PrestaShop Dropshipping with AliExpress: Step-by-Step Tutorial (2026)

PrestaShop is a popular open-source store platform in Europe, and with Build the Drop it works with AliExpress for dropshipping: you sell on your own shop and the supplier ships each order directly to your customer. This tutorial walks through the whole flow, from installing the module to shipping your first order, and explains what is specific to PrestaShop: combinations, categories, taxes, languages and order states.

What you need before you start

• A PrestaShop 1.7, 8 or 9 shop served over HTTPS. Build the Drop only connects to shops on https://.
• The basic shop setup done: languages, currency, carriers and shipping zones, and at least one payment module tested end to end.
• A carrier on every order: the tracking number is saved on the order's carrier, so orders without one can't show it.
• A back office employee account that can install modules, to upload the Build The Drop module and approve the connection.
• An AliExpress account to connect as your supplier.

The full flow, step by step

1. 1Install the module: Modules → Module Manager → Upload a module, and upload the Build The Drop .zip. Download it here.
2. 2Connect your shop: Dashboard → Stores → PrestaShop, enter your https:// URL, click 'Connect PrestaShop' and approve the request in Modules → Build The Drop → Configure, in the same browser.
3. 3Connect AliExpress as your supplier from Dashboard → Suppliers, so Build the Drop can place your orders.
4. 4Find products: search AliExpress from Build the Drop, check each product's score and import the ones you want to sell.
5. 5Set your price rules before importing, so every product reaches PrestaShop with your margin already applied.
6. 6Reviews: on Starter and above, AliExpress product reviews are imported and the Build The Drop module shows them on your product pages, with star ratings in product lists. Photos are included from Pro.
7. 7When a customer pays, the order moves to a paid state in PrestaShop and the module notifies Build the Drop. The order appears in your dashboard ready to fulfill.
8. 8Place the order on AliExpress with one click (Free and Starter) or let it be placed and paid automatically with auto-pay (Pro and Business).
9. 9When the supplier ships, Build the Drop saves the tracking number on the order and moves it to 'Shipped', which emails your customer.

Prices, taxes and languages

• Prices are created without a tax rule, so your customer pays exactly the price your price rule gives. If you sell to consumers in the EU, build VAT into your price rule.
• Products with combinations take the lowest price as the base price, and each combination adds its difference.
• The title and description are written in every active language of your shop. Edit them in Build the Drop: when you update them there, they replace what is in PrestaShop.
• Titles longer than 128 characters, PrestaShop's limit, are shortened.

Orders and tracking

Each PrestaShop shop can rename or add order states, so Build the Drop doesn't rely on their names. It looks at what the state means: whether it counts as paid, shipped, cancelled or refunded. The module notifies Build the Drop every time an order changes state.

• States that are not paid yet, such as 'Awaiting bank wire payment' or 'Awaiting check payment': the order waits and isn't sent to AliExpress.
• Paid states, such as 'Payment accepted' or 'Processing in progress': the order is ready. Place it with one click, or it is placed automatically if auto-pay is active.
• 'Canceled', 'Payment error' and 'Refunded': these changes are reflected in Build the Drop too, so you can see which orders not to fulfill.
• Tracking: PrestaShop has a single tracking number per order, so Build the Drop saves the tracking numbers shipped so far there. When everything has shipped, the order moves to 'Shipped' and PrestaShop emails your customer the tracking link.

What's automatic on each plan