eCommerce businesses require the use of different software, which relies on data from online stores built on different shopping platforms and marketplaces.
Many online stores are listed on various shopping platforms. Shopify is one of the most popular shopping cart solutions nowadays. Software providers who want to work with e-merchants who sell via Shopify must develop the integration with this platform and use its API.
Shopify integration with third-party software and applications allows those systems to access product, order, and customer data from this platform’s stores. This article describes how Shopify shopping cart API works and what features it offers.
API Meaning
An API is a set of rules and specifications that allow two pieces of software to communicate. An API acts as a go-between, ensuring that data flows back and forth so that each application can understand and work with the data appropriately. APIs offer businesses a convenient solution for integration projects, making the process faster and smoother.
API enables eCommerce software to access data from shopping platforms and use it to perform its core functions. For example, Shopify shopping cart API allows third-party software to connect with this platform and retrieve data related to orders, products, and customers by sending API requests.
API requests are a method of communication that allows a web application to interact with an API by sending queries for content or data. This streamlines the process for developers, who can more quickly access the information their applications need.
There are two types of APIs: SOAP API and REST API. SOAP stands for Simple Object Access Protocol and was one of the first APIs available; SOAP utilizes XML to pass messages, allowing for communication between two programs over the internet. On the other hand, REST stands for Representational State Transfer and is an easier method of transferring information between clients and servers. Compared to SOAP's overly complicated XML-structured protocol, REST simplifies communication by utilizing HTTP requests such as PUT, GET and POST, which send data in a JSON format - making it easier to read.
Shopify Shopping Cart API
Shopify is a leading eCommerce platform that currently runs more than 4 million online stores. It's especially popular in the United States (3 million e-stores), the United Kingdom (182,000+ e-stores), Australia (129,000+ e-stores), and Canada (103,000+ e-stores).
Now, let's explore how to use the Shopify API and what it is. The Shopify API is a tool that allows software providers to receive data from Shopify-based online stores and use it for their purposes.
The Shopify API supports both XML and JSON requests. It also works with GET, POST, PUT and DELETE requests. An interesting issue worth considering is the methods supported by the Shopify API. For example, the Category method can be used to retrieve information about a category or product in a shop. The Customer method can be used to retrieve information about a customer who made an order. The Order method can be used to retrieve information about an order that has been placed in a shop. The Product method can be used to retrieve information about an item in the store.
The Shopify API is constantly being updated. Software service providers who want to work with Shopify store data should keep abreast of these changes—otherwise, the API connection won't be consistent and reliable.
Advantages of Receiving Access to Shopify API
For software providers, integration with Shopify API is crucial when they attempt to introduce their solutions to Shopify sellers.
Shopify API offers developers programmatic access to a variety of data about products, orders, customers, and other information. This data can be incorporated into eCommerce software to help perform core functionality.
For example, multi-channel software requires order data from Shopify to track, manage and ship orders, as well as to update order statuses and create detailed reports for Shopify sellers. Likewise, shipping management systems rely on Shopify order data to allow users to monitor inventory levels and create shipments, shipping labels, etc.
Shopify Integration Development
API2Cart is a service that lets you connect your eCommerce software to more than 40 shopping platforms and marketplaces in one go. The list includes industry giants such as Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, Wix, Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.
API2Cart's unified API allows you to access data from multiple shopping platforms simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate integrations. Moreover, API2Cart offers more than 100 API methods to manage various data related to orders, products, customers, shipments, and categories.
API2Cart handles all of the needed maintenance and upgrades required after integration development. By choosing API2Cart, you can save time, money, and resources. We work 24/7, and you can contact us by chat, phone, or email.
