Introduction
This article is Part 2 of our Shopify Products API Guide. If you haven’t read the first part yet, we recommend starting there: Shopify Products API: Complete Guide for SaaS Developers (2025) (Part 1).
In Part 1, we covered the basics of working with the Shopify Products API, including how to create, update, and delete products programmatically.
Now, in Part 2, we’ll go further and explore advanced operations — managing product images, working with attributes, and handling the Shopify product categories list. These features are essential for SaaS providers building PIM systems, shipping tools, multichannel platforms, or order management software, as they ensure accurate product data, smooth catalog organization, and better automation across channels.
Managing Product Images with Shopify API
High-quality visuals are essential for conversions. According to Shopify’s blog clear and professional product images help build trust and improve customer experience.
The Shopify product image API enables developers to:
- Upload new product images;
- Update existing visuals (alt text, position, or replacement);
- Delete outdated images;
- Sync images across variants.
For SaaS tools like PIM, shipping, or OMS platforms that provide the functionality to manage products it is important to access products, images and other details. Using API2Cart methods such as product.image.add, product.image.update, and product.image.delete such systems can easily add, update and delete product images and other product info.
Working with Shopify Product Attributes
Shopify product attributes — such as SKU, weight, dimensions, size, or color — are the backbone of eCommerce automation. With millions of online stores worldwide competing for customer attention, consistent product data becomes a real competitive advantage (Statista).
SaaS that need to access product attributes to implement their core functions have to deal with product API in Shopify. If they choose integration solutions like API2Cart they can use its API methods like product.attribute.list. It allows SaaS providers to get list of attributes and values and as a result provide the following features for online store owners:
- Auto-sync inventory across systems;
- Power search filters and personalized listings;
- Reduce errors in shipping, pricing, and reporting.
These attributes also form the basis for creating variants, where combinations of size or color define unique SKUs.
Shopify Product Categories List
Unlike many platforms, Shopify doesn’t use a classic category tree. Instead, developers work with collections, tags, product types, and vendors to manage the Shopify product categories list.
For SaaS providers building catalog management or SEO tools, Shopify categorization is critical. Using API2Cart category.list API method to get product categories, developers can implement the following features:
- Build automated collections for dynamic grouping;
- Use tags for flexible filtering (“new arrivals”, “eco-friendly”);
- Leverage metafields for advanced categorization.
The method returns the following info:
{
"return_code": 0,
"return_message": "string",
"pagination": {
"previous": "string",
"next": "string",
"additional_fields": {},
"custom_fields": {}
},
"result": {
"categories_count": 0,
"category": [
{
"id": "string",
"parent_id": "string",
"created_at": {
"value": "string",
"format": "string",
"additional_fields": {},
"custom_fields": {}
},
"modified_at": {
"value": "string",
"format": "string",
"additional_fields": {},
"custom_fields": {}
},
"name": "string",
"short_description": "string",
"description": "string",
"stores_ids": [
"string"
],
"keywords": "string",
"meta_description": "string",
"meta_title": "string",
"avail": true,
"path": "string",
"seo_url": "string",
"sort_order": 0,
"images": [
{
"id": "string",
"http_path": "string",
"file_name": "string",
"mime-type": "string",
"size": 0,
"create_at": {
"value": "string",
"format": "string",
"additional_fields": {},
"custom_fields": {}
},
"modified_at": {
"value": "string",
"format": "string",
"additional_fields": {},
"custom_fields": {}
},
"alt": "string",
"avail": true,
"sort_order": 0,
"type": "string",
"additional_fields": {},
"custom_fields": {}
}
],
"additional_fields": {},
"custom_fields": {}
}
],
"additional_fields": {},
"custom_fields": {}
},
"additional_fields": {},
"custom_fields": {}
}
This ensures products are easier to find, improves search accuracy, and enhances customer navigation.
API2Cart: A Unified Way to Work with Shopify Products API
Building and maintaining direct integrations with Shopify can be resource-intensive, especially when you also need to connect with other platforms. API2Cart solves this by providing a unified API that connects your software to Shopify and 60+ eCommerce platforms (Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, PrestaShop, etc.) at once.
With API2Cart, SaaS teams can save months of development, reduce maintenance costs, and scale integrations across multiple platforms with one unified API.
Want to learn how to create, update, and delete products? Go back to Part 1 of this guide.
Start with a free 14-day trial and see how API2Cart simplifies Shopify product API integrations.
Conclusion
The Shopify Product API ecosystem provides everything developers need to manage product data — from adding and updating to deleting products, handling images, attributes, and categories. For eCommerce software providers, mastering these APIs is the key to building scalable, automated, and reliable solutions. Using a unified integration service like API2Cart further accelerates development and reduces complexity, allowing your software to support not only Shopify but also dozens of other platforms with one integration.
