How to get an An Post eCommHub API key
Where the An Post eCommHub API key lives, the account settings that quietly block integrations — API limits, label type, the IP whitelist — and how to connect the key safely.
Short answer
You get an An Post eCommHub API key from the External Connections To The System page in your eCommHub account. For an integration to work, API access must be enabled on the account, the Booking and Other API limits must be above zero, Label type should be set to API, and the IP whitelist should be off. Your An Post account manager can enable API access if you have never used an integration before.
What eCommHub is, and who has it
eCommHub is An Post's platform for business parcel senders. If your business books An Post parcels online today, you are probably already using it — it is the same account you log into at ecommhub.anpost.com.
The API side of eCommHub is what lets shipping software create labels on your account. That is the model EirLink uses: labels are created through your own key, and postage bills directly to your An Post account at your rates.
Where the key lives
- 1Log in at ecommhub.anpost.com.
- 2Open the page called External Connections To The System.
- 3Under API Settings, copy the API key — the whole thing, not a truncated version.
The three settings that quietly break integrations
Most failed connections are not the key itself. They are one of three settings sitting right beside it.
- API limits. Booking and Other control how many requests per minute your key allows. If either is blank or 0, An Post refuses every request. Set both to something sensible like 60.
- Label type. It should be set to API, so labels come back through the interface instead of another channel.
- The IP whitelist. When Use Whitelist is ticked, An Post accepts your key only from the listed IP addresses and rejects everything else — which looks exactly like a bad key from the outside. Untick it if you are connecting an integration.
Treat the key like a password
The key gives label-creation access to your An Post account, so it belongs wherever you keep passwords, not in a shared spreadsheet. Two things worth knowing about how it behaves:
- Regenerating the key in eCommHub kills the old one instantly. Any integration using the old key stops working until you paste in the new one.
- A good integration should verify the key without side effects and store it encrypted. EirLink verifies against the live An Post API with a read-only call and stores the key AES-256-GCM encrypted; you can delete it at any moment.
Connecting the key to EirLink
In EirLink, open Settings, then the Carriers tab, paste the key, and press Verify & save. The check runs against the live An Post API, so a passing check means labels will work. From there, Shopify orders import automatically and labels generate on your account — one at a time, in batches, or from a CSV.
Quick answers
Where do I find my An Post eCommHub API key?
Log in at ecommhub.anpost.com, open External Connections To The System, and copy the key from the API Settings section.
Why does An Post keep rejecting my API key?
Nine times out of ten it is the IP whitelist on the eCommHub account: when Use Whitelist is ticked, An Post rejects requests from anywhere else, which looks like a bad key. Untick it, or ask your An Post account manager to remove the whitelist. Also check that the Booking and Other API limits are above zero.
Does regenerating the key break my integration?
Yes, immediately — regenerating invalidates the old key. Paste the new key into your integration straight after.
Do I need a business account for API access?
Yes. eCommHub is An Post's business platform, and API access is enabled per account. If you have never used an integration, your An Post account manager can switch it on.