The Global Settings section provides three key configuration options that control your default shipping behavior and overall setup.
1. Default Shipping Tax Status
This setting controls the default shipping tax status applied when adding a new shipping method.
- Taxable
Sets the shipping tax status to Taxable by default for all newly created shipping methods. - None
Sets the shipping tax status to None by default for all newly created shipping methods.
2. Debug Mode
This is a troubleshooting tool designed to help identify and resolve shipping configuration issues.
Enable/Disable
Use the toggle to turn Debug Mode on or off.
Important: Keep “Debug Mode” disabled on live sites. Enable it only when you need to troubleshoot shipping-related issues.
What Happens When Enabled
- Caching is disabled.
- Detailed logs and error messages become available under WooCommerce → Status → Logs.
- Shipping methods are visible only to users with the Administrator or Shop Manager role.
When not to enable it
- Leave it off during normal store operation — debug mode produces verbose logs and can slow the site.
- Avoid long periods of debug on a live store (logs may contain customer data).
What to look for in the log
- Which shipping rules ran and which were skipped, with the reason.
- API request/response details for carriers.
- Visibility checks (user state, matched rule).
- Errors, warnings, or unexpected condition evaluations.
- Timestamps so you can match actions to logs.
Safety & best practices
- Prefer reproducing issues on a staging site when possible.
- If you must debug on production, enable for a short window and then disable.
- Redact or avoid sharing full logs publicly — they may contain customer PII. Share relevant snippets with support instead.
3. Shipping Origin
Here, you can set the address you ship from, such as your warehouse or fulfillment location. This origin replaces the default WooCommerce Store Address for shipping calculations. All shipping costs are calculated from this address to the customer’s delivery location.
This setting is especially important when using carrier live rates, as accurate origin information is required to retrieve correct real-time shipping prices.
What to Configure in Fulfillment Location
⚠️ Important: Check the Fulfillment Location details 2 or more times to ensure complete accuracy. Verify there are no spelling mistakes in the city, state name, or any other fields. Avoid typos at all costs, as even minor errors will prevent accurate live rate calculations from carriers.
- Address line 1: Primary street address of your fulfillment center/shipping origin
- Address line 2: Suite, unit, or building number (optional)
- City: City where your fulfillment center/shipping origin is located
- State: State/province name of the shipping origin (e.g., CA or California)
- Zip/Postcode: ZIP or postal code associated with the shipping origin
- Country (ISO Code): Two-letter/Alpha-2 country code (e.g., US, CA, BD) – Explore Country Codes