipping:

  • Fragile items that shouldn’t combine

  • Heavy or bulky items that don’t fit together

  • Pre-packaged or boxed items you don’t want combined 

Leave it off for small or lightweight items. Smart Bundling™ usually handles these best and helps avoid splitting up orders into unnecessary shipments, keeping shipping costs lower. 

Related resources 

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