How do I connect my Shopify instance to dbaPlatform?

This article will detail all of the steps involved in order to create and install a custom Shopify application so that dbaPlatform may obtain product catalog and inventory count data from Shopify.

**Please note, you must be an admin on the Shopify instance to complete these steps**

There are (3) components needed in order to start the connection process. The following will need to be provisioned by the Shopify administrator and provided to dbaPlatform:

  • Admin API Access Token - The Admin API Access Token provides the ability to read product and inventory data from the Shopify database. In order to do this, a custom Shopify application will need to be created.
  • API Key - This is the authentication key (username) that enables the link between dbaPlatform’s connector and Shopify’s API.
  • API Secret - This is the authentication secret key (password) that enables the link between dbaPlatform’s connector and Shopify’s API.

**Before you can create a custom app for your store, you need to enable custom app development. You need to be the store owner or a staff member with the Enable app development permission to enable custom app development. Please follow these steps to enable the permission:

Steps:

  1. From the Shopify admin, click Settings → Apps and sales channels
  2. Click Develop apps.
  3. Click Allow custom app development.
  4. Read the warning and information provided, then click Allow custom app development.

Create and install a custom Shopify app

After you've enabled custom app development, you can create and install a custom app in your Shopify admin. You need to set API scopes to determine which parts of your store the custom app can access. After the app is installed, you'll receive access tokens that the app uses to access information from your store using Shopify's APIs.

The store owner, collaborators, and staff members with the relevant permissions can create and install custom apps.

Steps to create the app:

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.
  2. Click Develop apps.
  3. Click Create a custom app.
  4. In the modal window, enter the App name and select an App developer. The app developer can be the store owner or any staff or collaborator account with the Develop apps permission.
  5. Click Create app.

Selecting the API scopes

Now that you have created a custom app, you will need to assign API scopes to it so that the proper data is available for transfer. Please follow the steps below in order to assign the proper scopes:

    1. Click Select scopes.
    2. In the Admin API access scopes section, select the API scopes that you to assign to the app.
      1. Under the “Inventory” section: “read_inventory”
      2. Under the “Product Listings” section: “read_product_listings”
      3. Under the “Products” section: “read_products”
      4. Click Save.

    Install the app

    Now that you've set API scopes for your app, you can install the app. You'll get your API access tokens after the installation is performed. Please follow these steps:

    1. Click Install app.
    2. In the modal window, click Install app.

    Obtain the API Credentials for the custom app

    1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.
    2. Click Develop apps.
    3. Click the name of the app that you want the credentials for.
    4. Click API credentials.
    5. Share the API Access Token, API Key, and API Secret with dbaPlatofrm.

    For more detailed instructions, please consult Shopify’s web documentation.