From over 1.75 million Shopify merchants, almost everyone imagines automating and synchronizing their store orders across channels.
At times, products bought from the website are not reflected in the app and are still showing as for sale. Such scenarios can bring unnecessary complexities and prove to be a nightmare to resolve.
One solid solution is Shopify order API to manage multiple shipping vendors and their inventory, order fulfillment, refunds, or migration.
What exactly is Shopify’s order API, its features and benefits, and can a beginner Shopify merchant use API for their store?
Shopify Order API – Quick Takeaway
Before diving into the details, here is a quick takeaway from this post.
- Shopify order API improves the store’s functionality across channels.
- Use API endpoints to follow the customer journey accurately without affecting real-time.
- Hire an expert who is experienced in handling API integrations for ecommerce stores.
Shopify Order API – Broken Down
Though Shopify order API is suited for every Shopify store, it is not for every Shopify merchant. Integrating API and syncing sales channels and inventories is not as easy as using Shopify.
In my Shopify review, I rated the ease of use as 4.7/5, but that’s only for the platform; using API is a whole different thing and requires expertise. Keep reading to know why.
What Is Shopify Order API?
First things first, API stands for – Application Programming Interface. For Shopify, API integration for orders can be crucial, considering the multichannel operations and shipping methods adopted.
Shopify Order API helps you keep track of your orders and inventory at all times and
synchronize all your order fulfillment ways, whether you use a third-party service or do it yourself.
Features And Benefits of Shopify Order API
Bringing our focus on a rather important matter here is the key feature offered by a Shopify API integration for orders – Order Management (create, update, delete, and retrieve orders)
With this, you can improve and fix the way you manage your Shopify store’s inventory. Apart from managing inventory, Shopify Order API also enhances other processes, such as:
- Inventory syncing
- Allows sales channel tracking centrally
- Expert analytics and reporting
Steps To Setup Shopify Order API
REST API is the API from Shopify that helps you manage your inventory better with Shopify API. Here’s how you can set it up.
1. Check API Rate Limits
Note that every API you use has certain limitations. Check out the API rate limits of the REST API here before heading to authenticate.
2. Authentication
Before you start, you must go through an app authentication process. This is a very important step every Shopify merchant who wants to use Shopify API has to take.
3. Connect With Endpoints
You can enhance the functionality and use the Shopify order API with the core endpoints below. These are the primary ways that you can use these endpoints:
- Creating orders
This endpoint helps you create an order without actually claiming your inventory. It helps create newer workflows and import orders.
- Updating orders
This endpoint helps edit details like email, phone, note, tags, meta field, shipping address, etc.
- Retrieving orders
To retrieve the data of a single closed order, you can use this endpoint to get customer information, items, shipping details, order status, etc.
- Deleting orders
With this endpoint, you can cancel, order, and test the post-cancellation behavior of your Shopify store.
4 Advanced Ways To Use Shopify Order API
To crank it up a notch, you can use the Shopify order API in 4 other advanced ways:
- Order risk – This endpoint checks for potential fraud by evaluating orders.
- Refunds – Automate the entire refund process and issue refunds as per policy.
- Transactions – To interact with five types of transactions.
- Webhooks – To get live notifications about the status of the order and trigger actions accordingly.
Note: To see practical examples of all the endpoints listed above and earlier, visit this link of the official Shopify .dev docs.
How Much Data Can Be Retrieved With Shopify Order API?
By default, data only for the last 60 days can be accessed by any order resources. To access older data over 60 days, you must request access to all orders.
Once granted access, you can get information on older data by adding – “read_all_orders” along with “read_orders” or “write_orders.”
But remember, if you don’t have a legitimate use for this, Shopify will restrict access.
Best Practices And Things To Consider For Shopify Order API
While using an order API for your Shopify store, it is necessary that you follow certain practices as protocols for smooth operations.
1. Rate Limits
The most critical practice to follow is to stay within the rate limits. For example, the REST Admin API limits 40 requests per app, per store, per minute. Stretching beyond this leads to an error flashing.
2. Data History Threshold
Secondly, as discussed above, be mindful of the 60-day number limit for data retrieval. Check if you really justify the use and proceed to apply for further access.
3. Hire An Expert
Lastly, delegate the task to an expert if you’re not sound with API and how it works. I am stressing this again because this involves merging multiple channels for smoother functioning.
But if not done properly, it can definitely turn the tide against you!
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Conclusion: Setup Shopify Order API To Automate Your Store
By the end of this article, you will realize that integrating a Shopify order API into your store is not a task for a beginner.
Though this might sound disappointing, using Order API for a Shopify store needs critical assessment and sound technical and coding knowledge, which may only be the case for some.
You, me, or any aspiring e-commerce entrepreneur is definitely expected to be aware of this functionality to improve the performance of their Shopify stores. However, executing the operation should be left to an expert.
Still, I recommend that you learn everything you can about it to be aware of how to boost your Shopify store’s growth.
