Documentation | Label Templates

Overview

The label-templates API delivers production-ready Zebra Programming Language (ZPL) layouts for the most common label sizes used in shipping, compliance, and operations. You can browse template families, inspect placeholder definitions, and render a ZPL snippet by POSTing contextual data. The service is stateless and optimized for low-latency label generation in fulfillment lines or internal tools.

Base URL

https://label-templates.com

Authentication

APIs require a bearer token generated from your dashboard. Tokens are scoped per user and can be revoked at any time. Send the token via the Authorization header.

Authorization: Bearer pk_live_your_api_token

Tokens inherit quotas from your subscription plan.
Rotate credentials periodically and revoke unused tokens in the dashboard.
Do not embed tokens in client-side code; proxy requests through your backend.

Rate limits & quotas

Every plan enforces per-second and monthly quotas. Responses include X-Usage-* headers to help you throttle proactively.

Plan	Requests / sec	Monthly quota
Free	1	500
Plus	5	5000
Business	10	20000
Custom	20	Unlimited

If you exceed a limit, the API returns HTTP 429. Retry after the Retry-After interval or upgrade your plan. Each response includes usage headers:

X-Usage-Limit — Monthly request quota.
X-Usage-Remaining — Requests remaining in the current month.
X-Usage-Reset — Unix timestamp when the monthly window resets.
X-Usage-Policy — Per-second throttle policy.

REST endpoints

All responses are JSON and follow the application/json media type. Examples use curl.

List label sizes

Retrieve the canonical set of supported label dimensions.

GET /api/template-sizes

{
  "data": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "4 x 6 inch",
      "slug": "4x6-inch",
      "width": 4,
      "height": 6,
      "unit": "in"
    }
  ]
}

Render template

Create a ZPL snippet by providing all required placeholders. Responses only include a success flag and the inline ZPL string—no template payloads or personal data are persisted.

POST /api/templates/{template_id}/render

curl -X POST https://label-templates.com/api/templates/12/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "placeholders": {
      "company_name": "Label Templates Inc.",
      "ship_from_address": "500 Howard St, San Francisco CA 94105",
      "ship_to_name": "Jane Smith",
      "ship_to_address_line1": "120 Innovation Way",
      "ship_to_city_state_zip": "Austin, TX 73301",
      "service_level": "2-Day Air",
      "tracking_number": "1Z12345E0205271688"
    }
  }'

{
  "success": true,
  "zpl": "^XA\\n^PW812\\n^LL1218\\n^CI28\\n..."
}

Idempotency & retries

Rendering is idempotent: you can safely retry the same payload if the network fails. Include a unique Idempotency-Key header (UUID v4) if you want request collapsing on our side.

Error handling

Errors follow the JSON:API error object guidelines. Each response includes an application-specific error code.

{
  "errors": [
    {
      "status": "422",
      "code": "PLACEHOLDER_VALIDATION_FAILED",
      "title": "Invalid placeholder payload.",
      "detail": "placeholders.tracking_number is required.",
      "meta": {
        "missing": ["tracking_number"]
      }
    }
  ]
}

Common status codes

400 — Malformed request.
401 — Missing or invalid bearer token.
403 — Token disabled or plan inactive.
422 — Placeholder validation error.
429 — Rate limit exceeded.

Correlation IDs

Every response includes X-Request-Id. Include the value when contacting support for faster traces.

Support & SLAs

Enterprise plans include 24/7 support with a 1-hour response SLA. Free and Plus accounts can email support@label-templates.io during business hours.

Have ideas or need a custom template? Submit a request via the dashboard or contact your customer success manager.