When you think, “I want to automate the tasks I do every day in the Shopify admin” or “I want to connect data with external systems,” the first technology to learn is the Shopify Admin API.
This article is written for those who want to find out what the Shopify Admin API is. We will organize the information by focusing on "What is the Shopify Admin API used for?" and "When is it used?"
What is the Shopify Admin API?
The Shopify Admin API is a mechanism for programmatically working with data in the Shopify admin. Normally, when changing products or inventory, you update them manually from the admin, but the Shopify Admin API lets you process admin tasks programmatically.
The flow of how the Shopify Admin API works is as follows.
- Read management screen data externally
- Rewriting data on the management screen from outside
- Automate update work with periodic processing
However, this does not mean that you can touch anything freely. You can only operate within the permissions (scopes) set for the app, and you can restrict the range of access.
Main features that can be operated with Shopify Admin API
The following is a summary of operations that can be performed using the Shopify Admin API in a form that is often used in practice.
example:
- Product registration/update
- Acquisition/update of inventory quantity
- Get order information
- Obtaining/updating customer information
- Reading and writing metafields
When do you need the Shopify Admin API?
The Shopify Admin API is primarily used in the following situations:
If you want to automate your store operations
In the Shopify admin, you do a lot of the work manually.
example:
- Automate inventory synchronization every morning
- Toggle product publishing at the campaign start time
- Automatically tag customers who meet the criteria
Automating manual tasks performed in store operations reduces work time and prevents mistakes. With Shopify, you can automate in-store operations and daily tasks by using custom apps that have permissions for the Shopify Admin API.
If you want to link data with an external system
The Shopify Admin API is also used to integrate Shopify data with other systems. In particular, if a core system exists separately from the Shopify store, it is often used to link e-commerce data and internal system data.
example:
- Send order data to core system
- Synchronize inventory with core systems
- Link accounting software and sales data
- Synchronize customer information with CRM
By using the Shopify Admin API, you can link data from Shopify and external systems to improve the efficiency of your overall business.
Two types: REST Admin API and GraphQL Admin API
There are two types of Shopify Admin APIs: REST Admin API and GraphQL Admin API.
What is the Shopify REST Admin API?
REST Admin API is an API whose functions are separated by URL.
| operation | example | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| GET | /products | Get product list |
| POST | /products | Create new product |
| PUT | /products/123 | Update product information |
| DELETE | /products/123 | Delete product |
REST has a simple structure, so it is easy to understand even if you are new to APIs. On the other hand, when handling multiple pieces of data at once, the number of requests tends to increase.
Please note that Shopify treats the REST Admin API as legacy. Check the official pages “REST Admin API reference” and “GraphQL Admin API reference.”
What is the Shopify GraphQL Admin API?
GraphQL Admin API is an API that allows you to specify and retrieve the data you want to retrieve.
You can retrieve only the items you need as follows:
- Get only product name
- Get only the number in stock
- Get only the order number and customer name
Since you can obtain only the data you need, it is easier to reduce the amount of communication. Another feature is that multiple data can be retrieved at once with a single request.
For example, if you want to get a list of products, you can get the data by executing the following query.
{
products(first: 10) {
edges {
node {
id
title
handle
status
totalInventory
priceRangeV2 {
minVariantPrice {
amount
currencyCode
}
}
featuredImage {
url
altText
}
createdAt
updatedAt
}
}
pageInfo {
hasNextPage
hasPreviousPage
}
}
}
Difference between REST and GraphQL and how to choose
The main differences between REST and GraphQL are:
| item | REST | GraphQL |
|---|---|---|
| API design | Endpoints are separated for each resource and operation. Express operations using HTTP methods. | One endpoint. Designed as a set of schemas (types) and Query/Mutation. |
| Data acquisition | are acquired all at once. | Get only the items you need. |
| number of requests | Easy to increase. Multiple HTTP requests are required when spanning related resources. | Easy to reduce. Related objects can be retrieved in one request. |
Please note that starting April 1, 2025, the use of the GraphQL API is required for new public apps to be submitted to the App Store.
The REST Admin API will become a legacy API on October 1, 2024. All apps and integrations must be built using the GraphQL Admin API.
Quoted from About REST to GraphQL migration
If your existing implementation is working properly with REST, you can continue to use it as is, but if you are doing new development or adding features, use the GraphQL Admin API.
First try it with the GraphiQL app
There are several situations in which you can use the Shopify Admin API. Here we will introduce the "Shopify GraphiQL app", which can be completed by simply configuring it within your Shopify store.
What is the Shopify GraphiQL app?
The Shopify GraphiQL app is a developer tool for testing and exploring the Shopify Admin API.
With this app you can:
- Run and test GraphQL queries: You can directly run queries that retrieve store data and check the results
- Explore the API schema: see all available data fields and objects
- Build and validate queries: Build queries and check for errors with auto-completion
- Development and debugging: Helps you verify functionality when developing custom apps and integrations
To use the Shopify GraphiQL app, you must first install the app. You can use it by entering the necessary settings from “Shopify GraphiQL App Installer” and installing it on the store.
After installation, you can select "Shopify GraphiQL App" from the list of apps and run the Shopify Admin API at any time.
GraphiQL app: Installation settings screen
GraphiQL app: Installation settings screen 2
GraphiQL app: Specify Shop URL to install
GraphiQL app: Click “Install”
GraphiQL app: Query input screen
GraphiQL app: You can also choose which API to use
App: After installation, you can select from “Shopify GraphiQL App”
On the Shopify GraphiQL app, order data and customer data can be retrieved using queries.
For reference, please also check the article ``Get the total number of customers using Shopify's GraphQL Admin API.''
Shopify Admin API rate limits
The Shopify Admin API has rate limits, and there is a possibility of errors regardless of how it behaves, so countermeasures must be taken at the design stage.
Shopify's official limits vary depending on the API type and store plan. For example, the GraphQL Admin API has a mechanism called query cost, which calculates cost based on the amount of processing required by a query.
In order to use the GraphQL Admin API efficiently, keep the following points in mind and you will be less likely to reach the rate limit.
- Get only the fields you need
- Avoid unnecessary nesting structures
- Minimize the number of items retrieved on a connection (first / last)
For details on the rate caps for each API, please see “API limits” and “REST Admin API rate limits”.
Additionally, new versions of the Shopify API are released quarterly (every three months), and stable versions are supported for a minimum of 12 months. It is important to regularly check for version updates.
Reference: Utilizing Shopify Admin API with Shopify Dev MCP server
When using the Shopify Admin API to obtain store information and develop a custom app, you may encounter situations such as ``I don't know how to write a query'' or ``I'm confused about which field to use.'' Shopify Dev MCP server can help in these situations.
Shopify Dev MCP server is a development support tool that allows you to search Shopify documents, investigate API schemas, and assist in GraphQL query generation using compatible AI tools such as Cursor and Claude Desktop. AI helps generate GraphQL queries. It will be useful for those who use AI editors to try it out, as it can streamline development using the Admin API.
Source:Shopify's official YouTube
For detailed setup instructions, please check the official documentation “Shopify Dev MCP server”.
summary
By using the Shopify Admin API, you can automate many store operations tasks and enable more efficient e-commerce operations.
GraphQL allows you to acquire only the necessary data, so it is characterized by the ability to handle data flexibly while increasing communication efficiency. If you are using the Admin API for the first time, we recommend trying out queries in the GraphiQL app to understand the data structure. Starting with small read operations is a safe way to learn how to use Shopify's data structures and APIs.
Start with simple data acquisition and gradually expand the scope of automation.
