Last reviewed October 6, 2026 by Effective Data's EDI specialists.
When the 945 is used, and which way it travels
The 945 is a primary transaction for remote warehouse communication, working alongside the 940: the seller submits the 940 to retrieve goods from the third-party warehouse, and the 945 is the warehouse's response.
It provides the seller with reconciliation data comparing shipped versus ordered quantities, which is what turns a warehouse instruction into a closed loop.
Key information includes shipment identification, origin and destination details, transportation methods, service levels, shipment dates and item quantities.
Also called the Shipping Advice. Same document, same number.
The segments, and what each one carries
The published X12 structure, minus the segments most partners never use. Each partner's implementation guide narrows this further: which qualifiers, which identifiers, how many decimals. That guide, not the standard, is what your file is validated against.
| Segment | Name | Part | What it carries |
|---|---|---|---|
| ST | Transaction Set Header | Header | Identifies the document as a 945 and opens the control number the trailer must match. |
| W06 | Warehouse Shipment Identification | Header | The shipment number, the shipping order it answers, and the ship date. |
| N1 | Party Identification | Header | Ship-from warehouse and ship-to destination. |
| G62 | Date/Time | Header | The dates that matter: shipped, estimated delivery. |
| W27 | Carrier Details | Header | How it actually moved: carrier, transportation method and service level. |
| LX | Assigned Number | Detail | Numbers the line loops. |
| W12 | Warehouse Item Detail | Detail | What actually shipped, per item: quantity shipped against quantity ordered. |
| W03 | Total Shipment Information | Summary | Total units, weight and volume shipped, as the integrity check. |
| SE | Transaction Set Trailer | Summary | Closes the set. Segment count and control number must match the ST. |
- ST Transaction Set Header Header
- Identifies the document as a 945 and opens the control number the trailer must match.
- W06 Warehouse Shipment Identification Header
- The shipment number, the shipping order it answers, and the ship date.
- N1 Party Identification Header
- Ship-from warehouse and ship-to destination.
- G62 Date/Time Header
- The dates that matter: shipped, estimated delivery.
- W27 Carrier Details Header
- How it actually moved: carrier, transportation method and service level.
- LX Assigned Number Detail
- Numbers the line loops.
- W12 Warehouse Item Detail Detail
- What actually shipped, per item: quantity shipped against quantity ordered.
- W03 Total Shipment Information Summary
- Total units, weight and volume shipped, as the integrity check.
- SE Transaction Set Trailer Summary
- Closes the set. Segment count and control number must match the ST.
Why yours is being rejected
Every EDI provider publishes what an 945 is. What matters in production is why one fails, and these are the failure modes we can put a source against today:
-
Shipped and ordered that never get compared. The 945 exists to reconcile shipped versus ordered quantities; a seller who books it without comparing it to the 940 finds shortages when the retailer deducts, not when the warehouse reported.
-
Totals that disagree with the lines. The W03 shipment totals must reconcile with the W12 item detail, and a document that fails that arithmetic fails validation.
If one of these is happening to you right now, skip to the bottom of the page and describe it. Diagnosing rejected documents is most of what we do.
The documents the 945 travels with
Frequently asked
+ What is an EDI 945?
A transaction set document used by a warehouse to notify a trading partner that a shipment was made. It serves as a primary transaction for remote warehouse communication.
+ What information does a 945 include?
Shipment identification, origin and destination details, transportation methods, service levels, shipment dates and item quantities.
+ How do the 940 and 945 work together?
The 945 responds to the 940 that the seller submits to retrieve goods from a third-party warehouse, and it carries the reconciliation data comparing what shipped against what was ordered.
+ What is the difference between a 945 and an 856?
The 945 is the warehouse telling the seller what shipped. The 856 is the advance ship notice to the retailer or distributor describing the delivery on its way. In a 3PL flow the 945 commonly provides the data from which the 856 is built.
Is your 945 failing, or being mandated by a partner?
Describe the situation and a named EDI specialist will tell you what it takes, including when the answer is that you do not need us.
Or call 847.969.9300Answered by a named EDI specialist on the same business day. If we are not the right answer we will say so on the first call.