Step 1: Prepare Your Shopify Store and Amazon Seller Account
1.1 Ensure Your Shopify Store is Ready for Integration
Before initiating the connection, verify that your Shopify store meets the necessary prerequisites. First, confirm your store’s currency is set to a currency supported by Amazon (e.g., USD for Amazon US, CAD for Amazon Canada). Navigate to Settings > Store details > Store currency in your Shopify admin to check and adjust this. Next, ensure all products you intend to sell on Amazon have unique SKUs (Stock Keeping Units). While Shopify can generate these, manually assigning clear, consistent SKUs is recommended for better inventory management. Go to Products, select a product, and find the SKU field under the “Inventory” section for each variant. Finally, review your product descriptions and images. Amazon has strict guidelines; high-resolution images (at least 1000px on the longest side for zoom functionality) and concise, benefit-driven bullet points are crucial. Ensure your products have accurate weights and dimensions if you plan to use Amazon’s fulfillment services.
1.2 Set Up and Optimize Your Amazon Seller Central Account
If you don’t already have one, create a Professional Seller account on Amazon. A Professional account is required to use the Amazon Sales Channel on Shopify and access advanced features like bulk listings and API integrations. During setup, you’ll need to provide business information, a valid credit card, and bank account details. Once your account is active, navigate to Settings > Account Info in Seller Central to ensure all details are accurate. Pay close attention to your “Shipping Settings” and “Return Settings” to align them with your business model. Consider enrolling in Brand Registry if you own a registered trademark for your products, as this offers enhanced brand protection and content features. Lastly, familiarize yourself with Amazon’s category restrictions and product listing policies to avoid future issues. Some categories require approval, and certain products are prohibited.
Step 2: Install and Configure the Amazon Sales Channel on Shopify
2.1 Add the Amazon Sales Channel to Your Shopify Admin
From your Shopify admin dashboard, navigate to Sales Channels in the left-hand menu. Click the “Add sales channel” button. In the pop-up window, search for “Amazon” or locate it in the list of available channels. Click “Add sales channel” next to Amazon. This will initiate the installation process. Once added, you will see “Amazon” appear under your list of sales channels. Click on it to begin the setup and connection process. This channel acts as the bridge between your Shopify store and your Amazon Seller Central account.
2.2 Connect Your Amazon Seller Account to the Shopify Sales Channel
After adding the Amazon Sales Channel, you’ll be prompted to connect your Amazon Seller account. Click “Connect to Amazon Seller Central.” A new window or tab will open, redirecting you to Amazon’s login page. Enter your Amazon Seller Central credentials (email and password) and sign in. Amazon will then ask for permission for the Shopify app to access your Seller Central data. Review the permissions carefully and click “Confirm” or “Allow.” Once successfully connected, you will be redirected back to your Shopify admin, and the Amazon Sales Channel will display a “Connected” status. You may be prompted to select the Amazon marketplace you primarily sell in (e.g., Amazon.com for the US, Amazon.ca for Canada). Ensure this matches your Seller Central account’s primary marketplace.
Step 3: List and Sync Products Between Shopify and Amazon
3.1 Create New Amazon Listings from Shopify Products
Within the Amazon Sales Channel in Shopify, navigate to the “Listings” tab. You will see an option to “Create listing.” Click this button. Shopify will then display a list of your products. Select the product(s) you wish to list on Amazon. For each selected product, you’ll be guided through a series of steps to provide Amazon-specific information. This typically includes selecting the correct Amazon category, providing product identifiers (like UPC/EAN/ISBN), assigning a condition (e.g., “New”), and setting the price. If your product doesn’t have a standard identifier, you may need to apply for a GTIN exemption through Amazon Seller Central before proceeding. Review all details meticulously before publishing the listing. Once published, the product will appear as a new listing on Amazon, and its inventory will be synced with your Shopify stock.
3.2 Link Existing Amazon Listings to Your Shopify Products
If you already have products listed on Amazon Seller Central and want to manage them through Shopify, you can link them. In the Amazon Sales Channel within Shopify, go to the “Listings” tab and look for an option like “Link products” or “Connect products.” Shopify will attempt to auto-match products based on SKU or product title. If an automatic match isn’t found, you’ll need to manually search for your Amazon listing by ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) or product title and then select the corresponding Shopify product. Once linked, Shopify will take over inventory management for that Amazon listing. Ensure that the price and inventory levels on Shopify accurately reflect what you want to be displayed on Amazon. Any discrepancies will be overwritten by Shopify’s data after linking.
Step 4: Manage Orders, Inventory, and Fulfillment
4.1 Understand Order Synchronization and Management
Once connected, orders placed on Amazon for products managed by Shopify will automatically appear in your Shopify admin under Orders, just like regular Shopify orders. These orders will be tagged as “Amazon” for easy identification. You can process these orders directly from Shopify, including printing packing slips and fulfilling them. When an order is fulfilled in Shopify (e.g., marked as shipped with tracking information), Shopify will automatically send the fulfillment status and tracking number back to Amazon Seller Central. This ensures your Amazon order status is always up-to-date, preventing manual updates and potential customer service issues. Regularly monitor both your Shopify Orders section and Amazon Seller Central’s “Manage Orders” page to ensure smooth data flow and address any synchronization errors promptly.
4.2 Monitor Inventory Levels and Fulfillment Options
Shopify becomes the master source for inventory. When a product is sold on Amazon, Shopify automatically reduces its inventory count. Conversely, if you update inventory levels in Shopify, those changes are pushed to Amazon. This prevents overselling and keeps your stock accurate across both platforms. For fulfillment, you have two primary options: FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant) or FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). If you choose FBM, you will fulfill orders directly from your warehouse or dropshipper, and Shopify will manage the order status updates to Amazon. If you use FBA, you will send your inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centers. For FBA products, Amazon manages the fulfillment process entirely. You’ll still see FBA orders in Shopify, but their fulfillment status will be managed by Amazon. Within the Amazon Sales Channel settings in Shopify, you can specify whether a product uses FBM or FBA, which impacts how inventory and fulfillment are handled.
FAQs
Q: Can I connect multiple Amazon marketplaces (e.g., US, Canada, UK) to one Shopify store?
A: Yes, the Amazon Sales Channel allows you to connect to multiple Amazon marketplaces. After connecting your first marketplace, you can typically add additional marketplaces from within the Amazon Sales Channel settings in Shopify. Each marketplace will manage its own set of listings and orders, but they will all draw from your central Shopify product inventory.
Q: What happens if a product sells out on Shopify but is still listed on Amazon?
A: If your products are properly linked and inventory sync is active, Shopify will automatically update the inventory on Amazon to zero (or “out of stock”) when the product sells out on your Shopify store. This prevents overselling on Amazon. However, it’s crucial to regularly check for synchronization errors in the Amazon Sales Channel dashboard to ensure this process is working correctly.
Q: Do I need a UPC/EAN for every product I list on Amazon through Shopify?
A: Generally, yes. Amazon requires a standard product identifier (UPC, EAN, ISBN, GTIN) for most new listings. If your products do not have these, you may need to apply for a GTIN exemption directly through Amazon Seller Central for specific product categories or if you are the brand owner. Without an identifier or an exemption, you won’t be able to create new listings on Amazon for those products.
Q: How do returns and refunds work for Amazon orders managed through Shopify?
A: Returns and refunds for Amazon orders are primarily handled through Amazon Seller Central, following Amazon’s return policies. While the order originated in Shopify, the customer initiated the return on Amazon. You will process the refund in Amazon Seller Central. However, it’s a good practice to manually adjust the inventory in Shopify if the returned item is restockable, as the automatic inventory sync typically only accounts for sales, not returns.
