This guide provides a step-by-step process for connecting Shopify stores to GelatoConnect, allowing for automated order flow from Shopify directly to your production workflow.
Prerequisites
Before you begin connecting a Shopify store to GelatoConnect, ensure you have:
Customer set up in GelatoConnect: The customer who owns the Shopify store must be created with Storefronts access enabled
Active Shopify store: The store should be on a Shopify plan that supports API integrations (Basic Shopify or higher).
Admin access: Either the PSP (Print Service Provider) or your customer must have administrator-level access to the Shopify store to authorise the connection.
Connection process overview
The connection process involves four key phases:
Preparation: Ensuring proper setup in GelatoConnect
Store Connection: Establishing the link between Shopify and GelatoConnect
Product Setup: Configuring products for printing
Testing: Validating the integration with test orders
Let's walk through each phase in detail.
Phase 1: Preparation in GelatoConnect
1) Set up your customer
Go to the Customers section in the left navigation menu of your GelatoConnect account.
Select the customer who owns the Shopify store. If they do not already exist add a new customer.
2) Decide if you want to give your customer access to the Storefronts Connect interface
Storefronts Connect is the interface used by PSPs and your customers to manage B2C storefronts (Shopify, Etsy, Woocommerce), CSV imports and manual stores.
Without Storefronts Connect interface access:
PSPs are responsible for connecting new products to the Shopify store.
Your customer may need to contact you for order details.
You will need admin access to the Shopify store to authorise the connection.
With Storefronts Connect interface access:
Your customers can add new products to their Shopify store when they want
Your customer has access to order history and tracking details.
You will not need admin access to the Shopify store but your customer will to authorise the connection.
3) Access the Storefronts Connect interface
PSPs can access the Storefronts Connect interface at StorefrontsConnect.com using their existing GelatoConnect login details.
Your customers will need to be given access to Storefronts Connect.
To do this, navigate to the Customers section in the left navigation menu of your GelatoConnect account.
Select the customer and then navigate to Edit customer in the top right of the page.
Enable the toggle "Enable storefronts".
Provide your customers email address, first name and surname.
When you click the "Add admin" button an email will be sent to your customer with details on how they can login to Storefronts Connect. The email will ask your customer to click on a button to activate their account and provide them with a temporary password to login.
Your customer will need to reset their password after logging in for the first time.
4) Prepare your product catalog
Before connecting the store, ensure you have products configured in GelatoConnect.
You will need to have created product models and customer products using these product models. Within a customer product you can define which customer should have access to this product. This allows you to display a different product catalog for each of your customers within Storefronts Connect.
You can subsequently use the catalog management section in GelatoConnect to group your products in categories. These catalog categories will be displayed when connecting products within Storefronts Connect.
Phase 2: Connecting a Shopify store
For merchants (Your customer)
Log in to StorefrontsConnect.com
Navigate to Stores:
Click on the Stores tab in the left side navigation.
Click on the Shopify icon to begin the connection process. This will open a popup.
Enter the Shopify store's original subdomain in the store name field:
If the Shopify stores original domain was
your-store.myshopify.comthe value entered should beyour-store. The subdomain can be found in the URL of the Shopify admin page. Be sure not include .myshopify.com or https://www.
Click "Continue" to authorise the connection:
You'll be redirected to Shopify's authentication page
Log in if prompted.
Review the permissions requested by Gelato.
Click Install to approve the connection.
Confirm Connection:
After authorisation, you'll be returned to the Storefronts Connect dashboard.
Verify your store appears in the list of connected stores with a "Connected" status.
For PSPs (You)
The steps to connect a Shopify store as a PSP are very similar to connecting a store as your customer.
The key difference is that you will also be asked to select which of your facilities and which of your customers the Shopify store should be assigned to.
Phase 3: Setting up products
Once the store is connected, your products in GelatoConnect need to be linked with product listings on the Shopify store. There are two methods for connecting products:
Method 1: Connecting existing Shopify products
If the store already has products that need to be produced through GelatoConnect:
Sync Products:
In the Storefronts Connect dashboard, click on the connected Shopify store within the stores list.
Click the Sync Products button in the top right to retrieve the stores current product listings from Shopify and wait for the synchronisation to complete.
Map Products:
After syncing, all Shopify products will appear in the All products tab
For each product that needs to be produced, click on the product and then click on the Connect button.
You will now see the product catalog you previously defined in the GelatoConnect catalog management section.
Choose the product you want to connect from the catalog.
For products requiring design files, you will be directed to the design editor where you can upload a design file to your product.
Click Connect to save the mapping
Method 2: Creating new products in Storefronts Connect
To create new products that will be published to the Shopify store:
Navigate to the Shopify store within the Stores list.
Click on the Add product button in the top right.
You can add a completely new single product or select one which has already been added to an existing store.
If adding a new single product you can select a product from the product catalog.
Add a design using the design editor.
Configure the product details (name, description, price).
Then publish the product to the Shopify store.
Method 3: Bulk product connection
For stores with many products, you can use the bulk operation feature:
Export product list:
Navigate to the store's page within Storefronts Connect and click on Bulk Operations in the top right of the page.
Select Connect products using files
Click Export CSV and a CSV file containing all store products will be downloaded
Complete the CSV:
Open the CSV in a spreadsheet application
For each product, add the following in the appropriate columns:
Product UID: The GelatoConnect product identifier
Design File URL: URL to the printable file for each product. This must be a direct hyperlink to the file, which does not show any admin or editing tools around the file.
Import mapped products:
Return to Storefronts and click Bulk Operations
Enter you email address, click Upload CSV and choose your CSV.
Click Connect products using files in the top right.
Phase 4: Testing the integration
Before relying on the integration for production orders, thoroughly test the connection:
Place a test order:
Go to the Shopify store's website.
Purchase one of the mapped products. It's recommend to use a 100% discount code which can be configured in the Shopify store admin area.
Complete the checkout process
Verify order receipt:
Check that the order appears in Storefronts Connect
Verify it also appears in your GelatoConnect dashboard order intake manage orders page.
Confirm that all order details are correct, including:
Customer information
Product specifications
Design files
Shipping details
Follow order through production:
Track the test order through your production workflow
Verify that status updates reflect correctly in Storefronts Connect and in the Shopify admin area.
Test order cancellation (Optional):
Place another test order
Cancel it through Shopify
Verify the cancellation is processed correctly in GelatoConnect
For additional assistance with Shopify Storefronts integrations, please contact our support team at [email protected].