api-graphql

name	api-graphql
description	Work with Shopify GraphQL APIs including Admin API and Storefront API. Use this skill for querying and mutating Shopify data, managing products, orders, customers, handling pagination, working with metafields, and understanding rate limits. Covers authentication, queries, mutations, and webhooks.

Shopify GraphQL APIs

When to use this skill

Use this skill when:

• Querying Shopify data (products, orders, customers)
• Creating or updating resources via mutations
• Building integrations with Shopify stores
• Working with metafields and metaobjects
• Handling pagination in API responses
• Managing API authentication and rate limits

API Types

Admin API

• Full store access (backend only)
• Requires authentication (OAuth or API key)
• Used by apps and integrations

Storefront API

• Public storefront access
• Uses public access token
• Safe for frontend/client-side

Getting Started

Admin API Authentication

// Using @shopify/shopify-api
import { shopifyApi, LATEST_API_VERSION } from "@shopify/shopify-api";

const shopify = shopifyApi({
  apiKey: process.env.SHOPIFY_API_KEY,
  apiSecretKey: process.env.SHOPIFY_API_SECRET,
  scopes: ["read_products", "write_products"],
  hostName: "your-app.com",
  apiVersion: LATEST_API_VERSION,
});

Making Requests

// In a Remix app route
import { authenticate } from "../shopify.server";

export async function loader({ request }) {
  const { admin } = await authenticate.admin(request);

  const response = await admin.graphql(`
    query {
      products(first: 10) {
        nodes {
          id
          title
        }
      }
    }
  `);

  return response.json();
}

Common Queries

Products

# Get products with variants
query GetProducts($first: Int!, $after: String) {
  products(first: $first, after: $after) {
    pageInfo {
      hasNextPage
      endCursor
    }
    nodes {
      id
      title
      handle
      description
      status
      vendor
      productType
      tags
      featuredImage {
        url
        altText
      }
      variants(first: 10) {
        nodes {
          id
          title
          sku
          price
          compareAtPrice
          inventoryQuantity
          selectedOptions {
            name
            value
          }
        }
      }
      priceRange {
        minVariantPrice {
          amount
          currencyCode
        }
        maxVariantPrice {
          amount
          currencyCode
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

# Get single product by ID
query GetProduct($id: ID!) {
  product(id: $id) {
    id
    title
    description
    variants(first: 100) {
      nodes {
        id
        title
        price
      }
    }
  }
}

# Get product by handle
query GetProductByHandle($handle: String!) {
  productByHandle(handle: $handle) {
    id
    title
  }
}

Orders

query GetOrders($first: Int!, $query: String) {
  orders(first: $first, query: $query) {
    nodes {
      id
      name
      email
      createdAt
      displayFinancialStatus
      displayFulfillmentStatus
      totalPriceSet {
        shopMoney {
          amount
          currencyCode
        }
      }
      customer {
        id
        firstName
        lastName
        email
      }
      lineItems(first: 50) {
        nodes {
          id
          title
          quantity
          variant {
            id
            sku
          }
          originalTotalSet {
            shopMoney {
              amount
            }
          }
        }
      }
      shippingAddress {
        address1
        city
        province
        country
        zip
      }
    }
  }
}

Customers

query GetCustomers($first: Int!, $query: String) {
  customers(first: $first, query: $query) {
    nodes {
      id
      firstName
      lastName
      email
      phone
      ordersCount
      totalSpent {
        amount
        currencyCode
      }
      addresses(first: 5) {
        address1
        city
        province
        country
        zip
      }
      tags
      createdAt
    }
  }
}

Collections

query GetCollection($handle: String!) {
  collectionByHandle(handle: $handle) {
    id
    title
    description
    products(first: 20) {
      nodes {
        id
        title
        featuredImage {
          url
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Inventory

query GetInventory($locationId: ID!) {
  location(id: $locationId) {
    inventoryLevels(first: 100) {
      nodes {
        id
        available
        item {
          id
          variant {
            id
            displayName
            sku
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Common Mutations

Create Product

mutation CreateProduct($input: ProductInput!) {
  productCreate(input: $input) {
    product {
      id
      title
      handle
    }
    userErrors {
      field
      message
    }
  }
}

Variables:

{
  "input": {
    "title": "New Product",
    "descriptionHtml": "<p>Product description</p>",
    "vendor": "My Store",
    "productType": "Apparel",
    "tags": ["new", "featured"],
    "variants": [
      {
        "price": "29.99",
        "sku": "NEW-001",
        "inventoryManagement": "SHOPIFY",
        "inventoryPolicy": "DENY"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Update Product

mutation UpdateProduct($input: ProductInput!) {
  productUpdate(input: $input) {
    product {
      id
      title
    }
    userErrors {
      field
      message
    }
  }
}

Variables:

{
  "input": {
    "id": "gid://shopify/Product/123456",
    "title": "Updated Title",
    "tags": ["sale", "featured"]
  }
}

Create Order

mutation CreateDraftOrder($input: DraftOrderInput!) {
  draftOrderCreate(input: $input) {
    draftOrder {
      id
      invoiceUrl
    }
    userErrors {
      field
      message
    }
  }
}

Update Inventory

mutation AdjustInventory($input: InventoryAdjustQuantityInput!) {
  inventoryAdjustQuantity(input: $input) {
    inventoryLevel {
      available
    }
    userErrors {
      field
      message
    }
  }
}

Variables:

{
  "input": {
    "inventoryLevelId": "gid://shopify/InventoryLevel/123456",
    "availableDelta": 10
  }
}

Metafields

Read Metafields

# Product metafields
query GetProductMetafields($id: ID!) {
  product(id: $id) {
    metafields(first: 20) {
      nodes {
        id
        namespace
        key
        value
        type
      }
    }
    # Specific metafield
    careInstructions: metafield(namespace: "custom", key: "care_instructions") {
      value
    }
  }
}

Write Metafields

mutation SetMetafields($metafields: [MetafieldsSetInput!]!) {
  metafieldsSet(metafields: $metafields) {
    metafields {
      id
      key
      value
    }
    userErrors {
      field
      message
    }
  }
}

Variables:

{
  "metafields": [
    {
      "ownerId": "gid://shopify/Product/123456",
      "namespace": "custom",
      "key": "care_instructions",
      "value": "Machine wash cold",
      "type": "single_line_text_field"
    },
    {
      "ownerId": "gid://shopify/Product/123456",
      "namespace": "custom",
      "key": "dimensions",
      "value": "{\"width\": 10, \"height\": 20, \"depth\": 5}",
      "type": "json"
    }
  ]
}

Metafield Types

Type	Description	Example Value
single_line_text_field	Short text	"Hello"
multi_line_text_field	Long text	"Line 1\nLine 2"
number_integer	Integer	"42"
number_decimal	Decimal	"19.99"
boolean	True/False	"true"
date	Date	"2025-01-15"
json	JSON object	"{\"key\": \"value\"}"
url	URL	"https://example.com"
color	Color hex	"#FF0000"

Pagination

Cursor-Based Pagination

async function getAllProducts(admin) {
  let products = [];
  let hasNextPage = true;
  let cursor = null;

  while (hasNextPage) {
    const response = await admin.graphql(
      `
      query GetProducts($first: Int!, $after: String) {
        products(first: $first, after: $after) {
          pageInfo {
            hasNextPage
            endCursor
          }
          nodes {
            id
            title
          }
        }
      }
    `,
      {
        variables: { first: 50, after: cursor },
      },
    );

    const data = await response.json();
    products = [...products, ...data.data.products.nodes];
    hasNextPage = data.data.products.pageInfo.hasNextPage;
    cursor = data.data.products.pageInfo.endCursor;
  }

  return products;
}

Rate Limits

Understanding Cost

query {
  products(first: 100) {
    nodes {
      id
      title
    }
  }
}

Response includes:

{
  "extensions": {
    "cost": {
      "requestedQueryCost": 102,
      "actualQueryCost": 52,
      "throttleStatus": {
        "maximumAvailable": 2000,
        "currentlyAvailable": 1948,
        "restoreRate": 100
      }
    }
  }
}

Handling Rate Limits

async function queryWithRetry(admin, query, variables, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxRetries; attempt++) {
    try {
      const response = await admin.graphql(query, { variables });
      const data = await response.json();

      if (data.errors?.some((e) => e.extensions?.code === "THROTTLED")) {
        const waitTime = Math.pow(2, attempt) * 1000;
        await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, waitTime));
        continue;
      }

      return data;
    } catch (error) {
      if (attempt === maxRetries - 1) throw error;
    }
  }
}

Storefront API

Authentication

const storefrontClient = new StorefrontApiClient({
  privateAccessToken: process.env.STOREFRONT_ACCESS_TOKEN,
  storeDomain: "your-store.myshopify.com",
  apiVersion: "2025-01",
});

Product Query (Storefront)

query GetProduct($handle: String!) {
  product(handle: $handle) {
    id
    title
    description
    images(first: 5) {
      nodes {
        url
        altText
      }
    }
    variants(first: 100) {
      nodes {
        id
        title
        price {
          amount
          currencyCode
        }
        availableForSale
      }
    }
  }
}

Cart Operations (Storefront)

# Create cart
mutation CreateCart($lines: [CartLineInput!]!) {
  cartCreate(input: { lines: $lines }) {
    cart {
      id
      checkoutUrl
      lines(first: 10) {
        nodes {
          id
          quantity
          merchandise {
            ... on ProductVariant {
              title
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

# Add to cart
mutation AddToCart($cartId: ID!, $lines: [CartLineInput!]!) {
  cartLinesAdd(cartId: $cartId, lines: $lines) {
    cart {
      id
      lines(first: 10) {
        nodes {
          id
          quantity
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Webhooks

Subscribe to Webhooks

mutation WebhookSubscriptionCreate(
  $topic: WebhookSubscriptionTopic!
  $webhookSubscription: WebhookSubscriptionInput!
) {
  webhookSubscriptionCreate(
    topic: $topic
    webhookSubscription: $webhookSubscription
  ) {
    webhookSubscription {
      id
      topic
      endpoint {
        ... on WebhookHttpEndpoint {
          callbackUrl
        }
      }
    }
    userErrors {
      field
      message
    }
  }
}

Variables:

{
  "topic": "PRODUCTS_CREATE",
  "webhookSubscription": {
    "callbackUrl": "https://your-app.com/webhooks",
    "format": "JSON"
  }
}

Webhook Topics

Topic	Description
PRODUCTS_CREATE	Product created
PRODUCTS_UPDATE	Product updated
PRODUCTS_DELETE	Product deleted
ORDERS_CREATE	Order placed
ORDERS_UPDATED	Order modified
ORDERS_PAID	Order paid
CUSTOMERS_CREATE	Customer created
INVENTORY_LEVELS_UPDATE	Inventory changed

Bulk Operations

Bulk Query

mutation BulkProducts {
  bulkOperationRunQuery(
    query: """
    {
      products {
        edges {
          node {
            id
            title
            variants {
              edges {
                node {
                  id
                  sku
                  price
                }
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
    """
  ) {
    bulkOperation {
      id
      status
    }
    userErrors {
      field
      message
    }
  }
}

Poll Bulk Operation

query BulkOperationStatus {
  currentBulkOperation {
    id
    status
    objectCount
    url
  }
}

Best Practices

1. Request only needed fields - Reduces cost and response size
2. Use fragments - Reuse common field selections
3. Handle errors - Check for userErrors in mutations
4. Implement pagination - Don't request all records at once
5. Monitor rate limits - Use throttle status in responses
6. Use bulk operations - For large data exports

Resources

• Admin API Reference
• Storefront API Reference
• GraphQL Basics
• Rate Limits
• Webhooks Reference
• GraphiQL Explorer

For app integration, see the app-development skill.