> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.referly.so/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Shopify

> Connect Shopify to Referly to track affiliate clicks, paid orders, discount-code sales, repeat customers, and refunds. Step-by-step app install, theme script setup, and what the integration can and can't track.

Referly connects to Shopify through an app you install from the Shopify App Store. Once it's installed, Referly watches every paid order in your store, works out which affiliate sent that customer, and creates the sale and the commission for you. Refunds come back the same way.

Most of the setup happens for you during install — the app registers itself with your store and starts listening for orders without you touching a single setting. The one thing you add by hand is a line of code in your theme, which is what records clicks and carries the referral into the cart.

<Note>
  Referly connects to **one payment processor at a time**. Connecting Shopify disconnects Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, WooCommerce, Polar, or Zylvie if you had one of those connected to this program. Shopify warns you about this before it goes ahead.
</Note>

## What the Shopify integration can and can't do

| What you want to track                            | Does Shopify cover it?                                                                                                                                                             |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Clicks on affiliate links**                     | Yes, once the tracking script is in your theme ([Step 2](#step-2-add-the-tracking-script-to-your-theme)). Without it, you get sales but no clicks and no conversion rate.          |
| **Paid orders**                                   | Yes — every order that reaches paid status becomes a sale, credited to the affiliate behind it.                                                                                    |
| **Product-level detail**                          | Yes — every line item comes across with its name, quantity, and price, so [product-based commissions](/docs/help-center/getting-started/commissions/product-based) work.                |
| **Tax and shipping**                              | Yes — both are read from the order so you can decide whether commission is paid on them.                                                                                           |
| **Orders in other currencies**                    | Yes — the order currency comes across and the amount is converted into your program's currency.                                                                                    |
| **Discount code sales**                           | Yes — an order that used an affiliate's discount code is credited to that affiliate, with no click and no link needed.                                                             |
| **Repeat orders from a referred customer**        | Yes — Referly tags the customer in Shopify the first time they're credited, and reads that tag on later orders.                                                                    |
| **Refunds**                                       | Yes — see [Refunds and cancellations](#refunds-and-cancellations).                                                                                                                 |
| **Sign-ups that never place an order**            | No — Shopify only tells Referly about orders. If you want to reward account creation or newsletter sign-ups, use the [Universal integration](/docs/help-center/integrations/universal). |
| **Orders with no customer attached**              | No — an order has to have a customer on it for Referly to record it. Orders created without one are skipped.                                                                       |
| **Draft orders and POS sales**                    | Only when they become a normal paid order with a customer attached and carry a discount code or a tagged customer. There's no separate handling for them.                          |
| **Subscriptions from a Shopify subscription app** | Only insofar as each renewal creates a paid order in Shopify with the customer attached. Referly reads orders, not subscription contracts.                                         |
| **Chargebacks**                                   | No — a chargeback is not reversed automatically. Adjust the sale or the reward by hand.                                                                                            |
| **Sales from a second store**                     | No — a Referly program connects to one Shopify store.                                                                                                                              |

## Before you start

You'll need:

* **Owner or staff access to your Shopify admin** with permission to install apps and edit your theme.
* **A Referly account.** You can install the app first and create your program during the connect flow, or set your program up first — either order works.
* **A decision on how affiliates will promote you** — referral links, discount codes, or both. See [Tracking methods](/docs/help-center/settings/program/tracking-methods).

## Step 1: Install the Referly app on your store

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the app listing">
    In Referly, open your program, go to **Settings**, then **Integrations**, select **Connect Integration** in the top right, choose **Shopify**, and select **Connect Shopify Store**. That opens the **Referly Affiliate Marketing** listing on the Shopify App Store. You can also go straight to the listing and install from there.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install the app in Shopify">
    Select **Install**. Shopify shows you exactly what the app will be able to access before anything happens — read it, then approve.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose which program to connect">
    Shopify sends you back to Referly, onto a page headed **Connect your Shopify store to Referly**. Every affiliate program on your account is listed. Select **Connect** on the one this store belongs to. If you don't have a program yet, select **Create default program** and one is made for you.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    A **Connect Shopify Store** dialog warns you that any other payment processor connected to this program will be disconnected. Select **Continue**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the confirmation">
    You'll land on a page confirming your store is connected. Select **Proceed to dashboard**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### What the app sets up for you

You don't have to create API keys, paste an access token, or add anything in Shopify's notification settings. During install, the app:

* Starts listening for **paid orders** and **refunds** in your store.
* Installs the tracking piece Shopify uses on its own checkout, so orders are reported even though the checkout page isn't yours to edit.
* Records which Referly program the store belongs to, so orders land in the right place.
* Adds your store's address as a link destination for your affiliates, so their referral links point at your storefront out of the box.

To confirm it worked, open **Connect Integration** in Referly and select **Shopify** — you'll see a **Connected** badge with your store.

## Step 2: Add the tracking script to your theme

The app handles orders. The script handles everything before the order: it recognises a visitor who arrived from an affiliate link, records the click, remembers who referred them, and attaches that referral to their cart so it survives into checkout.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open your theme code">
    In your Shopify admin, go to **Online Store**, then **Themes**. On the theme you're using, select the **...** menu and choose **Edit code**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open theme.liquid">
    In the file list on the left, under **Layout**, select `theme.liquid`. This is the file every page of your store loads, which is why the script goes here rather than on one page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste the script">
    Find the closing `head` tag near the top of the file and paste the script on the line just above it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Select **Save**. The change is live straight away.
  </Step>
</Steps>

```html Tracking script for Shopify theme={null}
<script
  src="https://referly.so/affiliate-tracker-shopify.js"
  data-affiliate
  data-program-id="YOUR_PROGRAM_ID"
  async>
</script>
```

<Warning>
  Use this Shopify version of the script, not the standard one. It does the extra work of attaching the referral to the shopper's cart, which is how Referly credits the right affiliate when the order comes through. Replace `YOUR_PROGRAM_ID` with your own program's ID — you'll find the exact snippet, already filled in, on the **Integration Instructions** page in Referly.
</Warning>

If you use a duplicated theme or you switch themes later, add the script to the new theme too. Shopify's [theme code editor documentation](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/theme-structure/extend/edit-theme-code) covers editing theme files in more detail.

## Step 3: Decide how affiliates will promote you

### Referral links

Each affiliate gets a link that points at your storefront with their reference on the end. When someone follows it, the script records the click and attaches the referral to their cart. Nothing else is needed.

If you want shorter, tidier links — `your-store.com/sarah` rather than a long parameter — turn on [automated short links](/docs/help-center/settings/program/automated-short-links). Referly creates the redirect inside Shopify for you, and can optionally apply the affiliate's discount automatically when the link is used.

### Discount codes

Discount codes work with no script and no click at all — the code the customer types is what identifies the affiliate. This is the most reliable option for stores with heavy ad blocking or lots of traffic from apps.

Referly can create the codes directly in your Shopify store, so you don't create them by hand in Shopify's **Discounts** section. Set this up on the [Coupons](/docs/help-center/engage/coupons/overview) page: create a coupon, choose Shopify as the source, and assign codes to affiliates. See [Connect a coupon source](/docs/help-center/engage/coupons/connect-a-source) and [Create coupons](/docs/help-center/engage/coupons/create).

<Tip>
  Turning on both gives you the widest coverage — a link for affiliates who write content, and a code for the ones who talk about you on video or in person. Choose which methods are active under [Tracking methods](/docs/help-center/settings/program/tracking-methods).
</Tip>

## How Referly decides who gets credit for an order

When an order is paid, Referly works through three checks, in this order, and stops at the first one that finds an affiliate.

<Steps>
  <Step title="The discount code on the order">
    If the order used a discount code that belongs to one of your affiliates, that affiliate gets the credit. Referly also adds one to that code's redemption count. This check only runs if discount-code tracking is switched on for your program.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The referral attached to the cart">
    Next, Referly looks at the referral the tracking script attached to the shopper's cart. This is the link path, and it only runs if link tracking is switched on for your program.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The tag on the customer">
    Finally, Referly looks at the customer's tags in Shopify. The first time a customer is credited to an affiliate, Referly tags them — so when they come back and order again months later, with no link and no code, the affiliate still gets paid.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Discount codes are checked first on purpose: if the customer typed an affiliate's code at checkout, that affiliate earned the sale, whichever link brought them in.

### What Referly writes back into Shopify

Once an order is credited, Referly labels it in your Shopify admin so you can see attribution without leaving Shopify:

* The **customer** is tagged, which is what makes repeat orders keep earning.
* The **order** is tagged with the affiliate behind it, and with the link or discount code that was used.

## Step 4: Place a test order

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get a real affiliate's link">
    Open your **Affiliates** page in Referly and copy a link from an affiliate — your own test affiliate account is ideal.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Visit your store through it">
    Open the link in a private or incognito window so you start with a clean slate. You should land on your storefront.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the click was recorded">
    In Referly, open that affiliate's record and confirm the click count went up. If it didn't, the script isn't running — recheck [Step 2](#step-2-add-the-tracking-script-to-your-theme).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Place an order">
    Add something to the cart and check out. Use Shopify's test payment method, or place a small real order and refund it afterwards. Make sure the checkout collects an email address, so the order has a customer on it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check Shopify">
    In your Shopify admin, open the order and look at its tags — you should see the affiliate's details there. Open the customer and confirm they're tagged too.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check Referly">
    In Referly, open **Customers** to find the buyer attached to the affiliate, then **Sales** to confirm the order total, and the **Rewards** page to see the commission.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Delete your test customers and sales from your **Customers** and **Sales** pages once you're happy, so they don't skew your reporting.
</Warning>

## Refunds and cancellations

When you refund an order in Shopify, Referly finds the matching sale and marks it as refunded. The affiliate's totals are recalculated so a refunded order isn't paid out on.

A refund is only applied while the commission is still on hold. If the affiliate has already been cleared for payout on that sale, the sale stays as it is — adjust it by hand if you want to claw it back. See [Refunds](/docs/help-center/manage/rewards/refunds) and [Reward holds](/docs/help-center/manage/rewards/holds).

Cancelling an order in Shopify without refunding it doesn't change anything in Referly. Issue the refund if you want the commission reversed.

## Billing when you install through Shopify

If you found Referly through the Shopify App Store and installed it there, your Referly subscription is billed through Shopify and appears on your Shopify invoice alongside your other apps. Changing or cancelling it is handled the same way as any other Shopify app charge. Everything else — your plan's features, limits, and add-ons — works exactly as described in [Plans and features](/docs/help-center/billing/plans-and-features).

## Disconnecting your store

In Referly, open **Connect Integration**, select **Shopify**, and choose **Disconnect**. Referly stops receiving orders from that store immediately.

Nothing you've already tracked is deleted — your affiliates, referred customers, sales, and rewards all stay. Orders placed while you're disconnected are not recorded and won't be picked up if you reconnect later.

If you'd rather remove the app from Shopify's side as well, uninstall it from your Shopify admin. Remember to take the tracking script out of your theme if you're leaving for good.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Orders are appearing in Referly with no affiliate attached">
    The order reached Referly, but none of the three checks found an affiliate. Open the order in Shopify and see whether it has a discount code on it, and whether the customer carries a Referly tag. If neither is there and the customer arrived through a link, the referral never made it into the cart — recheck that the Shopify version of the script is in your live theme.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="No orders are appearing at all">
    Confirm the **Connected** badge in Referly shows your store, and that your Referly plan is active. If you've uninstalled and reinstalled the app, run through the connect flow again so the store is linked to the right program.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Clicks aren't being counted">
    The script isn't running. It has to be in the theme your store is actually using — if you edited a duplicated or unpublished theme, the change isn't live. Check that you edited the published theme, then load your storefront through an affiliate link in a private window.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Discount code orders aren't being credited">
    Two things to check: that discount-code tracking is switched on for your program, and that the code is one Referly knows about and has assigned to an affiliate. Codes created by hand in Shopify's **Discounts** section aren't linked to anyone until you connect them in Referly — see [Connect a coupon source](/docs/help-center/engage/coupons/connect-a-source).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="An order was skipped entirely">
    Orders without a customer attached aren't recorded. This most often happens with orders created by hand or by another app that doesn't attach a customer. Make sure your checkout collects an email address.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A returning customer's order went to the wrong affiliate">
    Once a customer is tagged for an affiliate, later orders keep going to that affiliate unless a different affiliate's discount code is used. If you need to move the sale, change it on the customer's record in Referly.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Automated short links" icon="link" href="/docs/help-center/settings/program/automated-short-links" arrow>
    Give affiliates clean store links, with their discount applied automatically.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Coupons and promo codes" icon="ticket" href="/docs/help-center/engage/coupons/overview" arrow>
    Create Shopify discount codes for your affiliates from Referly.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tracking methods" icon="crosshairs" href="/docs/help-center/settings/program/tracking-methods" arrow>
    Choose whether links, codes, or both credit your affiliates.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Commission plans overview" icon="money-bill" href="/docs/help-center/getting-started/commissions/overview" arrow>
    Decide what your affiliates earn on each order.
  </Card>
</Columns>