Israeli Shipping Manager
Instructions
CRITICAL: This skill is a developer integration guide for BUILDING shipping workflows. You CANNOT look up live package tracking status. If a user asks "where is my package" or gives you a tracking number to check, you MUST:
- Direct them to check on the carrier's official website (Israel Post: mypost.israelpost.co.il, HFD: hfd.co.il, Cheetah: chita-il.com)
- NEVER fabricate or guess package status, pickup location, delivery address, branch name, opening hours, or any other tracking detail. You do not have access to any carrier's tracking system.
- If the user needs automated tracking, guide them to set up a tracking integration (Step 4 below) or recommend the community skill for Israel Post packages.
Step 1: Select Carrier Based on Shipment
Help the user choose the right carrier for their shipment. Ask about parcel size, weight, delivery urgency, destination, and budget. Use this comparison table:
| Carrier | Best For | Speed | Price Range | Pickup Points | Integration |
|---|
| Israel Post (דואר ישראל) | Standard parcels, nationwide coverage | 3-5 business days | Low-medium | Post offices + BOX2GO lockers | Datalogics API, open-source libraries |
| Cheetah (צ'יטה) | Same-day/express delivery | Same day (often within 4 hours) | Medium-high | Limited | Shopify app, private B2B API |
| HFD (Hameritz & Flash) | E-commerce fulfillment | 2-4 business days | Medium | ~1,000 pickup points + lockers | Shopify/WooCommerce plugins, private API |
| Mahir Li (מהיר לי) | Same-day B2B courier | Same day (within 9 hours) | Medium-high | Door-to-door only | Via LionWheel platform |
Additional courier companies use Baldar delivery management software (Tapuz, Hafoz, Isgav, Mach1). If a user mentions "Baldar," ask which specific courier company they use, as Baldar is software, not a carrier.
Locker/pickup services (not standalone carriers):
| Service | Operator | Locations | Notes |
|---|
| BOX2GO | Israel Post + Paz | ~120 Yellow Box lockers at Paz gas stations | Integrated with Israel Post shipping |
| Shlager | Orian | Mobile smart lockers in residential areas | Automated locker network |
| Done | Done (done.co.il) | Lockers at various locations | ~30 NIS/package, max 5 kg, 3 business days |
| SafeLocker | SafeLocker | Malls and shopping centers | Locker-based pickup |
| HFD Points | HFD | ~1,000 nationwide | Part of HFD delivery network |
Selection criteria:
- Delivery speed: Same-day requires Cheetah or Mahir Li; standard allows all carriers
- Parcel size/weight: Heavy or oversized items may limit carrier options. Locker services have size limits.
- Destination area: Center (Gush Dan) has full coverage; periphery (Eilat, Galilee) may have limited options for some carriers
- Budget: Israel Post is cheapest for standard; Cheetah and Mahir Li are premium for speed
- Pickup vs door-to-door: BOX2GO/HFD/Done for self-service pickup; Cheetah/Mahir Li for guaranteed door delivery
- Volume: Mahir Li requires minimum 10 deliveries/day; Israel Post and HFD have no minimums
Step 2: Format Israeli Address
Format addresses correctly per carrier requirements. Run
python scripts/format_address.py --validate
to check format before submission. See references/address-format.md for the complete format specification.
Required fields:
- Street name (שם רחוב) -- in Hebrew
- House number (מספר בית)
- Apartment number (דירה) -- if applicable
- Entrance (כניסה) -- if applicable (common in older buildings)
- Floor (קומה) -- if applicable
- City (עיר) -- in Hebrew
- Mikud/ZIP (מיקוד) -- 7 digits
Special handling:
- Military addresses (APO): Use IDF address format (מספר צבאי). Only Israel Post handles military mail.
- Kibbutzim/Moshavim: Settlement name + house number (no street)
- Industrial zones: Area name + building/company name
- Arab localities: Verify transliteration matches carrier database
Step 3: Generate Shipping Label
Label generation depends on the carrier's integration method:
- Israel Post: Use the Datalogics API (
connect.datalogics.co.il/rest/w_create_shipping
- Cheetah: Use the "Cheetah DeliverIt" Shopify app, or contact Cheetah sales for direct integration
- HFD: Use the "HFD DeliverIt" Shopify app or the "HFD ePost Integration" WooCommerce plugin. HFD also offers a private API for direct integration (contact HFD).
- Mahir Li: Integration via LionWheel platform (lionwheel.com). Contact Mahir Li for business account setup.
All labels require:
- Sender details (name, address, phone)
- Recipient details (name, address, phone)
- Parcel dimensions and weight
- Service type (standard, express, registered)
- Tracking barcode
See references/carrier-apis.md for per-carrier integration details.
Step 4: Set Up Cross-Carrier Tracking
Important: This step is about BUILDING a tracking system for your application, not about looking up individual package statuses. If the user wants to check a specific package right now, direct them to the carrier's website (see the critical note at the top of Instructions).
No Israeli carrier offers a public REST tracking API. Implement unified tracking using one of these approaches:
Option A: Third-party aggregator (recommended)
Use AfterShip, TrackingMore, or WeShip for unified tracking across carriers. These provide documented REST APIs with webhooks.
Option B: Direct integration per carrier
- Israel Post: Scrape tracking via (requires CSRF token handling) or use open-source libraries (
bennymeg/IsraelPostalServiceAPI
- HFD: Track via hfd.co.il or AfterShip
- Cheetah: Track via the RUN system (chita-il.com) or the Shopify app
- Mahir Li: Track via LionWheel
Normalize status codes to a common set:
,
,
,
,
,
,
Poll at configurable intervals (default: every 2 hours). Detect anomalies: package stuck in same status for >48 hours, delivery failures, address corrections.
Step 5: Configure Customer Notifications
Set up automated customer notifications on status changes:
- Shipped: WhatsApp/SMS with tracking number and estimated delivery -- "החבילה שלך נשלחה! מספר מעקב: [X]. צפי הגעה: [DATE]."
- Out for delivery: "החבילה שלך בדרך אליך! צפי הגעה היום עד [TIME]."
- Delivered: "החבילה נמסרה בהצלחה! תודה על הקנייה."
- Failed delivery: "לא הצלחנו למסור את החבילה. נסיון נוסף מתוכנן ל-[DATE]. לתיאום: [PHONE]."
- Pickup ready: "החבילה שלך מחכה לך בנקודת [BOX2GO/HFD/Done] ב-[LOCATION]. קוד איסוף: [CODE]."
Respect quiet hours: no notifications between 22:00-08:00 Israel time.
Step 6: Handle Returns and RMA
Manage return shipments:
- Generate return label with original tracking reference
- Track return shipment back to seller
- Support different return reasons: defective, wrong item, changed mind (14-day consumer protection per Israeli Consumer Protection Law)
- Calculate return shipping cost by carrier
- Update order status when return is received
Examples
Example 1: E-commerce Seller Shipping 50 Packages via Mixed Carriers
User says: "I need to ship 50 orders today, mix of sizes. Some need next-day to Tel Aviv, rest are standard nationwide."
Actions:
- Analyze orders by size, destination, and urgency
- Route express Tel Aviv orders to Cheetah via their Shopify app (12 parcels)
- Route standard parcels to Israel Post or HFD (38 parcels) based on cost and plugin availability
- Format all addresses and validate mikud codes using
scripts/format_address.py
- Generate shipping labels per carrier integration method
- Set up unified tracking via AfterShip and configure WhatsApp notifications
Result: 50 shipping labels generated across 3 carriers. Tracking dashboard set up with WhatsApp notifications configured for each customer.
Example 2: Setting Up HFD Pickup Point Integration for a Shopify Store
User says: "I want to offer HFD pickup point as an option for my online store on Shopify."
Actions:
- Install "HFD DeliverIt" app from the Shopify App Store
- Configure HFD business account credentials in the app
- Enable HFD pickup points as a shipping option at checkout
- Set up tracking notifications: customers get SMS when package arrives at pickup point
- Configure auto-tracking from shipment to customer pickup
Result: HFD integration active. Customers can select from ~1,000 HFD pickup points at checkout and receive pickup notifications.
Example 3: Rate Comparison for Heavy Parcel to Eilat
User says: "I need to ship a 15kg package to Eilat, what are my options?"
Actions:
- Check carrier availability for Eilat (periphery area)
- Use Israel Post rate calculator (public, no auth needed) via
bennymeg/IsraelPostalServiceAPI
- Contact HFD for a rate quote (no public rate API)
- Note: Mahir Li requires 10+ daily deliveries, likely not suitable for single parcels
- Cheetah serves Eilat (branch there) but at premium pricing
- Compare delivery times and costs
Result: Israel Post is the most accessible option with public rate calculation. For better rates on volume, contact HFD directly.
Bundled Resources
References
references/carrier-apis.md
references/address-format.md
Scripts
scripts/format_address.py
python scripts/format_address.py --help
Related Skills
For live Israel Post package tracking, use the israel-post-tracking skill:
| Skill | What it does | Link |
|---|
| Israel Post Tracking | Track packages via Israel Post using Puppeteer with headless Chrome. One-shot status lookup or ongoing monitoring with WhatsApp notifications on status changes. Requires Google Chrome installed. | View skill |
This shipping-manager skill is a
developer integration guide for building shipping workflows. It does NOT track packages. If a user asks "where is my package?", either use the
skill (if installed) or direct them to the carrier's official website. NEVER fabricate package status, pickup location, or delivery information.
Gotchas
- NEVER fabricate package tracking results. You cannot access any carrier's tracking system. If a user provides a tracking number and asks "where is my package," do NOT invent a status, pickup location, branch name, address, or opening hours. Agents that fabricate tracking data provide dangerously wrong information (e.g., telling a user their package is at a specific store when it was already delivered to a different city). Always direct the user to the carrier's official tracking page.
- Israeli carriers do not offer publicly documented REST APIs. Integration is done through platform plugins (Shopify, WooCommerce), private B2B agreements, or third-party aggregators. Agents may attempt to call fabricated API endpoints that do not exist.
- Israel Post delivery zones differ from geographic regions. Shipping time estimates should use Israel Post zone mappings, not straight-line distance calculations.
- Israeli addresses do not use ZIP codes in the US format. Israeli postal codes (mikud) are 7 digits. Agents may validate against 5-digit US ZIP code patterns.
- Friday deliveries in Israel end by early afternoon (before Shabbat). Same-day delivery services do not operate Friday afternoon through Saturday evening.
- Israeli settlement addresses in the West Bank require special shipping handling and may not be supported by all carriers. Verify carrier coverage for these areas.
- COD (cash on delivery) is still common in Israeli e-commerce. Agents may not include this payment option when setting up shipping flows.
- Baldar is delivery management software, not a carrier. If a user says "I ship with Baldar," they mean a courier that uses Baldar (Tapuz, Hafoz, Isgav, Mach1). Ask which carrier specifically.
- Israel Post's website uses bot protection (ShieldSquare/PerimeterX). Automated scraping of tracking or rate data may be blocked. Use the open-source libraries or Datalogics API instead.
Troubleshooting
Error: "Invalid mikud (ZIP code)"
Cause: Israeli mikud must be exactly 7 digits and match the city/street combination.
Solution: Verify mikud at Israel Post's mikud lookup (mypost.israelpost.co.il/zipcodesearch). Common issue: old 5-digit codes -- all Israeli ZIP codes are now 7 digits.
Error: "Carrier API endpoint not found" or "404 on API call"
Cause: Israeli carriers do not have publicly documented REST APIs. The endpoint you are calling likely does not exist.
Solution: Check references/carrier-apis.md for the correct integration method. Use platform plugins (Shopify, WooCommerce), the Datalogics API for Israel Post, or a third-party aggregator (AfterShip, WeShip).
Error: "Address not recognized by carrier"
Cause: Address format doesn't match carrier's database, or Hebrew text encoding issue.
Solution: Ensure address uses UTF-8 encoded Hebrew. Run
scripts/format_address.py --validate
to check format. For Arab localities, verify the carrier accepts the specific spelling. Try alternative transliterations.
Error: "Delivery failed -- recipient not found"
Cause: Common for apartment buildings without intercom or missing entrance/floor details.
Solution: Add entrance (כניסה) and floor (קומה) to address. Configure delivery notification to include recipient phone for courier contact. Consider switching to pickup point (HFD/BOX2GO) for repeat-failure addresses.
Error: "Tracking data not updating"
Cause: Israel Post tracking endpoint requires CSRF token that expires. Bot protection may block automated requests.
Solution: Use the
or
bennymeg/IsraelPostalServiceAPI
open-source libraries which handle token refresh. Alternatively, use a third-party aggregator like AfterShip for reliable tracking.
User asks: "Where is my package?" or provides a tracking number
Cause: The user wants a live status lookup, not a shipping integration guide.
Solution: This skill cannot look up live tracking data. Direct the user to the carrier's official tracking page: Israel Post (mypost.israelpost.co.il), HFD (hfd.co.il), or Cheetah (chita-il.com). For automated Israel Post tracking, recommend the
community skill. NEVER guess or fabricate the package status.