Shopware DHL Adapter Error 400: Resolving the 'officeOfOrigin' Parameter Length Limit

Understanding the DHL Adapter Error 400: 'officeOfOrigin' Length Limit

Shopware merchants utilizing the DHL Adapter for shipping label generation, particularly for international shipments (e.g., to non-EU countries like Switzerland), might encounter a specific error: "400: Der Parameter officeOfOrigin darf maximal 35 Zeichen lang sein." (Error 400: The parameter officeOfOrigin may not be longer than 35 characters.) This issue, as highlighted in a recent Shopware forum discussion, can appear suddenly, even without any manual changes to the store's settings or the DHL plugin configuration.

The Problem: Unexpected API Restriction

The core of the problem lies with an update to the DHL API. Previously, the 'officeOfOrigin' parameter, which represents the 'Einlieferungsstelle' (delivery point or office of origin), might have accepted longer strings. However, the updated DHL API now strictly enforces a maximum length of 35 characters for this parameter. If your configured 'Einlieferungsstelle' exceeds this new limit, the DHL Adapter will fail to generate shipping labels, returning the 400 error.

Community Troubleshooting and the Solution

Initial community suggestions on the forum ranged from checking for combined names exceeding the limit to considering if the issue was on DHL's side, possibly a known warning that didn't prevent label creation. However, the definitive solution came directly from Pickware (a common provider for DHL integration in Shopware), as shared by the original poster, Tanny:

officeOfOrigin ist die Einlieferungsstelle in den Plugineinstellungen: Diese hat bei euch 41 Zeichen → die neue DHL API erlaubt nur 35 Zeichen. Wenn ihr diesen Wert entsprechend anpasst, dann dürften die Labels wieder erstellt werden.

Translation: The 'officeOfOrigin' is the 'Einlieferungsstelle' in the plugin settings: This currently has 41 characters → the new DHL API only allows 35 characters. If you adjust this value accordingly, the labels should be created again.

How to Fix the 'officeOfOrigin' Length Error in Shopware

To resolve this error, you need to locate and shorten the 'Einlieferungsstelle' (office of origin) value in your Shopware backend settings. Tanny provided two possible navigation paths, depending on your Shopware version or plugin setup:

Option 1: Via Customer Settings

• Navigate to: Backend → Kunden → DHL → Konfiguration
• Look for the section: (Zollinformationen für internationale Sendungen (in Nicht-EU-Länder)) Einlieferungsstelle

Option 2: Via General Settings

• Navigate to: Backend → Einstellungen → Grundeinstellungen → Weitere Einstellungen → DHL Adapter → Zur Konfiguration
• Within the configuration, find: (Zollinformationen für internationale Sendungen (in Nicht-EU-Länder)) Einlieferungsstelle

Once you've found the 'Einlieferungsstelle' field, simply edit its content to ensure it does not exceed 35 characters. After saving the changes, your DHL shipping labels should be generated without the 400 error.

Key Takeaway for Merchants

This incident underscores the importance of staying informed about API changes from integrated services like DHL. Even minor changes, such as character length limits, can disrupt critical e-commerce processes like shipping label creation. Regularly checking plugin updates and community forums can help in quickly identifying and resolving such issues.