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How to Create a Shopify App with .NET and C#: A Step-by-Step Guide


Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform that allows merchants to create online stores and sell products online. As a developer, creating a Shopify app can be a great way to expand your skills and reach a wider audience. In this guide, we will show you how to create a Shopify app using .NET and C#.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following:

  • A Shopify partner account
  • Visual Studio 2019 or higher
  • .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher
  • A basic understanding of C# and ASP.NET
  • A basic understanding of OAuth and REST APIs

Step 1: Create a Shopify Partner Account

The first step in creating a Shopify app is to create a Shopify partner account. This will give you access to the Shopify Partner Dashboard, which you will use to create and manage your app.

  1. Go to the Shopify Partners website (https://www.shopify.com/partners).
  2. Click on the "Apply Now" button.
  3. Fill out the application form and submit it.
  4. Wait for your application to be approved. This usually takes a few business days.

Step 2: Create a New Shopify App

Once your Shopify partner account has been approved, you can create a new Shopify app. Follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your Shopify Partner Dashboard.
  2. Click on the "Apps" tab.
  3. Click on the "Create App" button.
  4. Fill out the "App Details" form. This includes the app name, app URL, and callback URL.
  5. Under the "App setup" section, select "Custom App".
  6. Under the "App setup" section, select "Embedded App".
  7. Under the "App setup" section, select the "Admin API" and any other APIs that you will be using in your app.
  8. Click on the "Create App" button.
  9. Make note of your API key and API secret. You will need these later.

Step 3: Set Up Your Development Environment

Before you can start coding your Shopify app, you need to set up your development environment. Follow these steps:

  1. Install the Shopify .NET SDK
  2. The Shopify .NET SDK is a set of libraries that make it easier to communicate with the Shopify APIs. To install the SDK, follow these steps:

    1. Open Visual Studio 2019 or higher.
    2. Create a new ASP.NET Web Application project.
    3. Open the "Package Manager Console" by going to "Tools" > "NuGet Package Manager" > "Package Manager Console".
    4. Type "Install-Package ShopifySharp" and press Enter.
  3. Set Up Your App's OAuth Credentials
  4. In order to authenticate with Shopify and access its APIs, you'll need to use OAuth. To set up your OAuth credentials, follow these steps:

    1. Open your Shopify Partner Dashboard.
    2. Click on the app that you created in Step 2.
    3. Scroll down to the "App credentials" section.
    4. Click on the "Create a new set of credentials" button.
    5. Fill out the form with the following information:
      • Redirect URL: This should be the URL of your app's authentication callback page.
      • Scopes: Select the scopes that your app will need access to. For example, if your app needs to read and write products, you should select the "write_products" and "read_products" scopes.
    6. Click on the "Create credentials" button.
    7. Make note of your client ID and client secret. You will need these later.

Step 4: Create Your Shopify App's Authentication Flow

Now that you have your OAuth credentials, you can create your app's authentication flow. This flow will allow your app to authenticate with Shopify and access its APIs. Follow these steps:

  1. Create a new ASP.NET MVC controller called "AuthController".
  2. Add the following code to the controller:

  3. public class AuthController : Controller
    {
    private readonly string _apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";
    private readonly string _apiSecret = "YOUR_API_SECRET";
    public ActionResult Index()
    {
        string redirectUrl = $"https://{Request.Url.Host}/auth/callback";
        string authUrl = $"https://{_apiKey}:{_apiSecret}@{Request.QueryString["shop"]}.myshopify.com/admin/oauth/authorize?client_id={_apiKey}&scope=read_products,write_products&redirect_uri={redirectUrl}";
        return Redirect(authUrl);
    }
    public ActionResult Callback(string shop, string code)
    {
        string accessTokenUrl = $"https://{_apiKey}:{_apiSecret}@{shop}.myshopify.com/admin/oauth/access_token";
        var values = new NameValueCollection
        {
            { "client_id", _apiKey },
            { "client_secret", _apiSecret },
            { "code", code }
        };
        using (var client = new WebClient())
        {
            var response = client.UploadValues(accessTokenUrl, values);
            var responseString = Encoding.Default.GetString(response);
            var qs = HttpUtility.ParseQueryString(responseString);
            string accessToken = qs["access_token"];
            // Save the access token to a cookie or database for future use
            return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");
        }
    

    This code defines two actions:

    • The Index action handles the initial authentication request. It redirects the user to the Shopify authorization page, passing along your app's client ID, scopes, and redirect URL.
    • The Callback action handles the callback from Shopify. It exchanges the authorization code for an access token, which you can use to make authenticated API requests to Shopify. In this example, the access token is saved to a cookie or database for future use.

    Note that in the code above, you'll need to replace the placeholders for your app's API key and secret.

Step 5: Make Authenticated Requests to the Shopify API

Now that you have an access token, you can make authenticated requests to the Shopify API using the Shopify .NET SDK. Here's an example:

var service = new ProductService("YOUR_SHOPIFY_DOMAIN", "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN");var product = new Product
{
Title = "My new product",
BodyHtml = "This is the description of my new product.",
Vendor = "MyVendor",
ProductType = "MyProductType",
Published = true,
Variants = new List
{
new ProductVariant
{
Price = "19.99",
Option1 = "Default",
Sku = "MY_PRODUCT_SKU"
}
}
};
product = service.Create(product).Result;

This code creates a new product in Shopify using the authenticated API client. Note that in the code above, you'll need to replace the placeholders for your Shopify domain and access token.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we've covered the basics of creating a Shopify app with .NET and C#. By following these steps, you should now have a working app that can authenticate with Shopify and make authenticated API requests. From here, you can build out your app's functionality and add more features to create a robust Shopify app.

If you're new to .NET or C#, don't worry! There are plenty of resources available online to help you get started, including documentation and tutorials. And if you get stuck, don't hesitate to reach out to the Shopify developer community for help.

Happy coding!

At Elife Digital, we offer a comprehensive range of services including Shopify and WordPress development, as well as digital marketing solutions to help businesses of all sizes succeed online. Whether you need help building your online store, creating a custom website, or growing your online presence, our experienced team is here to help you every step of the way.

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