Streamline Order Fulfillment with Laravel and Shopify REST API

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Order Fulfillment Functionalities
3. Adding Orders Page to the App
4. Fulfilling Orders in Order Management App
5. API Documentation Issue in Shopify
6. API Scopes for the App
7. Reading Fulfillment Orders Related to an Order
8. Fulfillment Order Data in the Database
9. Separation of Orders Based on Locations
10. Fulfilling Line Items in the Order
11. Conclusion

Order Fulfillment Functionalities

Order fulfillment is a crucial aspect of any e-commerce business. It involves the process of receiving, processing, and delivering orders to customers. In this article, we will discuss the functionalities of order fulfillment and how they can be implemented in an app.

Adding Orders Page to the App

One of the functionalities that have been added to the app is the orders page. Each order can now be clicked and viewed. The page displays the payment status, fulfillment status, order date, items, shipping address, billing address, subtotal, shipping total, shipping amount, and total order amount. This feature makes it easier for the user to manage orders.

Fulfilling Orders in Order Management App

In any order management app, the process of fulfilling orders involves pulling the orders from the database and forwarding them to the logistics partners. The logistics partner then takes care of delivering the product to the customer. When this happens, the logistics provider gives you a tracking URL, which you have to put in Shopify to mark the order as fulfilled.

To fulfill orders, an "Actions" tab has been added to the app. Under this tab, an item called "Fulfill Items" has been added. When you click on it, a "fulfill" button appears in front of every line item. Clicking on the "fulfill" button opens a model that requires the user to enter the number of packages, shipping company, tracking URL, and other necessary details. Once the user fills in the details and clicks on "fulfill," the order is marked as fulfilled.

API Documentation Issue in Shopify

The API documentation in Shopify is not beginner-friendly. It can be confusing for users who are new to the platform. The 2019 version of the API had only one endpoint, but the current version has multiple endpoints, including fulfillment, fulfillment event, fulfillment order, fulfillment request, and fulfillment service. This can make it difficult for beginners to understand the API.

API Scopes for the App

To read the fulfillment orders related to an order, five additional API scopes need to be added to the app. These scopes are read third-party fulfillment orders, write assign fulfillment orders, read assign fulfillment orders, read merchant-manage fulfillment orders, and write merchant-manage fulfillment orders. These scopes are necessary to make API calls and sync the orders in the database.

Reading Fulfillment Orders Related to an Order

When an order is placed on Shopify, the platform automatically creates fulfillment orders for that order. These orders need to be synced in the database. To do this, the API call is made to the Shopify controller, which retrieves the order and its related fulfillment orders. The fulfillment orders are then looped over, and the line items are retrieved.

Fulfillment Order Data in the Database

The fulfillment order data is stored in a separate table in the database. The table contains the order ID, fulfillment order ID, and supported actions. One order can have multiple fulfillment orders, and each fulfillment order can have its own supported actions. The line items are segregated based on the locations for the products.

Separation of Orders Based on Locations

Shopify segregates orders based on the locations for the products. In-house locations are the ones that belong to the store, while third-party locations are the ones that belong to external services. The orders are separated out, and a separate record is created for the API that needs to be synced in the database.

Fulfilling Line Items in the Order

To fulfill line items in the order, the user needs to click on the "fulfill" button in front of the line item. The user then needs to enter the necessary details, such as the number of packages, shipping company, tracking URL, and other details. Once the user clicks on "fulfill," the order is marked as fulfilled.

Conclusion

Order fulfillment is a crucial aspect of any e-commerce business. In this article, we discussed the functionalities of order fulfillment and how they can be implemented in an app. We also discussed the API documentation issue in Shopify and the API scopes that need to be added to the app. We hope this article was helpful in understanding the order fulfillment process.

Highlights

• Order fulfillment involves the process of receiving, processing, and delivering orders to customers.
• The orders page displays the payment status, fulfillment status, order date, items, shipping address, billing address, subtotal, shipping total, shipping amount, and total order amount.
• To fulfill orders, an "Actions" tab has been added to the app, which includes an item called "Fulfill Items."
• The API documentation in Shopify is not beginner-friendly.
• To read the fulfillment orders related to an order, five additional API scopes need to be added to the app.
• The fulfillment order data is stored in a separate table in the database.
• Shopify segregates orders based on the locations for the products.
• To fulfill line items in the order, the user needs to click on the "fulfill" button in front of the line item.

FAQ

Q: What is order fulfillment? A: Order fulfillment involves the process of receiving, processing, and delivering orders to customers.

Q: What information is displayed on the orders page? A: The orders page displays the payment status, fulfillment status, order date, items, shipping address, billing address, subtotal, shipping total, shipping amount, and total order amount.

Q: How do you fulfill orders in the app? A: To fulfill orders, an "Actions" tab has been added to the app, which includes an item called "Fulfill Items." Clicking on the "fulfill" button in front of the line item opens a model that requires the user to enter the necessary details.

Q: What is the issue with the API documentation in Shopify? A: The API documentation in Shopify is not beginner-friendly.

Q: What API scopes need to be added to the app to read the fulfillment orders related to an order? A: The five additional API scopes that need to be added to the app are read third-party fulfillment orders, write assign fulfillment orders, read assign fulfillment orders, read merchant-manage fulfillment orders, and write merchant-manage fulfillment orders.

Q: How are orders segregated based on locations for the products? A: Shopify segregates orders based on the locations for the products. In-house locations are the ones that belong to the store, while third-party locations are the ones that belong to external services.