What is the Shopify Order API?

The Order API is part of Shopify's Admin API that lets you programmatically create, read, update, and manage orders. It's used for integrations with fulfillment systems, ERP software, custom dashboards, and automation workflows.

How do I authenticate with the Shopify Order API?

For private apps, use API credentials (API key and password) with basic authentication. For public apps, use OAuth to get an access token. Include authentication in the request header for all API calls.

What can I do with the Order API?

You can retrieve orders (single or list), create orders (for phone orders or migrations), update order details, cancel orders, close orders, and access related data like transactions, fulfillments, and refunds.

What are the Order API rate limits?

The REST Admin API allows 2 requests per second, with a bucket that fills at 2 requests/second up to 40 requests. GraphQL API has a cost-based limit of 50 points per second. Monitor the X-Shopify-Shop-Api-Call-Limit header to track usage.

Shopify Order API: Developer Guide

The Shopify Order API lets you interact with orders programmatically through Shopify's Admin API. It's essential for building integrations with fulfillment systems, ERP software, custom reporting tools, and automation workflows. This guide covers the fundamentals of working with the Order API.

What Is the Order API?

The Order API provides endpoints to:

Retrieve orders: Get order details individually or in bulk
Create orders: For phone orders, migrations, or custom checkouts
Update orders: Modify order details and metadata
Cancel orders: Programmatically cancel orders
Close orders: Mark orders as archived

API Versions

Shopify offers two API formats:

REST Admin API: Traditional REST endpoints
GraphQL Admin API: Flexible queries, single endpoint

GraphQL is recommended for new development due to its efficiency and flexibility.

Authentication

Private Apps

For internal integrations:

Go to Settings > Apps and sales channels
Click Develop apps
Create a new app and configure scopes
Get your API credentials

Use basic authentication or access token in request headers.

Public Apps (OAuth)

For apps distributed to multiple stores:

Register your app in the Shopify Partners dashboard
Implement OAuth flow to get access tokens
Include the access token in the X-Shopify-Access-Token header

Common Endpoints (REST)

Get All Orders

GET /admin/api/2024-01/orders.json

Returns a list of orders. Use parameters to filter:

status - open, closed, cancelled, any
financial_status - paid, pending, refunded
fulfillment_status - fulfilled, unfulfilled, partial
created_at_min / created_at_max - Date range

Get Single Order

GET /admin/api/2024-01/orders/{order_id}.json

Create Order

POST /admin/api/2024-01/orders.json
{
  "order": {
    "line_items": [
      {"variant_id": 123456789, "quantity": 1}
    ],
    "customer": {"id": 987654321},
    "shipping_address": {...}
  }
}

Update Order

PUT /admin/api/2024-01/orders/{order_id}.json
{
  "order": {
    "note": "Updated note"
  }
}

Cancel Order

POST /admin/api/2024-01/orders/{order_id}/cancel.json

Order Data Structure

Key fields in an order object:

id - Unique order identifier
name - Order number (#1001)
email - Customer email
line_items - Products ordered
shipping_address - Delivery address
financial_status - Payment status
fulfillment_status - Shipping status
total_price - Order total
created_at - Order timestamp

Related APIs

Orders connect to other resources:

Fulfillment API: Create and manage fulfillments
Transaction API: Payment transactions
Refund API: Process refunds
Risk API: Fraud analysis

Webhooks for Orders

Instead of polling for orders, use webhooks to receive real-time notifications:

orders/create - New order placed
orders/updated - Order modified
orders/cancelled - Order cancelled
orders/fulfilled - Order shipped
orders/paid - Payment received

Common Use Cases

Fulfillment Integration

Sync orders to warehouse or 3PL systems:

Subscribe to orders/create webhook
Push order to fulfillment system
Update fulfillment status via Fulfillment API

ERP Sync

Connect Shopify to accounting/inventory systems:

Pull orders for financial reporting
Sync inventory from ERP to Shopify
Update customer records

Custom Reporting

Build reports beyond Shopify's standard analytics:

Export orders to data warehouse
Create custom dashboards
Analyze by custom dimensions

Orders and Collections

While orders don't directly reference collections, you can analyze collection performance through order line items:

Track which products from which collections sell
Analyze conversion by collection
Build collection performance reports

Optimize Collections for Sales: AWSM Collections helps you organize products into high-performing collections that can improve discoverability and drive more orders.

Rate Limits

Respect API rate limits:

REST API: 2 requests/second (40 request bucket)
GraphQL: 50 cost points/second

Check the X-Shopify-Shop-Api-Call-Limit header to monitor usage.

Best Practices

Use webhooks: Avoid polling—subscribe to events
Handle errors: Implement retry logic for transient failures
Paginate results: Don't request all orders at once
Store order IDs: Map external systems to Shopify order IDs
Test thoroughly: Use a development store before production

Conclusion

The Order API is the foundation for integrating Shopify with external systems. Whether you're building fulfillment integrations, syncing with ERP software, or creating custom reporting, understanding how to work with orders programmatically is essential. Start with webhooks for real-time updates, implement proper error handling, and respect rate limits for reliable integrations.