Shopify offers a REST API that gives you access to the store’s data. You can use the API to build your own applications or integrate Shopify with other services.
To use the API, you need to register as a partner and create an application. Once you have an application, you can generate an API key and secret to authenticate with Shopify.
Register as a Shopify Partner
Before you can create an application, you need to register as a Shopify Partner. Partners have access to different areas of the developer platform, including the Partner Dashboard where you can manage your applications and billing.
To register:
1. Go to https://partners.Shopify.com/signup.
2. Enter your information and click Sign up.
Create an Application
After you register as a partner, you can create applications from your Partner Dashboard. Creating an application gives you a place to manage your app’s billing and settings, as well as get an API key and secret to authenticate with Shopify.
To create an application:
1. From your Partner Dashboard, click Apps. 2.
Click Create app. 3. Enter a name for your app and click Create app.
Generate Credentials
After you create an app, you need to generate credentials (an API key and secret) to authenticate with Shopify during app installation. The credentials also identify your app when making requests to the API.
You can generate multiple sets of credentials for each app that you create. For example, if you have both a development and production version of your app, then you might want to generate separate credentials for each version. Or if multiple developers are working on your app, then each developer might need their own set of credentials.
To generate credentials:
1. From your Partner Dashboard, click Apps, then click the name of the app that you want to generate credentials for.. In this example, we’ve clicked My App . Click Credentials under Generate API keys in the left-hand navigation menu. Under Admin API , click Generate new private app password .
Private apps are only available for development stores. If this is your first time creating credentials for this particular store , then enter a name for your new private app and click Create private app . If this isn’t your first time creating credentials for this store , then select which existing private app password that you want to use under Use existing private app password , or click Create new private app password . If prompted, enter the password for your development store. Once generated, copy both the API Key and Password . You need these values when installing your app on a store. Click Save .
Install Your App on a Store
After you generate credentials, you can install your app on either a development or production shop by using one of our OAuth authentication flows:
– For apps that require read or write access to resources through the Admin API only (no authorization URL required): Use embedded apps or Custom apps authentication flow. This flow is recommended only if your application doesn’t need any permissions from merchant users.
Note: If using Custom apps authentication flow , make sure Enable Custom apps is checked in Advanced settings > General of the merchant’s Admin under Apps . – For apps that require read or write access to resources through the Admin API only (authorization URL required): Use OAuth authentication (legacy) . – For apps that require read-only access to resources through the Storefront API only: Use Storefront API OAuth . – For apps that require read or write access resources through both the Admin and Storefront APIs: Use App Bridge authentication . After completing one of these OAuth authentication flows , Shopify will redirect back to your specified Return URL with additional parameters in the query string containing information about the installed application. These parameters include an access token which provides temporary secure access to make authenticated requests on behalf of the shop owner. Note: If using App Bridge authentication , then this step is not necessary since App Bridge handles obtaining an access token automatically. For more information on these different OAuth authentication flows , refer to Authenticating with OAuth .
Conclusion
The process of connecting to Shopify’sAPI involves first registering as a partner, creating an application, generating credentials, and then installingyour app on a store using one of Shopify’sOAuth authentication flows.
