How to plan and record a parcel honestly

You only need four things: a tape measure or ruler that reads in centimetres, a kitchen scale that reads in grams, the box or mailer you actually intend to use, and the link to the item you are tracking. Without the real box and an accurate scale, any weight you enter is a guess.

Write down what you are packing before you weigh it. A single item is easy, but a bundle of five small things is where parcels get heavier than people expect, and where the volumetric number starts to matter.

A package group is just a label you reuse across items, for example Batch 1 or Gifts. Type a group name in the item form and it will appear in the filter list automatically. Keeping groups consistent means the search box and the group filter actually help you.

In the planner you can add an item, assign it a group, and later filter the whole worksheet down to that group. This is the fastest way to see the total picture of a single pack before you commit to a box size.

For every item, enter the item name, the exact URL you found it on, its weight in grams and the group it belongs to. Paste the link while you are still on the page — reconstructing it later from memory is where mistakes creep in.

Once items are saved you can copy any source link back to your clipboard with one button, and the fallback copy path means it still works on browsers that restrict the clipboard. That link is your evidence of where the item came from at that moment.

Weigh an item on its own first, then weigh the whole pack once it is boxed. The planner wants grams, so keep everything in grams to avoid decimal mistakes. If you can only estimate, say so in the notes so future-you knows the number was not measured.

Do not round aggressively. Carriers care about small amounts, and a parcel that reads 1.0 kg from rounding may actually tip past a threshold once packed.

Measure the finished box at its longest point in each direction: length, width and height in centimetres. If the parcel bulges, measure the bulge. Volumetric weight is driven by volume, so bulges and padding matter.

Enter these three figures into the parcel form. Until all three are present the volumetric result stays blank, and the planner tells you exactly what is still missing.

Divisor values are decided by carriers and can differ between services and destinations. That is why the planner does not ship with a default and does not assume a value on your behalf — you enter the figure your carrier or seller tells you.

Volumetric weight is length × width × height ÷ divisor. A smaller divisor produces a larger volumetric weight, which is why shipping can be priced on the space a parcel takes rather than only what it weighs.

The planner shows volumetric weight, actual weight, and an indicative greater value. That last figure is simply the larger of the two, which is often the number a carrier would start from. It is a signpost, not a quote.

Always treat the result as an estimate you built yourself. Rounding conventions, minimum chargeable weights and special rules belong to the carrier and can change the final figure.

Rates, links and stock move. For each parcel, write the date you took the reference and paste where it came from. Months later you will be able to see whether a figure was current or stale.

Use the same habit for items: the source link plus the moment you saved it. If a price or availability seems wrong later, the recorded date explains why the note and reality no longer match.

When you are done, export the item list and the parcel list as CSV files. They download straight from your browser, keep quoted fields intact, and neutralise any text that starts with a formula character so a spreadsheet cannot execute it.

Because everything is stored locally in the browser, the export is also your backup. Clearing the browser or resetting the worksheet removes the data, so export before you tidy up.

A catalogue entry being verified does not mean every product on it still has a live link, the same price or the same stock today. The catalogue identity is confirmed; the status of an individual product link is currently unknown and can change without warning.

That is why the planner stores your own recorded price notes with a date and a source, and why it never displays a price as if it were guaranteed. If the price matters, confirm it with the seller on the day you decide.

A seller photo is a marketing image the seller chose. It shows the item as they want it to be seen, and it is not proof of the exact unit you will receive.

A warehouse QC photo is taken of a specific item during inspection. It is closer to evidence about one real unit, but it still only shows what the inspector photographed, from the angles they chose, on the day they did it.

A tutorial image is someone showing how to use, measure or assemble an item. It explains a process and says nothing about the condition or authenticity of what you will receive.

Most bad estimates come from a handful of habits: measuring the flat item instead of the packed parcel, forgetting to enter a divisor, mixing up grams and kilograms, or trusting a price change quietly. Each one is easy to avoid once you know to look for it.

The planner is deliberately strict about missing inputs. When it refuses to show a volumetric number, it is telling you the estimate would be misleading with the data you have.