Shopify - Integration Setup

This feature requires additional licensing. Please contact AcctVantage Sales for a quote.

You will first need to create your Shopify store. Your Shopify account rep (or 3rd party consultant) will help with this step. AcctVantage Support & Development staff cannot assist in setting up your web store's general design, layout and customer experience. Our interaction is strictly with the back end data and integration with AcctVantage.

Once the store is setup you can generate the API keys and link the store to AcctVantage (that's what this article is all about!)

Table of Contents

  1. Generate API Keys
  2. Link the webstore to AcctVantage
  3. Setup the Order Settings in AcctVantage

1. Generate API Keys in Shopify

1.1. Open the Shopify Settings page

Log into your Shopify store as the store owner (i.e. admin) and click the Settings button in the lower-left corner.

Shopify - main menu

1.2. Create an app in Shopify

On the left side-bar of the Settings page, select Apps and sales channels then click Develop apps.

This might sound more daunting that it actually is. "Creating an app" is just setting up Shopify to connect to AcctVantage. You do not need to be a programmer to do this.

Shopify - Settings

In the upper-right of the screen, select Create an app.

Shopify - App development

1.3. Name the app

Enter the App name and select the App developer.

For the App name, if you have multiple apps connecting to your Shopify store via API, then you'll probably want a descriptive name, such as "AcctVantage". This would help to distinguish this API integration from any others you may have.

For the App Developer, use the drop-down menu to select the user who you are logged in as.

When finished, click the Create app button.

Shopify - Create an app

1.4. Configure Admin API scopes

Next, select Configure Admin API scopes, which will take you to the Configuration tab.

Shopify - App development - Overview

Under the Configuration tab, you will check the boxes listed below. Scroll down in the Admin API access scopes section and check each of the items listed in the blue box below.

If you miss one, it IS possible to return to this screen and edit the Admin API access scopes.

Shopify - App development - Configuration
  • write_fulfillments
  • read_fulfillments
  • write_assigned_fulfillment_orders
  • read_assigned_fulfillment_orders
  • write_inventory
  • read_inventory
  • read_locations
  • write_merchant_managed_fulfillment_orders
  • read_merchant_managed_fulfillment_orders
  • write_order_edits
  • read_order_edits
  • write_orders
  • read_orders
  • write_products
  • read_products
  • write_returns
  • read_returns
  • write_shipping
  • read_shipping
  • write_third_party_fulfillment_orders
  • read_third_party_fulfillment_orders

1.5. Create API credentials

Finally, click on the API credentials tab and then select Install app.

Shopify - App development - API Credentials

Select Install to generate the Admin API access token.

There are three different API keys and tokens. These are all necessary!

  • API Access Token (you only have one chance to copy this one)
  • API Key
  • API Secret Key
Shopify - Install ...?

Select Reveal token once and then click the copy button to copy the API token to your clipboard.

There is only ONE opportunity to copy the API token. We suggest to copy this to a safe place, such as a text file stored locally on your machine. If you lose this before completing the integration, you'll need to start over at Step 1.2.

Shopify - Admin access token

1.6. API credentials have been created

Now that the API credentials have been generated by Shopify, it's a good idea to copy/paste these immediately into AcctVantage (see next step). You may also wish to copy them to a text file stored locally on your machine.

Shopify - API credentials

2.1. Create a new web integration

Navigate to Administration > System Setup and select Web Integrations from the drop-down menu. Click the ➕ symbol to add a new integration and select Shopify from the list.

System Setup - Web Integrations

2.2. Enter the store details and test the connection

Enter the following store details:

  • Store Description is your personal identifier for this Shopify store in AcctVantage. You can enter any description that you want.
  • Copy and paste the API URL from the address bar of your browser. It needs to be in this format: https://YourCompanyName.myshopify.com/
  • Copy and paste the API Key, API Secret Key and API Access Token from API credentials page in Shopify.
  • AV Shopify License Key will be provided to you by AcctVantage Support.

After entering the above items, click the Test Connection button.

Web Integration - Store Setup

When the connection test is successful, you will see the message below "Shopify successfully contacted" and the Enabled box will be automatically checked.

Now you can proceed with entering the Order Settings. (see next step)

Web Integration - Store Setup (test connection)

3. Set up the Order Settings in AcctVantage

Click on the Order Settings tab to complete the setup. See below for definitions of each setting.

Web Integration - Order Settings
  • Import Source Code: This is a 3-character code that you define. This code is used to tag transactions coming in from Shopify as belonging to this configuration (i.e. Import ID)
  • Check for new orders interval: Establishes the frequency that AcctVantage checks for new orders on your web store.
    • For most users, 1-5 minutes is a good balance.
    • The more often you check for orders, the more resources your server must dedicate to this process. The less often you check for orders, the less frequently inventory levels will be updated.
    • Changes here take effect after the next iteration of the current cycle. In other words, if you change from 60 minutes to 1 minute, you'll wait up to an hour before the 1 minute cycles begin. Restarting the AcctVantage Server app will implement changes immediately.
  • Do Not Import Orders Created Before: This setting tells AcctVantage to ignore orders that have a prior date. This is useful if you've been using Shopify prior to using AcctVantage. For example, you would not want to import orders that have already been processed in a different system or entered manually in AcctVantage.
  • Auto-Create Missing Shipping Methods: Enable this setting to create a new Freight Product (i.e. Ship Via) if the shipping method used in Shopify is missing from AcctVantage.
    • Default Shipment Product Class: Freight Products will be assigned this Product Class if the above Auto-Create setting is enabled.
  • Require Parcel Contents to be Set: In order to upload tracking info to Shopify, parcel detail is required (this is Shopify's rule.) Please see this article for more info -> Parcel Contents.
  • Default Refund Part Number (Non-inventory): This part number will be used if a credit memo is issued via Shopify, but no line items are being returned.
  • Default Discount Part Number (Non-inventory): Create a non-inventory part number that will be used for Shopify discounts.
  • Tax Area: In this field you indicate an AcctVantage Tax Area that is mapped to your Sales Tax liability account.
    • Generally, it is expected that Shopify will have calculated Sales Tax before sending a Sales Order to AcctVantage. AcctVantage will not overwrite the web store's calculated Sales Tax.
    • If you use AvaTax with AcctVantage:
      • It is highly recommended that you also link your AvaTax account to Shopify (so that AvaTax has a record of all orders, regardless of where they originate.)
      • It is also highly recommended to use unique Tax Areas for the AvaTax and Shopify Integrations. This will help you identify where tax was calculated -- even if AvaTax is calculating tax in both places, using separate Tax Areas will ensure that there are no tax conflicts.
  • Payment Methods Mapping: In this table, you map the types of customer payments that are accepted via your Shopify store to corresponding Receipt Types in AcctVantage.
    • You can map more than one Shopify payment method to a single AV Receipt Type.
    • When you use Purchase Order in the AV Receipt Type column, the system will automatically charge the balance due to the customer's A/R instead of importing a payment.
  • Notifications Setup: (see below)
  • Warehouse: Select an AcctVantage Warehouse that will be used to sync inventory levels with Shopify. This warehouse is also used as the fulfillment warehouse for orders imported into AcctVantage.
  • Webstore Inventory Location Name: Warehouse name in Shopify where inventory is stored. Go to Shopify -> Settings -> Locations to set up this location.
  • Sync Product Details: This checkbox indicates if you want to push Product Details from AcctVantage to Shopify.
  • Sync Inventory Levels: This checkbox indicates if you want to push Qty Available (from the selected Warehouse) from AcctVantage to Shopify.
  • Match on SKU: When this setting is checked, the system will match the AcctVantage SKU to the Shopify SKU.
    • If the setting is unchecked, the system will match the AcctVantage Part Number to Shopify SKU (or Title).

3.1. Notifications Setup

Click the Notifications Setup button (above) if you want to set up email notifications or tasks in AV for the Shopify integration.

Shopify - Notifications Setup

Email

  • Email Sent From Account: The email address the notification should be sent FROM.
  • Email Sent From Password: The email password for the above email account.
  • Enable Email on Order Import Success: Check this box to send an email notification for successful order imports from Shopify.
    • Send Import Success Email To: Enter the email address(es) to receive the notification.
  • Enable Email on Order Import Failure: Check this box to send an email notification for failed order imports from Shopify.
    • Send Import Failure Email To: Enter the email address(es) to receive the notification.
  • Enable Email on Web Store Update Failure: Check this box to send an email notification for failed web store updates (inventory levels, product details, etc.) from Shopify.
    • Send Update Failure Email To: Enter the email address(es) to receive the notification.

User Tasks

  • Tasks Created by User: The AcctVantage User account who creates the Task.
  • Task Priority: The priority of the Task.
    • Set Task Alarm: Check this box to enable an alert when the Task requires attention.
  • Enable Task on Order Import Success: Check this box to create a User Task for successful order imports from Shopify.
    • Create Import Success Task For: Select the User(s) who will be assigned the Task.
  • Enable Task on Order Import Failure: Check this box to create a User Task for failed order imports from Shopify.
    • Create Import Failure Task For: Select the User(s) who will be assigned the Task.
  • Enable Task on Web Store Update Failure: Check this box to create a User Task for failed web store updates (inventory levels, product details, etc.) from Shopify.
    • Create Update Failure Task For: Select the User(s) who will be assigned the Task.

Click the "pencil" icon next to each field:

  • To enter multiple email addresses that will receive email notifications.
  • To select multiple Users that will be assigned Tasks in AcctVantage.