Connecting to Shopify

This section describes how to connect to Shopify from the web, a desktop application, or a headless application. The supported authentication methods are OAuth and OAuthClient.

OAuth

Shopify supports OAuth authentication. In all cases, AuthScheme must be set to OAuth, and you must create a custom OAuth application. See Creating a Custom OAuth Application for more information.

Desktop Applications

Follow the steps below to authenticate with the credentials for a custom OAuth application.

Get and Refresh the OAuth Access Token

After setting the following, you are ready to connect:

• InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
• OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
• CallbackURL: The redirect URI defined when you registered your application.

When you connect, the provider opens Shopify's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application. The provider then completes the OAuth process:

1. The provider obtains an access token from Shopify and uses it to request data.
2. The OAuth values are saved in the location specified in OAuthSettingsLocation. These values persist across connections.

The provider refreshes the access token automatically when it expires.

Web Applications

When connecting via a Web application, you need to register a custom OAuth application with Shopify. You can then use the provider to get and manage the OAuth token values. See Creating a Custom OAuth Application for more information.

Get an OAuth Access Token

Set the following connection properties to obtain the OAuthAccessToken:

• OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.

Then call stored procedures to complete the OAuth exchange:

1. Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. Set the AuthMode input to WEB and the CallbackURL to the Redirect URI you specified in your application settings. The stored procedure returns the URL to the OAuth endpoint.
2. Navigate to the URL that the stored procedure returned in Step 1. Log in and authorize the web application. You are redirected back to the callback URL.
3. Call the GetOAuthAccessToken stored procedure. Set the AuthMode input to WEB. Set the Verifier input to the code parameter in the query string of the redirect URI.

After you have obtained the access and refresh tokens, you can connect to data and refresh the OAuth access token automatically.

Automatic Refresh of the OAuth Access Token

To have the provider automatically refresh the OAuth access token, set the following on the first data connection.

• InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
• OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthAccessToken: The access token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
• OAuthRefreshToken: The refresh token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to the location where you want the provider to save the OAuth values, which persist across connections.

On subsequent data connections, set the following:

• InitiateOAuth
• OAuthSettingsLocation

Headless Machines

To configure the provider to use OAuth with a user account on a headless machine, you need to authenticate on another device that has an internet browser.

1. Choose one of two options:
   • Option 1: Obtain the OAuthVerifier value as described in "Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code" below.
   • Option 2: Install the provider on a machine with an internet browser and transfer the OAuth authentication values after you authenticate through the usual browser-based flow, as described in "Transfer OAuth Settings" below.
2. Then configure the provider to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Option 1: Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code

To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL.

Follow these steps:

1. First, set the following properties:
   • InitiateOAuth: OFF.
   • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
   • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
   Then call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure with the appropriate CallbackURL. Open the URL returned by the stored procedure in a browser.
   • Log in and grant permissions to the provider. You are then redirected to the redirect URI. There is a parameter called code appended to the redirect URI. Note the value of this parameter. Later you will set this in the OAuthVerifier connection property.

Next, you need to exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens.

On the headless machine, set the following connection properties to obtain the OAuth authentication values:

• InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
• OAuthVerifier: The noted verifier code (the value of the code parameter in the redirect URI).
• OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to persist the encrypted OAuth authentication values to the specified location.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then re-set the following properties to connect:

• InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
• OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to the location containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. Make sure this location gives read and write permissions to the provider to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.

Option 2: Transfer OAuth Settings

Before connecting on a headless machine, install and create a connection with the provider on a device that supports an internet browser. Set the connection properties as described in "Desktop Applications" above.

After completing the instructions in "Desktop Applications", the resulting authentication values are encrypted and written to the location specified by OAuthSettingsLocation. The default filename is "OAuthSettings.txt".

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then copy the OAuth settings file to your headless machine.

On the headless machine, set the following connection properties to connect to data:

• InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
• OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to the location of the OAuth settings file you copied from the machine with the browser. Make sure this location gives read and write permissions to the provider to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.

OAuth Client

Shopify supports OAuth authentication using the Client Credentials grant flow. You must create a custom OAuth application, define the required scopes, and install the application on the store where you want to retrieve data. See Creating a Custom OAuth Application for more information.

Note: The Client Credentials flow is available only for applications developed by your own organization and installed on stores that you own.

To connect, set the following properties:

• AuthScheme: OAuthClient.
• OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.