Skip to main content

Configure the Stacking Engine on Service Area Level in the Dashboard

This article explains how to configure the stacking engine for a service area by adding metadata variables in the dashboard.

Support avatar
Written by Support
Updated today

If you don’t know what the stacking engine does, read the introductory article first.

To configure the Stacking engine, it has to be enabled first. Please contact our team for more information.

Overview

Where to configure

You can switch to the Actual Routes mode of the stacking engine and configure variables that influence the stacking algorithm in the metadata tab of a service area.

  1. Open Settings

  2. Go to the Service Areas section

  3. Click on the Service area you want to configure to open its details page

  4. Open the Metadata tab

  5. Click on + Add Metadata

  6. Add a Key and its value (you can find the variables in the next section)

  7. Click Add

For step-by-step visual guidance on adding, editing, and deleting metadata, refer to the article Manage Metadata of a Service Area in the Dashboard.

Configure variables and switch to Actual Routes mode

Before switching to the Actual Routes mode it makes sense to first configure the variables that influence how the algorithm works. If you use the Basic mode, you can only configure the Scheduled at time difference variable in the Dashboard.

Max delivery time (mandatory)

  • Sets the maximum delivery time for the stacked tour in minutes

  • Example: if the value is set to 50, the stacked tour won’t exceed 50 minutes

  • The delivery time is calculated from the route's first stop (pickup) to its last stop (drop-off). The approach distance—or duration—a driver needs to reach the first stop is not included. This is because we don't know which driver will complete the tour at the time of stacking.

  • Key: auto_merger_max_delivery_time_minutes

  • Value: e.g. 50 (can’t be less than 1)

Max added time (mandatory)

  • Sets the maximum additional time a stacked tour can take compared to a non-stacked tour or potential stacking candidate in percentage; meaning the detour a driver would take to fulfill a stacked tour instead of a non-stacked one.

  • Example: if a non-stacked tour takes 10 minutes and the value is set to 100, the stacked tour can be up to 20 minutes long

  • Key: auto_merger_max_added_time_percentage

  • Value: e.g. 50 (minimum value: 0)

Max distance (optional)

  • Sets the maximum distance for a stacked tour in meters

  • Example: if the value is set to 8000, the distance from first to last stop of the stacked tour won’t be longer than 8km

  • Similar to the max delivery time, the approach distance is not considered. It only looks at the distance from first to last stop.

  • Key: auto_merger_max_distance_meters

  • Value: e.g. 8000

Scheduled at time difference (optional)

  • Sets the maximum time difference that tours are allowed to have between each other to be considered as a potential stacking candidate

  • Example: if the value is set to 20, tours can have a scheduled time within ±20 minutes of each other. This means a tour scheduled for 5:30pm can be merged with tours scheduled between 5:10pm and 5:50pm

  • The time difference is based off of the tours scheduled_at time

  • Also configurable in the Basic mode

  • The default value is 15 minutes

  • Key: scheduled_at_time_difference_min

  • Value: e.g. 20

Actual Routes mode

  • Switches to the Actual Routes mode

  • Set this metadata entry last (after configuring the other variables), as it will immediately affect the stacking engine

  • Key: auto_merger_strategy

  • Value: actual_route_delivery_time

  • To disable the mode again, either delete the entry, leave the value empty or change it to basic

Related Articles
Pricing
Release Notes July 2025
Create and enable a Service Area
Manage Metadata of a Service Area in the Dashboard
Introduction to the Stacking Engine
Did this answer your question?