Ready to start tracking and offsetting your shipping emissions? This guide will walk you through setting up CarbonTrail from installation to your first carbon offset purchase.
Step 1: Install CarbonTrail
Head to the Shopify App Store and search for "CarbonTrail," or use the direct install link from our website. Click "Add app" and authorize the required permissions.
We request access to:
- Orders: To calculate emissions for each shipment
- Products: To get accurate weight data
- Shop information: For your warehouse location
Step 2: Configure Your Settings
After installation, you'll land on the settings page. Here's what to configure:
- Warehouse location: Enter your primary fulfillment address. This is the origin point for distance calculations.
- Default product weight: Set a fallback weight for products without weight data (we recommend 500g).
- Offset provider: Choose between Patch and Cloverly for purchasing offsets.
- Auto-offset: Decide whether to automatically offset new orders or review them manually.
Step 3: Review Your First Orders
Once configured, CarbonTrail will start calculating emissions for new orders automatically. Head to the Orders tab to see:
- Estimated CO₂ emissions for each order
- Distance and transport mode used in calculation
- Offset status (pending, purchased, or skipped)
Step 4: Purchase Your First Offset
If you haven't enabled auto-offset, you can manually purchase offsets for individual orders or in bulk:
- Select orders from the Orders tab
- Click "Offset Selected"
- Review the total emissions and cost
- Confirm the purchase
Each offset purchase is recorded with a transaction ID from the provider, which you can use for verification and audit purposes.
Step 5: Add the Customer Badge
Let your customers know about your commitment. CarbonTrail provides an embeddable badge you can add to your store:
- Go to Settings → Badge
- Customize colors to match your brand
- Copy the embed code
- Add it to your theme (footer, product pages, or cart)
What's Next?
You're all set! Here are some things to explore:
- Reports: View monthly summaries and export data for your records
- AI Insights: Get explanations of your emissions and review marketing claims
- Audit Trail: Access complete history of calculations and offsets for compliance
Questions? Our support team is here to help at support@carbontrail.org.