Connecting your Shopify store to your Zest Storefront creates a seamless integration between your product catalog and Zest's corporate gifting platform.
This integration allows Zest to pull product data, pricing, and inventory from Shopify in real-time, then write completed gift orders back into Shopify as individual paid orders — one per recipient.
Your existing downstream integrations (ERP systems, fulfillment tools like ShipStation, etc.) continue working without modification, since Zest orders flow into Shopify just like any other order.
Zest will connect your Shopify store to your Zest Corporate instance via a dev app installation. Your myshopify.com URL and collaborator access are needed for installation.
Finding Your myshopify.com URL
Your myshopify.com URL is different from your store's public-facing custom domain. To find it:
In your Shopify admin, navigate to Settings.
Click Domains.
Copy the xxxx.myshopify.com URL.
Paste it into the Zest brand intake form.
Note: Always use your myshopify.com URL when connecting to Zest, not your custom domain. Using the wrong URL is the most common cause of connection errors.
Shopify Collaborator Access
While not strictly required, granting Zest collaborator access to your Shopify store significantly speeds up onboarding and support response times.
Collaborator access allows the Zest team to troubleshoot issues asynchronously — reviewing order data, verifying product configurations, checking shipping profiles, and diagnosing checkout problems — without scheduling calls or requesting screenshots.
Zest will not make changes to your store without your knowledge. If you decline collaborator access, support will rely on back-and-forth communication via screenshots, which takes longer.
Zest will request the following permissions:
Orders, Draft orders
Products
Customers
Reports
Metaobject definitions
Metaobject entries
Manage and install apps and channels
Themes
Checkout
Note: If your organization restricts Shopify collaborator access due to security policies, Zest can still support you. In the Zest intake form, enter “no collaborator access” in the field requesting your collaborator access code, or contact [email protected].
Locate Collaborator Access Code
The code is displayed in your Shopify admin. You can:
Go to Settings > Users, and then click Security.
The code is displayed in the Collaborators section.
Copy the code directly from your admin to avoid typos.
Paste the code into the Zest brand intake form.
If the code isn't displayed, then you can try the following to resolve the issue:
Refresh the page, or log out and log back in.
Clear your browser cache and cookies.
Use a different browser or device.
Ensure your browser and operating system are up to date.
If the code still doesn't display, then you can contact Shopify Support for help.
Once the collaborator code and myshopify.com URL are submitted to the Zest intake form or via [email protected], a Zest team member will request collaborator access. You will see a notification in your email inbox to approve.
Troubleshooting Common Connection Issues
Connected the wrong Shopify store
If you accidentally connected the wrong Shopify instance (for example, a dev environment instead of production, or the wrong brand's store), contact Zest support immediately.
Changing your Shopify store URL
If you need to change your Shopify store URL after connecting and using Zest, there are two options. For both options, you’ll need to contact [email protected] for assistance.
Option One: Disconnect the current Shopify URL and connect the new Shopify URL to the Zest instance.
Manual steps are required for archiving products, expiring outstanding e-gifts, etc.
Option Two: Create a new Zest instance and connect the new Shopify URL.
There are implications for customers with both options. For option 1, previous customers will maintain their old orders in the portal. For option 2, previous orders disappear.
Incorrect myshopify.com URL
This most commonly occurs when you've shared your custom domain instead of your myshopify.com URL. Check that you're using the format yourstore.myshopify.com, not your customer-facing domain.
If you have a UAT (User Acceptance Testing) Shopify store or redirected domain, use the underlying myshopify.com URL
Managing Multiple Shopify Stores
Each Zest instance can only connect to one Shopify store. If you operate multiple brands or Shopify stores, you'll need a separate Zest instance for each.
Users can access multiple Zest instances under a single login and switch between them via a dropdown menu. Each instance will have its own configuration, shipping rules, Stripe connection, and order prefix.
Some brands create a separate Shopify instance specifically for corporate gifting orders to isolate B2B and D2C data. This works well with Zest — you can set up a basic Shopify backend in about an hour since no front-end theming is required.