01 / The context
The problem worth solving.
Integrating shipping functionality directly into an application requires handling external API communication, request validation, shipping data models, rates, labels, tracking, and error handling in a maintainable way.
The product
Built a FastAPI-based service that provides a structured backend layer around Shippo's shipping APIs, separating API routes, business logic, schemas, and external service communication.
02 / My contribution
Where I was involved.
Designed and developed the backend service, API structure, validation layer, service layer, and integration with the Shippo shipping API.
03 / System approach
How the pieces fit.
The service separates API routes, business logic, data schemas, and external Shippo API communication into dedicated layers, providing a maintainable structure for the shipping integration.
04 / Engineering details
Inside the implementation.
01External API Integration
- Requirement
- Shipping functionality depends on an external service with its own API models, requests, responses, and failure conditions.
- Implementation
- Created a dedicated service layer to encapsulate communication with Shippo while keeping the application's API layer independent from the external integration details.
- Result
- Produced a cleaner and more maintainable integration between the application and the shipping provider.
02API Structure & Validation
- Requirement
- Shipping operations require structured request data and predictable API responses.
- Implementation
- Used FastAPI and Pydantic schemas to define and validate API inputs and outputs.
- Result
- Created a strongly structured REST API with automatic interactive documentation through Swagger.
Product capabilities
What the system brings together.
- Shipping API integration
- Address validation
- Shipping rate retrieval
- Shipping label generation
- Shipment tracking
- Request validation
- Structured API responses
- Interactive API documentation