Shopify API integration user guideF.A.Q



We have integrated with Shopify API which enables you to sync orders into our system in bulk.


On this page

1. Generate Shopify API key and password

2. Define Shopify shipping and delivery

3. Setup API integration in PFC system

4. Acquire orders in bulk in PFC system

5. Upload TrackingNo to Shopify (beta)

6. FAQs about Shopify API integration


*Important notice*

1. Please note [State] (or Province) and [Phone number] are the required columns in PFC system for order confirmation. Please update your Shopify settings and make it compulsory to enter [State](or Province) and [Phone number] during Shopify checkout for the sake of avoiding unnessary manual update of order info. If State is not commonly used in your country, simply enter the same name as your city.

2. When orders are synced with API, the Shopify order ID would be filled into the [Ref No] column in PFC system. Pease update your Shopify order ID prefix in advance to distinguish the orders if you have multiple Shopify accounts to be added into PFC system as duplicate Ref Nos are not allowed. If you didn't do that, the Shopify order ID will start with #1001 by default under all accounts, but you will only be able to sync one under one order ID using API sync feature. The other orders with the same order IDs can only be created manually.


1. Generate Shopify API key and password

Please login Shopify to generate API key and password. For more details about private apps, please click here to view Shopify help page.

1. From your Shopify admin, click [Apps] at the left navigation bar;

2. Click [Manage private apps] near the bottom of the page;

3. Click [Create new private app];

4. In the [App details] section, enter PFC in the [Private app name] column;

5. Enter your own email address in the [Emergency developer email] column (Shopify uses the email address to contact the developer if there is an issue with the private app, such as when an API change might break it);

6. In the [Admin API] section, select the areas of your store that you want the app to be able to access;

6.1 Select [Read and write] for Fulfillment services;

6.2 Select [Read access] for Locations;

6.3 Select [Read and write] for Merchant-managed fulfillment orders;

6.4 Select [Read and write] for Orders;

6.5 Select [Read and write] for Shipping;

7. Click [Save] after comleted;

8. Click [Create app] in the pop-up dialog.

The API key and password for your app are now displayed on screen.


2. Define Shopify shipping and delivery

1. From your Shopify admin, click [Settings] at bottom-left;

2. Click [Shipping and delivery];

3. Define your shipping and delivery options by clicking [Manage rates] (you can setup general shipping rates and custom shipping rates as needed).

Please rememer the rate name for each country, this will be used for shipping matching at the next step.


3. Setup API integration in PFC system

1. Login PFC system;

2. Go to [Order Manage] > [Order Manage] > [Store-API], or;

3. Go to [Fulfillment] > [Order Manage] > [Store-API];

4. In the default [API Key] tab, Click [Generate] if this is your first time to setup API integration in our system;

5. Click  [Save] in the pop-up window (one API key would be displayed to the right of your customer ID);

6. Switch to the [Shopify] tab, and click [Add];

7. In the pop-up window, enter your shop name (please enter your initial shop/store name when you first registered with Shopify);

8. Copy and paste your API key and password generated in step 1 (please click [Show] to display your password before copying);

9. Select [Enabled] from the two drop-down menus;

10. In the [Transport] section, define your shipping matching rule by clicking [Add];

10.1 Copy your Shopify rate name to the first [Channel] column;

10.2 Select the designated PFC shipping method at the second [PFC Channel] column;

10.3 Repeat above two steps until you have added rules for all your destination countries;

11. Define default declared value and weight when necessary;

12. Select your warehouse if you are using warehouse fulfillment service to ship your Shopify orders;

13. Click [Save] after completed.


4. Acquire orders in bulk in PFC system

When you have completed the above settings, and have orders to ship in Shopify, you can now acquire orders following the steps:

1. Login PFC system;

2. Go to [Order Manage] > [Order Manage] > [Store-API], or;

3. Go to [Fulfillment] > [Order Manage] > [Store-API];

4. To the right of your Shopify store, click [Acquire Oder];

5. In the pop-up window, select your time frame;

6. Select [Paid] for Financial status;

7. Select Fulfillment status when necessary;

8. Select Country when necessary;

9. Click [Acquire Order].

System would process your acquire request and return note when acquiring completed. If the note indicates success, you can then go to [Order Manage] > [Order Manage] > [Order List] > [Draft] to view your drop shipping orders, or go to [Fulfillment] > [Order Manage] > [Fulfillment Order List] > [Draft] to view your warehouse fulfillment orders.


5. Upload TrackingNo to Shopify (beta)

If your orders are synced with Shopify API in our system, then you can upload tracking numbers to Shopify when these orders are shipped out with tracking numbers returned. The orders that are created manually are not eligibile for this feature.

1. Login PFC system;

2. Go to [Order Manage] > [Order Manage] > [Store-API], or;

3. Go to [Fulfillment] > [Order Manage] > [Store-API];

4. To the right of your Shopify store, click [Upload TrackingNo];

5. In the newly opened page, select your desired orders (you can use the search to filter records when necessary);

6. Click [Submit].

You will get a Check Later message after submission, and system is now processing your request by sequence. Please check your Shopify account after a while to verify if the related orders are fulfilled with tracking numbers or not.


6. FAQs about Shopify API integration

Q1. What do I do when I get a Chinese error note saying "未将对象引用设置到对象的实例" or "Not Found"during order acquisitions?

A1. Please make sure you have entered the right shop name. The shop name submitted must be exactly the same with the initial shop/store name when you first registered with Shopify. If you do not remember it, please find it out follow the steps:

1. Go to your Shopify admin;

2. In Admin API setion, find the [Example URL] column below [API key] and [Password] column;

3. From your example URL, select all the characters between @ and .myshopify.com which is your initial shop name, and copy and paste them into PFC API page.


Q2. What do I do when I get an error note saying "[API] This action requires merchant approval for read_orders scope." during order acquisitions?

A2. Please make sure you have approved all the essenstial access in Shopify which include the followings:

1. Select [Read and write] for Fulfillment services;

2. Select [Read access] for Locations;

3. Select [Read and write] for Merchant-managed fulfillment orders;

4. Select [Read and write] for Orders;

5. Select [Read and write] for Shipping;


Q3. What do I do when I get an error note saying "Cannot find the product" during order acquisitions?

A3. If you are using warehouse fulfillment to manage your orders in PFC system, please do remember to add the same SKU for your Shopify products as you have created in PFC system. If you don't do that, the SKU column would be empty when a buyer places an order with you in Shopify, and system cannot acquire this order as it cannot find the Shopify SKU to match with same PFC SKU. If orders are already placed before adding SKUs to the related Shopify products, please create this order manaully or upload in bulk with Excel file in PFC system.


Q4. What do I do when I get an error note saying "Cannot find the channel code" during order acquisitions?

A4. Please check the followings:

1. Please make sure the shipping method you selected in the shipping matching rule is still active. Some shipping methods may expire due to special reasons, you can contact your account manager to recommend a new shipping method for you.

2. If the shipping method is active but you still get this error note, this means the specific country in your order is not supported by this shipping method. In this case, you may need to create order manually or upload in bulk with Excel file in PFC system. It's recommended to upate your shipping rates in Shopify timely so as to avoid repetive errors.


Q5. What do I do when the shipping method matched for orders are not the same with my shipping matching rules after order acquisitions?

A5. Please make sure the rate name you entered in Shopify is exactly the same as you have defined in PFC system for the specific countries. If system fails to match rate names, the shipping method CNAPOST would be used by default for the related orders.

2020-08-20 3126

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