What Is a Shipping Manifest? Types + Tips

A single missing detail on a shipping manifest can hold your cargo at customs for days—costing you money and damaging customer relationships. For ecommerce businesses shipping bulk inventory or relying on international delivery, getting this document right the first time matters.

A shipping manifest lists everything in a shipment: what’s inside, who’s sending it, who’s receiving it, and how to handle it along the way. It’s the paperwork that keeps cargo moving smoothly through ports, warehouses, and customs checkpoints.

In this guide, you’ll learn what goes into a shipping manifest, the different types you might need, and how to create accurate documents that keep your shipments moving.

What is a shipping manifest?

A shipping manifest is a detailed document listing all items in a shipment—quantities, weights, dimensions—plus the parties involved, shipping addresses, and handling instructions. While ecommerce merchants can use manifests for individual shipments to enhance accuracy, they are typically used by companies that process bulk shipments, especially international shipments sent overseas by container or cargo ship. Manifests help verify shipments against orders, resolve disputes, and expedite the customs clearance process.

When a business or carrier generates a shipping manifest, it includes a tracking number and barcode. As a shipment moves through logistics centers, ports, terminals, and container freight stations, dock and warehouse workers scan the barcodes to provide shippers with real-time updates. Ecommerce merchants can use this information to keep customers informed about their deliveries.

Shipping manifest vs. bill of lading

Bills of lading and shipping manifests are both types of shipping documents shippers use to work with carriers, but there are a few key differences. 

• A bill of lading serves as a legal document that outlines the agreement between a shipper and carrier during the transportation of goods, authorizing the transfer of those items. 

• A shipping manifest is an administrative document that serves as a record of inventory in a cargo shipment, the parties involved, and specific instructions for the shipment.

Businesses shipping bulk inventory commonly use a single shipping manifest to detail the cargo contents and a bill of lading for each separate shipment within that cargo.

What’s included in a shipping manifest?

What goes into a shipping manifest depends on your items, carrier, and the rules and regulations for the jurisdictions of both the sender and the recipient. Most manifests include these core elements:

Description of goods

A detailed account of items included in the shipment, including product types, stock keeping unit (SKU) codes, quantities, and item conditions (like new, used, or refurbished). Shipping manifests can cover bulk shipments with multiples of one item, or several different items in one shipment, with every product type requiring its own description. Inaccuracies here cause customs delays and disputes.

Packaging details

The weight and dimensions of packages, including a description of packaging materials and information about containers. Carriers use this to calculate shipping costs and plan loading—errors here can result in unexpected fees or refused shipments.

Consignor and consignee information

Names, addresses, and contact details for both the sender (consignor) and the recipient (consignee).

Origin and destination

The pickup and shipping addresses for the shipment, including details like the destination port or distribution center.

Carrier information

Details about the shipping agent, including the carrier’s name and contact information. 

Freight charges

A breakdown of all costs covered by the shipper, including base freight rates, fuel surcharges, handling fees, insurance, and customs duties (taxes on imported goods). Correct figures prevent billing disputes at delivery.

Tracking number

A unique manifest number that carriers can use to update order status, often with a barcode for quick scanning.

Customs documentation

Shipping documents to facilitate the customs clearance process for international shipments, including a certificate of origin and import and export licenses. Missing documents mean your shipment sits at the border.

Special handling instructions

Any specific handling instructions for fragile items, hazardous materials, dangerous goods, or perishable goods—like required temperature settings or loading and unloading directions.

Types of shipping manifests 

Businesses use one of several types of manifests, depending on the shipment:

• Freight manifest. Also known as a cargo manifest, this document details all of the goods being transported on a ship, aircraft, or freight truck, along with a breakdown of any freight charges.

• Container manifest. This document lists the contents inside a single shipping container. Depending on the shipment, carriers may include individual container manifests for each container, as well as a freight manifest covering the entire multi-container load.

• Reefer manifest. A reefer manifest details all perishable goods in a temperature-controlled space such as a refrigerated shipping container, as well as how to maintain the quality of those goods, including permissible temperature variance or humidity levels. Use this when shipping perishables like food, flowers, or pharmaceuticals.

• Import general manifest. An import general manifest (IGM) is for businesses exporting goods to international markets. Import general manifests help customs authorities review shipments and clear them for delivery in an importing country.

• Out-of-gauge manifest. An out-of-gauge (OOG) manifest is for shipments that are too large for a standard shipping container, such as heavy machinery or vehicles. OOG manifests include detailed information about how to load and unload oversized cargo. 

• Dangerous cargo manifest. This type of manifest applies to shipments of hazardous materials or dangerous goods, such as biological samples, flammable liquids, and compressed gases. It includes essential information for safe handling, including loading and unloading instructions and an emergency phone number in case of an accident. Check carrier guidelines for what qualifies as hazardous.

Why is a shipping manifest important?

A shipping manifest provides a crucial function for businesses that use cargo shipments, especially with international destinations. Here’s why:

• Accuracy. Shipping manifests ensure smooth shipping processes for freight and international shipments by helping shippers and carriers confirm that the contents of cargo are accounted for and in good condition.

• Compliance. Shipping manifests are essential regulatory compliance documents that port authorities and customs officials use to keep a record of goods and accept them for entry.

• Safety. Since a shipping manifest often includes a detailed description for cargo handling, like loading and unloading instructions, it can ensure the safe transportation of goods, especially fragile, temperature-controlled, or hazardous materials.

• Tracking. Businesses use shipping manifests for tracking shipments since shipping carriers and dockworkers scan manifests at each stage of a shipment’s journey.

Shipping manifest example

A US-based company that manufactures and sells office supplies might receive a bulk order from a business in Australia. The US office supply company generates a shipping manifest and includes it with that shipment. As the shipment moves between logistics centers, warehouse workers scan the barcode on the manifest to keep them informed about the shipment’s location. 

When the shipment reaches a shipping port, dockworkers and crane operators load it into a container and onto a cargo ship. Upon arrival at the destination port in Australia, customs officials verify the shipping manifest and customs documentation. From there, port operators transfer the shipment onto a freight truck. Once the bulk inventory reaches the buyer’s fulfillment center, warehouse workers scan the manifest and unload the shipment into their facility for last-mile delivery.

Tips for creating and deploying shipping manifests

1. Use an order management system (OMS)
2. Establish a verification process
3. Work with a reliable third-party logistics (3PL) provider

Three best practices can help you create accurate shipping manifests for your business:

1. Use an order management system (OMS)

An order management system (OMS) is a software tool businesses use to facilitate the entire shipping and fulfillment workflow, from creating shipping labels through tracking orders to their destination. An OMS helps minimize errors in bulk or international shipments and supports more accurate deliveries.

For example, Shopify merchants can create shipping manifests for USPS shipments directly through Shopify’s shipping tools. When you generate a manifest on the Shopify admin dashboard, the system groups eligible shipments under a single scannable barcode for the carrier. This allows shipping companies to scan one barcode instead of individual packages, making drop-offs and pickups faster and reducing the risk of missed scans. 

2. Establish a verification process

Write a standard operating procedure (SOP) with clear, step-by-step instructions for using shipping manifests. Include directions for how your warehouse team should verify each manifest before shipment. This could cover confirming that all fields are complete, ensuring the manifest reflects the actual shipment contents, and cross-referencing details against other related documents, like bills of lading, purchase orders, commercial invoices, and packing lists to ensure consistency.

3. Work with a reliable third-party logistics (3PL) provider

Consider partnering with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider—a company that handles logistics operations for other businesses, including generating shipping manifests. A reliable 3PL provider can support merchants who don’t have the capacity to handle order fulfillment in-house or need to scale their operations.

One of the best ways to find a reliable 3PL provider is by joining a fulfillment network where you can compare shipping costs and delivery times from different providers. For example, Shopify merchants have access to the Shopify Fulfillment Network, where they can choose from trusted 3PL partners and manage the fulfillment process from one dashboard.