First Label Guide

This page is a preparation guide, not a label-purchase tutorial.

Technical sequence

The public API's technical workflow is create an Order, retrieve Shipment rates, select a rate, purchase a Label, then download the binary Label asset. The Order-to-Label Workflow documents the request sequence.

Product gate before Label purchase

Label purchase is state-changing. In Production it can carry real cost, so confirm account funding and carrier readiness before a purchase.

Sandbox is different, and Sandbox is the single page that states how — what that environment establishes, and the things Mailhub does not publish for it. Read it there rather than assuming either way. A purchase is state-changing in Sandbox too: what it creates stays until you deal with it.

If a purchase's outcome never reaches you, read the bounded repeat contract before you resend: a repeat of the same purchase request replays its outcome rather than buying a second Label, and a request that is not the same purchase is refused — see Buy a Label for the two conditions that bound it. The API does not publish a reconciliation workflow or cancellation financial-outcome policy.

Use Make Your First Request for a safe read-only check, then follow the account preparation process in Prepare Your Mailhub Account.