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How to connect Shopify to AskVault

Written by , Founder, AskVault · Reviewed by Aashiq
Last updated: · 4 min read

What this integration unlocks

Two skills become available once Shopify is connected:

  • wismo_order_status. "Where is my order?" answered automatically. Live lookup against the Shopify Orders API. Tracking link, status, ETA. About 30 to 50% of e-commerce support volume.
  • cart_recovery. Visitor adds items to cart but hesitates. The bot detects the hesitation pattern and proactively offers help (sizing, shipping, discount questions).

Both skills are on Growth and above. Growth+

Setup

Four minutes end-to-end.

  1. In AskVault, open AI Agents > Skills > wismo_order_status. Click Enable.
  2. Click Connect Shopify. OAuth flow opens.
  3. Sign in to your Shopify admin. Approve the requested scopes: read_orders, read_customers, read_shipping. Read-only.
  4. You're redirected back to AskVault. Connection shows active.
  5. Test. Open your chat widget, ask "where's my order?", provide a known test order number. Bot should return live status.

Scopes requested

Strictly read-only:

  • read_orders for order lookups.
  • read_customers to verify the requesting customer matches the order.
  • read_shipping for tracking information and delivery estimates.

No write scopes. The bot cannot create orders, refund, change shipping addresses, or modify any data in your Shopify store. Mutating actions escalate to a human.

Customer identification

For order status lookups, the bot needs to identify the customer. Two patterns:

  1. Order number. "What's your order number?" Customer provides it. Bot looks up directly.
  2. Email. "What email did you use at checkout?" Customer provides it. Bot looks up the most recent orders for that email.

Default is to ask for either. Stricter mode requires both (order number AND matching email) for verification.

Configure under AI Agents > Skills > wismo_order_status > Verification Mode.

Cart recovery flow

The cart_recovery skill works through the website widget. Steps:

  1. Visitor adds items to cart.
  2. Widget detects hesitation: 30+ seconds on cart page, or starting checkout but not completing within 2 minutes.
  3. Bot sends a proactive message: "Looks like you're checking out a denim jacket. Anything I can help with? Sizing, shipping, or discount questions?"
  4. Visitor responds or dismisses.

Customize the trigger thresholds and message text under AI Agents > Skills > cart_recovery > Settings.

Multi-store setup

Each Shopify store needs its own AskVault workspace and OAuth connection. Cross-store lookups aren't supported (one workspace, one store). For a multi-brand retailer with 3 Shopify stores, you'd have 3 AskVault workspaces with 3 separate Shopify connections.

Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus customers can additionally enable:

  • Pre-purchase agent inside the cart UI. Embed the AskVault widget into the checkout extension. Available on Shopify Plus with a custom checkout extension build.
  • B2B order lookups. Wholesale order data is accessible with the standard read_orders scope.

Limits

  • Shopify API rate limits. 40 requests per app per minute on standard stores, higher on Plus. AskVault batches lookups where possible.
  • Order history depth. Default read_orders scope returns the last 60 days. To see older orders, request read_all_orders (Shopify Plus only feature) and reconnect.
  • Multi-currency. The bot quotes prices in whatever currency the customer's storefront is configured for. If a CA visitor lands on your CA-priced store, prices quote in CAD.

Compliance

The OAuth refresh token is stored encrypted at rest. AskVault never sees customer payment details (PCI scope stays with Shopify). For audit, every order lookup is logged with the email/order ID queried and the result returned.

Common pitfalls

Bot says "I couldn't find that order". Customer's order number is missing the # prefix, has a typo, or was placed on a different store. Bot offers to escalate.

Order status shows stale. Shopify Admin API caches data for up to 60 seconds. If the carrier just updated, wait briefly and retry.

OAuth redirects to wrong store. You're signed into multiple Shopify accounts in your browser. Sign out of all except the one you want, then retry.

Cart recovery never fires. The widget isn't loading on the cart page, or the cart-page CSS selectors changed in your theme. Check Channel Health > Widget for cart-detection events.

FAQ

Can the bot apply discount codes?

Yes for codes you've created in advance. Use the discount_negotiator skill which is Business-tier. The bot can offer codes within configurable bounds.

Does this work with Shopify multi-currency stores?

Yes. The bot quotes order totals and shipping fees in the customer's storefront currency.

Can the bot create new orders?

No. Read-only access prevents this by design. If a visitor wants to place an order via chat, escalate to a human or direct them to the storefront.

What about Shopify Markets (regional storefronts)?

Each region's storefront has its own OAuth flow. Connect each one to a separate AskVault workspace if regional knowledge bases differ. Otherwise one workspace with global content works fine.

How fast is the order lookup?

About 600 to 1,200 ms end-to-end including Shopify API latency. The customer sees the bot "typing" for 1 to 2 seconds before the answer appears.

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