The ecommerce industry has experienced many technological advances in recent years, including artificial intelligence, the internet-of-things, augmented reality and blockchain. The ecommerce digital transformation was rapid when 2020 arrived. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many traditional retail outlets were shut down. This led to huge shifts in supply chains and buyer trends.
Customers expect shopping experiences that are convenient, personalized, and dynamic. Buyers are looking for businesses that offer options and cater to their preferences.
Many retailers are trying new ways to meet customer expectations. This requires constant, rapid innovation and adaptation. A disjointed system or technology that is outdated and doesn’t adapt to this new customer mindset is not an acceptable solution.
Ecommerce businesses must be able to move quickly to bring new products to market, update processes and technologies, as well as establish strategic partnerships with other companies before they can compete. Most businesses will find the API economy to be their answer in deciding what next.
App programming interfaces (APIs), which connect applications, technology, websites, are streamlining ecommerce retailer’s processes. API Integrations allow ecommerce developers to quickly transfer data between platforms or softwares and then use this information in one interface.
Shopify allows you to retrieve, update, create and import products using the Shopify product API.
Continue reading to find out more about Shopify’s product API. You can use it to integrate with other solutions, allowing you to access advanced functionality without having to create a new solution.
What is Shopify API?
APIs simplify software development because they allow applications to swap functionality and data. They also guarantee security fast. APIs allow applications and platforms to be opened up to third-party developers and business partners. APIs allow products and services to communicate with each other and use their features, data, functions and documentation.
Shopify API access allows you to create and launch apps that improve the lives and processes of other Shopify merchants or business owners. APIs allow you to access data from Shopify-based commerce shops and create apps with an intuitive interface design. Shopify APIs are compatible with JSON and XML. They can also handle HTTP requests like POST, GET and DELETE.
Ecommerce API Integrations
APIs enable different platforms to communicate with one another. You could, for example, integrate Shopify with an account of a third party and import your order data and shipment data to their system. This solution will streamline your shipping operations.
Ecommerce fulfillment APIs allow businesses to automate and coordinate, manage, and streamline their operations. They provide features like order fulfillment, courier management, labeling, invoicing, shipping information, tracking and confirmations, and printing shipment information.
It is much easier and quicker to create products on your website using Shopify API. You can quickly access your product feed and add thousands of products to your catalog.
Extended Functionality
APIs enable software components to communicate by sending and receiving requests.
It allows you to extend the functionality of your website, mobile app, or application so that you can do more quickly. It makes it easier to share information.
Scalability
APIs enable you to connect to any system and program without having to make any modifications to the system, program or hardware. Connecting to any system takes only a few lines of code and allows for more complex transactions to be handled.
Advanced Security
APIs increase security by using security measures like encryption before users can request data from your system.
An authentication process is required to interact with Shopify’s API REST Admin. Authentication refers to the process of authenticating the identity of the user, or app asking for information. All Shopify API-connected apps must authenticate in order to request information.
Authorization refers to the process of giving permissions for apps. Private apps can be authorized by merchants to access Shopify data. An app could submit API requests to allow access to product data and media from a particular store.
Reusability
Because APIs are service-oriented, they can be used across platforms and for other applications. Developer productivity is increased by reused programs, which reduces development time and effort.
Synchronization
You can integrate your online store with other programs and applications using API platform integration to create a platform that suits your business needs. You can then seamlessly sync your operations workflow.
Integrating systems allows one company to access the software and applications of other companies through asynchronous requests. This allows it to manage its data and shipping channels as well as its product and service offerings.
What is the Shopify Product API?
Shopify’s product API lets developers extract product information from a database. This includes product ID, variant descriptions, pricing titles and specifications.
Shopify’s product API pulls detailed information automatically from any store page or ecommerce product page. You can find complete pricing information, product descriptions, images, product specifications, product IDs (SKU), etc. You can also find information about brands and other relevant data.
Product APIs allow you to monitor parent resource products’ visibility and availability. You can make direct queries to a database using the product API. This allows you to pick and choose which information you want to use from an API response. You can request a single product image per variant. This allows you to be more flexible and responsive to your company’s needs. It also makes it easier to manage products efficiently.
Shopify Product API Endpoints
Shopify allows you to request information via the following Admin REST API endspoints.
- Make a new product. /admin /api /2022-01 /products.json
- Get a complete list of products /admin /api /2022-01 /products.json
- Take one product with you: /admin /api /2022-01 /products /{product_id}.json
- Get a count of the products you have purchased: /admin /api /2022-01 /products /count.json
- Update a product /admin /api /2022-01 /products /{product_id}.json
- You can delete a product /admin /api /2022-01 /products /{product_id}.json
This resource allows you to create and update multiple versions of the same product by using product variants. Simple configuration options allow you to add or modify product images.
You can find a complete list and additional Shopify API educational resources on their blog. Also, check out the monthly API features roundup.
Are You Ready to Allow Flxpoint’s Shopify Product Integration?
Shopify was designed from the ground up to be modular, making it easy for ecommerce merchants to set up stores that meet their specific business requirements. You can customize your store with plug-and-play options that will improve the customer experience and increase your marketing efforts. Developers can use the Shopify API to create integrations that improve merchants’ product information management and marketing.
API integrations and the right technology can make managing your ecommerce inventory, orders, and product information much simpler. Flxpoint lets merchants integrate with Shopify as a source or channel. This allows you to combine data from multiple sources, run your store more efficiently, and has a user-friendly interface design. For more information, visit Flxpoint’s reference documentation and blog posts.
Paginate Shopify Products with Product REST API
You have now learned how to display Products with Shopify Product API. You have one problem. You want products to be displayed with pagination. The only solution is to create an array and display the products according to their keys.
It’s not a bad idea, but it does require a lot of work.
Shopify Product API (version 2021-7 and above) has a link header you can use to request paginated REST Admin API endpoints. That’s what we’re going learn today.
Be aware that you need to know how to use Shopify API before you can proceed.
If this is your first time reading our tutorial, we recommend you to read it below.
Getting Started
You can only create pagination using API version 2021-01 or later. If you are using an older version of the API, we recommend that you go to your app settings to update your API version.
Understanding how the product API works is another important aspect. You can return 50 products per page by default. However, you have the option to increase this number to 250 products.
Each page will have a list of links (aka. You will find page information in the header. This will allow you to navigate to the next or previous set.
This is how it works: Let’s assume we have 200 products and want to display 10 of them per page.
If we are already on the first page of our products, then the API will only give us one link in the header that will allow us to move to the next page.
If we are on page 2, the API will provide two links in the header. One for the previous page, and one for page 3.
You can go on and on.
RESTAP Function
You should know that the following functions are available if you’re new to PHP. This PHP file contains a function that allows API calls. This function is required to access Shopify API.
Displaying Products
If you’ve been following us for some time, you likely know how to show Shopify products using PHP or Shopify API.
Next, we will limit our API. Let’s assume that we only want 5 products displayed per page.
We need to create an array in which we specify how many items we wish to display. This is done using the parameter limit.
Awesome! We’re only showing the first five products.
Previous and Next Buttons
We have now successfully displayed and limited our products. Let’s make the buttons we will use to navigate to the next page…and the previous page.
Functions Updating.php
You’ll likely experience the exact same bug if you use the same function as we did to develop Shopify apps.
You might believe that the problem is solved if you only use it to return Shopify’s reply.
You can use the function to obtain headers for pagination. The link header will be the first thing you notice.
This is due to the ‘colons” in the header.
The functions.php is just using the explode() function for creating an array for the head. Next loop through the array and explode again using colon. This is also where the problem begins to emerge.
The function explode will not work because URLs are separated by a colon (https ://)).
Let’s now update our functions.php.
File functions.php can be found in the inc folder.
It’s very simple. We only need to add a limit for our explode function. The explode function should stop if it reaches the first separator.
The code below simply creates a new variable, and retrieves the headers.
Then, underneath the $products variables, we verify each value using foreachfunction.
The following output should be produced.
You can clearly see the difference if you pay attention. Link Key only a value ; rel="next" .
This is because the remainder of its value has been converted to an HTML tag rather than a string.
If you visit your inspector, you’ll see that everything was included with the tag.
We can solve this problem by creating our own function that extracts the string from the angle brackets.
Now, open your file and add the following code just below your Rest_api() function.
Scripting Shopify Page with AJAX
We have everything we need for pagination and display of our products. Let’s now use AJAX to retrieve previous and next products.
The Pagination Script
Let’s now create a new PHP script to run our AJAX. We’ll name it pagination.php.
We need to first get all the information we need, such as our access token and shop subdomains, and data values we received through AJAX.
Next, create all the headers you need. Check if your link header has two page_infos. If not, retrieve the default value.
Next, create another set and verify that the $link_array number is greater than 1. If it is, we will take the page_infos for each link array. If not, we will just take what is provided.
Last but not least, the variable will be created for our frontend to display next set of products.
This is not the end, however.
Let’s convert everything to JSON and send it back to AJAX.
Congratulations if you’ve reached this point. This tutorial will show you how to create pagination using your Product API. There are many other ways, but this tutorial will give you an overview of how pagination can be created for Product API.
Shopify API Delta Full Product Export
Introduction
Shopify API Delta Full Product export allows you to centralize and quickly export products from the Productsup platform into a Shopify shop. The Shopify API Delta exports updated product data within minutes, rather than taking hours or days to complete. For feeds that contain more than 100,000 products, the entire file may take up to 24 hours.
Requirements
- Productsup added a
parent_skuattribute to Dataflow in order to group items by a shared value. This enhancement allows items and sub-items to be grouped by a shared value with this export. - You must connect the
parent_skuattribute. Theparent_skuvalues for items and sub-items must be the same. The long-sleeve t-shirt must have the sameparent_skuas its sub-item,small sleeve. - Different products should not share the same
parent_skuvalues.
Set up export
To add the Shopify Delta (Full Products Export) to Productsup:
- From your main menu, go to Exports
- Select EXPORT to search for Shopify Api Delta (Full Product Export).
- Select Add. If you wish, give it a name and then select Add.
- Select Add Destination, then choose Shopify (Products) from the drop-down menu in the export setup. You can optionally customize the destination’s name in .
- Enter the Shopify URL in Shop URL to export your orders.
- Enter the Shopify API Key that you have received.
- Enter the Password Shopify has provided.
- For the feedback import option, you will need to perform steps 9 and 10. Otherwise, proceed to step 12.
- Switch Feedback import from On to continue the feedback import process. This option is for you if an error file should be returned to the platform after your data export has finished.
- Select the column you wish to receive feedback in Main feed connector column.
- Enter the column connecting to your feedback import in Feedback connection column.
- You can change the destination from Active or On.
- Select Save.
- Before you can export, make sure to update your Delta files. Scroll down to Delta files at bottom of export setup page, and click Update Files.
- Choose Save Only Once and then Close.
- When you return to the export setup page, you should see the Delta file statuses. Refresh the page if you don’t see the Delta file statuses.
