Shopify Integration
You do not control the platform, so build assuming it will change.
What is shopify?
Shopify integration means connecting to a hosted platform through its published interfaces, accepting that you control neither the servers nor the release schedule, and that an existing app frequently solves the problem more cheaply than building.
Shopify is hosted, closed and updated on its own schedule. You cannot reach the database, you cannot change the platform behaviour, and you will not be consulted about updates. That is a reasonable trade for not running infrastructure, and it shapes every integration decision.
The practical consequence is that events arrive by webhook, and webhooks are not guaranteed. One can be missed or delivered twice, so any integration that treats them as reliable will quietly lose or duplicate orders. A periodic reconciliation against the platform is not optional.
The commercial consequence is the app store. A large share of what clients ask us to build already exists as an app for a monthly fee, and checking first is usually cheaper than anything we would write.
Why we check the app store first
Duara integrates Shopify from Nairobi for merchants whose store needs to talk to systems Shopify does not know about.
We check the app store before quoting a build. A significant proportion of requests are already solved for a monthly fee, and saying so removes the project, which is why suppliers do not always look.
Who this is for
- Orders are retyped into another system
- Stock differs between Shopify and elsewhere
- You need Shopify data in accounting or ERP
- A previous integration lost or duplicated orders
Industries we serve
- Online retail
- Fashion and apparel
- Electronics
- Health and beauty
- Food and beverage
- Wholesale with a retail arm
Problems this solves
These are the practical realities of building around a platform you do not run.
- Webhooks treated as reliable. A missed or duplicated event silently loses or repeats an order, and nobody notices until the numbers disagree.
- Orders retyped elsewhere. Sales exist in Shopify and get entered again into accounting or an ERP by hand.
- Stock disagreeing between systems. Shopify and your warehouse show different quantities, and overselling follows.
- Building what an app already does. Money spent on a custom build for something available for a monthly subscription.
What we deliver
Integration built assuming webhook unreliability, periodic reconciliation against the platform, an honest check of the app store first, and payment handling appropriate to Kenya.
Integration designed for unreliable webhooks
Periodic reconciliation against Shopify
An honest app store check before any build
Order and stock synchronisation with your systems
Payment gateway handling suited to Kenya
A design that survives platform updates
Features
- Webhooks assumed unreliable. One can be missed or delivered twice, so reconciliation against the platform runs periodically rather than being trusted to events.
- App store checked first. A large share of requests already exist for a monthly fee, and checking removes the project, which is why suppliers do not always look.
- Built on published interfaces. The platform updates on its own schedule and anything relying on undocumented behaviour breaks without warning.
- Kenyan payment reality handled. Shopify own payment product is not available here, so local gateways are part of the design rather than an afterthought.
- Stock direction decided. Which system is authoritative for stock, since two systems both updating quantities is how overselling starts.
Benefits
- Orders stop being lost. Reconciliation catches the events webhooks miss, which is the failure that is otherwise invisible until reconciliation.
- No retyping. Sales in Shopify reach your accounting or ERP without somebody entering them again.
- Less overselling. A single authoritative source for stock removes the disagreement that causes it.
- Money not spent unnecessarily. Checking the app store first frequently costs less than the build it replaces.
Technologies we use
- Admin API integration. Connecting through published interfaces rather than anything that could change without notice.
- Webhook handling with reconciliation. Processing events and periodically checking against the platform to catch what was missed.
- Idempotent processing. Ensuring a repeated event does not create a second order or a second stock movement.
- Stock synchronisation. Keeping quantities aligned with one system authoritative rather than both writing.
- Payment gateway integration. Working with the gateways actually available to Kenyan merchants.
Webhook delivery is best effort rather than guaranteed. Any integration treating events as reliable will lose orders eventually, and the loss is silent, which makes periodic reconciliation the difference between a working integration and one that appears to work.
How the process works, step by step
A Shopify integration usually takes two to five weeks, starting with whether an existing app already does it.
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Step 1
Free store review
We look at what needs connecting and what your store already does through installed apps.
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Step 2
App store checked
We look for an existing app first, and where one fits we say so and the build conversation ends.
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Step 3
Reconciliation designed in
Webhook handling is built alongside periodic reconciliation rather than trusting events alone.
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Step 4
Stock authority agreed
Which system owns quantity, since both writing is how overselling begins.
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Step 5
Live with monitoring
Missed events are reported rather than passing silently, since silent loss is the failure mode here.
Quality assurance and how we work
The commitments attached to building on a platform you do not control.
- We check the app store before quoting. A significant share of requests already exist for a monthly fee, and saying so removes the project.
- We never trust webhooks alone. Delivery is best effort, and an integration treating events as reliable loses orders silently.
- We build on published interfaces only. The platform updates on its own schedule, and anything depending on undocumented behaviour will break without warning.
- One system owns stock. Two systems both writing quantities is how overselling starts, and it is entirely avoidable at design time.
- We are explicit about Kenyan payment limits. Shopify own payment product is not available here, and pretending otherwise wastes a client planning cycle.
Frequently asked questions about shopify
Are Shopify webhooks reliable?
No, delivery is best effort. One can be missed or sent twice, so an integration trusting them alone loses orders silently.
So how do you catch the missed ones?
Periodic reconciliation against the platform alongside webhook processing. It is the difference between a working integration and one that appears to work.
Would an existing app do the job?
Frequently, and we check before quoting. A significant share of requests already exist for a monthly fee.
Why would a supplier not check?
Because finding an app removes the project. We would rather tell you and keep the relationship than build something you could have subscribed to.
Can you access the Shopify database?
No, and nobody can. It is a hosted platform, which is a reasonable trade for not running infrastructure and it shapes every design decision.
What about Shopify Payments in Kenya?
It is not available here, so merchants use other gateways. We treat that as part of the design rather than discovering it late.
Can it sync stock with our warehouse?
Yes, with one system authoritative for quantity. Both writing is how overselling starts.
Will orders reach our accounting system?
Yes, and reconciliation ensures the ones webhooks missed arrive too, which is where most order gaps come from.
What happens when Shopify updates?
Published interfaces are versioned and stable. Anything relying on undocumented behaviour breaks without warning, which is why we do not use it.
How soon can the store be connected?
Two to five weeks, starting with whether an existing app already does what you need.
Can it handle multiple stores?
Yes, and merchants running separate stores by market frequently need consolidated reporting across them.
Does it work with Shopify POS?
Yes, and combining online and in person sales into one view is a common request from merchants with a shop.
What about product data?
It can be managed from another system with Shopify as the published output, which suits merchants whose catalogue lives in an ERP.
Can it handle refunds and returns?
Yes, and they need explicit handling since a refund that does not reach accounting distorts the figures quietly.
Will it slow the store down?
No. Integration runs outside the storefront, so customer facing performance is unaffected.
Do you build Shopify themes?
That is storefront work rather than integration. We would scope it separately rather than bundling it in.
Can it push orders to a courier?
Yes, and fulfilment write back means the customer sees dispatch status without anybody updating it manually.
What if we outgrow Shopify?
Building on published interfaces keeps your data reachable, which matters if you migrate later.
Who can access our store data?
The app credentials you authorise, with scopes limited to what is needed and revocable from your Shopify admin.
What does a Shopify integration cost?
Scope and system count determine it, quoted after the store review and after checking whether an app would do.
Glossary of terms
Shopify terms in plain language.
- Webhook
- An event Shopify sends when something happens, delivered on a best effort basis rather than guaranteed.
- Reconciliation
- Periodically checking against the platform to catch events that were missed.
- Admin API
- The published interface for reading and writing store data.
- App
- An existing extension from the store, frequently cheaper than a custom build.
- Idempotency
- Handling a repeated event so it does not create a duplicate order or movement.
- Fulfilment
- The record of an order being shipped, which is what most warehouse integrations write back.
Related services in Integrations
Talk to us about shopify
Compare your Shopify order count against what reached your accounting system last month. Any gap is webhooks.
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