Ecommerce integrations: what they move, and how they quietly break
The connections between your shop and the apps around it. Each one moves records and events, and every flow you run is only as good as the data arriving.
- 063Integrations
- The process of linking together different computing systems and software applications physically or functionally, to act as a coordinated whole.
- Moves
- Records, like customers and orders, and events, like a cancelled subscription
- Comes in three kinds
- Native apps, connector tools, and custom builds on an API
- Usually fails by
- Going quiet, without an error anyone sees
Records and events: what an integration actually moves
Every integration moves two things. Records are facts about a person or a product: name, address, order history, price. Events are things that happened: viewed a product, skipped a delivery, left a review.
Flows run on events. So the useful question about any app isn't whether it integrates with Klaviyo. It's which events it sends, and what it calls them.
| The app | Events worth sending to your email platform |
|---|---|
| Your shop | Products viewed, checkouts started, orders placed, fulfilled and refunded |
| Subscriptions | Sign-ups, skips, cancellations and failed payments |
| Reviews | A review left, with its star rating |
| Loyalty | Points earned, tier changes, rewards about to expire |
| Helpdesk | A ticket opened, and whether it was resolved |
When the event you need doesn't exist, a developer can send it as a custom event. There's a worked example in Klaviyo custom events.
Integrations fail quietly, so check them on purpose
A broken integration rarely throws an error. It just stops. The flow still says live, nothing arrives to trigger it, and nobody notices until someone asks why the subscription emails went quiet.
- An app update renames an event, and the flow is still listening for the old name
- A staff member leaves, and the connection made under their login goes with them
- A field maps to the wrong place, so first names arrive as surnames
- Two apps write to the same field, and whichever syncs last wins
Once a month, open each metric your flows trigger on and check it's still arriving. Give every integration an owner, and place a real test order after any app change.
Consent has to survive the hand-off between apps
Apps that push people into your email platform have to bring their consent with them. A reviews app or a loyalty sign-up that marks everyone as subscribed is adding people who never agreed to marketing.
In the UK that's a question for PECR, the rules on electronic marketing, before it's a technical one. The ICO's guidance on electronic mail marketing sets out when you can email someone. Check how each app maps consent before you switch the sync on.
Related terms
FAQs
What is the difference between a native integration and an API connection?
A native integration is built and maintained by one of the two companies, and installs in a few clicks. An API connection is built by you or a developer, so you maintain it whenever either side changes. Use native where it exists and does the job, and build only for the events that really matter.
Why did a flow stop firing after we changed apps?
Because the new app sends its events under different names, and the flow is still waiting for the old ones. Rebuild the trigger on the new event, check every filter and split that mentioned the old app, and send a test before you trust it with customers.
How many apps should a Shopify shop run?
As many as have an owner and a reason. Plenty of apps add a script to your pages and another source of customer data, so each one costs a little speed and a little trust in your numbers. Remove any app whose data nobody uses.
Rather we explained it on your own account?
Bring your Klaviyo account to a growth consultation. We'll walk through what this means for your numbers, in plain English, and what we'd fix first.
Half an hour with Theo, our founder.
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