Efficient method for synchronizing Shopify inventory with spreadsheet databases?

Other Questions Airtable
1

Hey everyone! I’m trying to figure out how to keep my product info in sync between Shopify and a spreadsheet app like Google Sheets or Airtable. I want updates in the spreadsheet to automatically change stuff in Shopify and vice versa. Like if I add a new product pic in Shopify it should show up in my spreadsheet too.

I’ve heard about some tools that might work but I’m not sure which one’s best. Has anyone done this before? What worked for you? I’m looking for something that’s easy to set up and doesn’t need much babysitting.

Here’s a quick example of what I’m thinking:

function syncProducts(shopifyStore, spreadsheet) {
  // Get products from Shopify
  let shopifyProducts = getShopifyProducts(shopifyStore)
  
  // Update spreadsheet
  updateSpreadsheet(spreadsheet, shopifyProducts)
  
  // Get updates from spreadsheet
  let spreadsheetUpdates = getSpreadsheetChanges(spreadsheet)
  
  // Update Shopify
  updateShopifyProducts(shopifyStore, spreadsheetUpdates)
}

Any tips or recommendations would be super helpful. Thanks!

2

I’ve implemented a similar synchronization system using Shopify’s API alongside the Google Sheets API. In my approach, I first fetch the product data using Shopify’s REST API and then handle the read and write operations with Google Sheets. The synchronization is managed through a server-side script in a language such as Node.js or Python, with scheduled tasks executed either via a cron job or a service like AWS Lambda. Although this method requires more initial setup, it offers flexibility and cost-effectiveness for larger inventories, despite challenges with rate limits and pagination.

3

I’ve tackled this issue before using a combination of Shopify’s Webhooks and Google Apps Script. Here’s what worked for me:

Set up Shopify Webhooks to trigger on product updates, then use a simple web app built with Google Apps Script to receive those notifications. The script can then update your Google Sheet accordingly.

For the reverse direction, I used time-based triggers in Apps Script to periodically check for changes in the spreadsheet and push those to Shopify via their Admin API.

It took some trial and error, but once it was up and running, it’s been pretty hands-off. The main challenge was handling API rate limits, so I had to implement some basic queuing.

This approach is cost-effective and gives you full control, but it does require some coding chops. If you’re comfortable with JavaScript, it might be worth a shot.

4

hey mate, u could try zapier. its kinda slick for connecting shopify n google sheets. i used it and its low-maintenance. once u set it up, u can straight away ignore it. gives good results w/o hassle.