--- title: "Overview" doc_type: static doc_category: static doc_version: v20270301 source_url: html: 'https://developer.shopline.com/docs/apps/sales-channel/overview' md: 'https://developer.shopline.com/docs/apps/sales-channel/overview.md' --- # Overview A sales channel app is a specialized app for integrating sales channels (such as Amazon, eBay, and custom-built apps) into the [SHOPLINE Admin](https://admin.myshopline.com/), enabling unified management of orders, products, and fulfillment workflows. *** ## Capabilities Sales channel apps target selling scenarios outside the online store. With a sales channel app, you can achieve the following capabilities: - **Integrate touchpoints in multiple channels**: Connect external platforms (such as Amazon, eBay, Shopee, and Facebook Marketplace) or merchants' custom-built touchpoints (such as mobile apps) to SHOPLINE. - **Centralize order fulfillment**: Display orders from all sales channels in the SHOPLINE Admin and fulfill them consistently. - **Synchronize product listings**: Manage product listings published to sales channels in the SHOPLINE Admin. - **Authorize account integration**: Authenticate and link sales channel accounts via OAuth 2.0 to enable cross-platform data sharing. *** ## Sales channel categories Sales channel apps generally support integrating the following categories of sales channels: | **Category** | **Description** | **Example** | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | Custom storefront | Frontend platforms outside SHOPLINE that display and sell products online. | WordPress, Bloomreach, and Acquia | | Point of Sale (POS) | Merchants' offline sales devices, used to process transactions, maintain products, and track customers. | Springboard, Bindo, Vend | | Marketplace | Sales channels where merchants list products and third-party platforms host the end-to-end transaction and settlement process. | Amazon, eBay, Shopee, Facebook Marketplace, Walmart | | Marketing channel | Channels for brand and product exposure and ad placement, typically not hosting direct checkouts or transactions. | Facebook Ads, Google Shopping, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok | > **TIP** > > Marketing channels provide only product and brand exposure. If your app requires a closed-loop transaction, integrating marketing channels alone is insufficient; it must also integrate platforms that support ordering and synchronize order data to SHOPLINE. *** ## Typical integration flow The overall integration and business flow for a sales channel app from installation to order generation is as follows: ```mermaid graph LR A[Merchant installs app] --> B[Merchant authorizes app] B --> C[App prompts merchant to link sales channel account] C --> D{Additional requirements needed?} D -->|Yes| E[App meets additional sales channel requirements] subgraph COL[" "] direction TB F[Sales channel is ready] --> G[Merchant publishes product listings to sales channel] G --> H[App creates orders and merchant fulfills orders] end D -->|No| F classDef node fill:#1C212D,stroke:#111111,stroke-width:1px,color:#FFFFFF class A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H node style COL fill:none,stroke:none linkStyle default stroke:#111111,stroke-width:1.5px ``` 1. **App installation and authorization**: The merchant installs the app in the SHOPLINE App Store and completes OAuth 2.0 authorization. For more details, refer to [App authorization](https://developer.shopline.com/docs/apps/api-instructions-for-use/app-authorization.md). 2. **Channel account connection**: The app guides the merchant to link their sales channel account (such as a Shopee account). If the merchant is not registered with the sales channel, the app directs them to complete registration on the sales channel page. 3. **Review and configuration**: If the target platform requires a qualification review, the app should prompt the merchant to provide additional information or wait for the review result. 4. **Product publishing and data sync**: The merchant publishes products to the sales channel. The app retrieves the product list and keeps data in sync by listening to the [Product added to sales channels](https://developer.shopline.com/docs/webhook/sales-channels/add-product-to-sales-channels.md) webhook. 5. **Order sync and fulfillment**: After an order is generated on the sales channel, the app calls the [Create an order](https://developer.shopline.com/docs/admin-rest-api/order/order-management/create-an-order.md) API to write order data to the SHOPLINE Admin, where the merchant fulfills the order. *** ## Checkout creation and management Sales channel apps can create checkout objects and obtain checkout URLs using one of the following two methods: | **Method** | **Scenario** | **Description** | | ----------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [Permanent cart link](#permanent-cart-link) | Lightweight scenarios such as email marketing, ad landing pages, and social media links | Pre-fills product SKU, quantity, optional checkout information, and discount code in the URL, directing customers straight to the checkout page. | | [Storefront API](#storefront-api) | Scenarios where programmatic creation of cart or checkout objects is required | Calls mutation endpoints such as [checkoutCreate](https://developer.shopline.com/docs/storefront-api/checkouts/mutations/checkout-create.md) to create a checkout object and retrieves `checkoutUrl` from the response. | ### Permanent cart link The basic link format is as follows: ``` js https://{handle}.myshopline.com/cart/{sku_id}:{quantity},{sku_id}:{quantity} ``` In addition to product information, you can append optional query parameters (such as `checkout[email]` and `discount={discount_code}`) at the end of the URL using `?` to hold customer information or discount information. For complete fields and examples of permanent cart links, refer to [Permanent cart links](https://developer.shopline.com/docs/apps/sales-channel/permanent-cart-links.md). ### Storefront API With this method, the app calls the [checkoutCreate](https://developer.shopline.com/docs/storefront-api/checkouts/mutations/checkout-create.md) mutation endpoint to create a checkout object and retrieves `checkoutUrl` from the response. Before calling this API, the app must have obtained the `unauthenticated_write_checkouts_info` access scope. The app can also retrieve `checkoutUrl` of an existing cart via the [cart](https://developer.shopline.com/docs/storefront-api/cart/queries/cart.md) object. *** ## App requirements Sales channel apps must satisfy both general app specifications and sales channel requirements listed below: | **Requirement** | **Description** | | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | App creation | A sales channel app is created as a standard app. After its creation, you apply to convert it to a sales channel app. | | Type conversion review | You submit a conversion request in the [Partner Portal](https://developer.myshopline.com/home/index), and the SHOPLINE team reviews the request. Upon approval, the app becomes a sales channel app with channel capabilities. | | Target platform | The app must integrate at least one sales channel as the target platform (such as Amazon, eBay, or a custom-built mobile app) where customers can purchase products. | | Account association | The app can associate the merchant's sales channel account only after receiving OAuth 2.0 authorization from the merchant. | | Product publishing | The app needs to synchronize and publish product data from SHOPLINE to target platforms. | | Payment and order management | After a customer completes checkout and payment on the sales channel, the app must synchronize the order and payment status to the SHOPLINE Admin. | > **CAUTION** > > Converting an app into a sales channel app is irreversible.