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Troubleshoot the Shopify integration

Identify and resolve common syncing issues between Shopify and Unleashed using the Connection Log.

Written by Heather

If your Shopify orders are failing to import, or product, stock, or customer data isn't syncing, start with the Connection Log to find out what's happening and why.

⚠️ Important: Orders that fail to import due to an error in the integration will not automatically re-attempt to import after the error has been resolved, and must be attempted manually, see Import missing orders from Shopify.

Review the Connection Log

The Connection Log is your primary tool for diagnosing Shopify integration issues. It shows errors caused by unsupported SKUs, gift cards, mismatched information, and configuration issues, alongside order, pricing, and stock update failures.

Check the Connection Log when:

  • Orders fail to import.

  • Product pricing or details aren't syncing between platforms.

  • Stock availability updates aren't reflecting in Shopify.

  • Customer information fails to sync or import.

  • You want to confirm a sync was successful after a configuration change.

🤓 Tip: The Connection Log only retains data for 7 days. If an error occurred more than 7 days ago, re-attempt the sync to generate a new log entry.

Access the Connection Log

  1. In Unleashed's menu, click eCommerce Hub, then click Shopify.

  2. Click the Connection Log tab.

  3. Set the Log Level filter to All, so you can see every error, warning, and information message.

  4. Use the Store Name filter to review a specific store, or the Search filter to find specific text.

The log lists sync activity from the previous 7 days, newest first, with timestamps and detailed error messages to help you pinpoint what went wrong.

For the exact wording and fix for a specific error, see Shopify integration error messages.

Fix integration overload errors

Cause: Too many orders, or complex orders, are being imported at the same time. You'll typically see messages such as 'An error occurred while updating the entries', 'Execution Timeout Expired', or 'The underlying provider failed on Open'.

Solution:

  1. Wait 10 minutes, then refresh the Connection Log.

  2. Re-attempt importing missing orders in batches of 50 or fewer.

  3. Contact support if the error persists.

If you see a Provider Data Reader error when importing sales orders, avoid sending parallel import requests. Space out large operations into smaller batches, and rerun failed transactions after adjusting the batch size.

Fix orders missing from Unleashed

Cause: Orders that are cancelled, refunded (including part-refunded), or archived in Shopify can't be imported. Only orders in an import-eligible status, as configured in your Shopify import settings, will sync.

Solution:

  • Check the order's status in Shopify.

  • Confirm the order is in an import-eligible status before attempting to sync it.

  • Orders refunded or cancelled before import won't appear in Unleashed. Orders refunded after import will remain in Unleashed.

Fix product mapping issues

Unleashed links products to Shopify variants by matching the Unleashed product code to the Shopify SKU. Issues arise if:

  • Shopify has duplicate or blank SKUs.

  • The integration attaches to the first matching or empty SKU it finds. To avoid this:

  • Create products in Shopify first to ensure unique SKUs.

  • Verify that all SKUs in Shopify are unique and correctly configured.

Step 1: Open the affected product in Unleashed and click Save to refresh its mapping.

Step 2: Remap the product:

  1. In Unleashed's menu, click eCommerce Hub, click Shopify, then click Manage Your Products.

  2. Enter the product code in the Remap Product by Code field, then click Remap Product.

  3. Enter the product code in the Product field at the top of the page and press Enter to refresh the page.

  4. Select the checkbox for your Shopify store.

  5. Click Save Configuration.

Error: 'Shopify product not found'

Cause: The SKU in Shopify has no established mapping to an Unleashed product.

Solution:

For a new SKU that doesn't exist in Unleashed, either:

  • Enable Create Missing Products In Unleashed in the Configuration tab, then re-import the order.

  • Create the product manually in Unleashed, then re-import the order.

For an existing SKU with Product Synchronisation disabled:

  1. Click the Manage Your Data tab.

  2. Click Import Products from Shopify to Unleashed.

  3. Re-attempt importing the order once the product import completes.

For an existing SKU with Product Synchronisation enabled:

  1. Open the Configuration tab, disable Product Synchronisation, then click Save Configuration.

  2. Click the Manage Your Data tab, then click Import Products from Shopify to Unleashed.

  3. Once the import completes, enable Product Synchronisation again, confirming the correct master is selected, then click Save Configuration.

  4. Re-attempt importing the order.

Error: 'Shopify Product ID: A Mapped Unleashed Product ID: 0' or 'Failed to import product SKU'

Cause: The SKU mapping is outdated because a product was deleted or moved in Shopify.

Solution: Remap both the old SKU and updated SKU, product code, to make sure there's no remaining discrepancy between them.

📌 Note: If unintended products are selected in Manage Your Products after remapping, clear them and click Save Configuration again. Clearing a product stops it syncing with Shopify; select it again at any time to reconnect it.

Error: 'Product import for variant is skipped' because 'Create Missing Products in Unleashed' is off

Cause: The Create Missing Products setting is disabled.

Solution:

  1. Click the Configuration tab.

  2. Select Create Missing Products in Unleashed.

  3. Click Save Configuration.

  4. Re-import the order, or re-save the product in Shopify.

Error: 'Failed to export Product record to Shopify after 3 attempts'

Cause: This is expected when Shopify is integrated with an Unleashed Sandbox, Product Synchronisation is set to Unleashed is Master, and the Default Image advanced setting is enabled.

Solution:

  1. Click the Configuration tab.

  2. Under Product Synchronisation, click Advanced Settings.

  3. Disable Default Image.

  4. Click Save Configuration.

Error: 'Object reference not set to an instance of an object'

Cause: Either the Shopify SKU was deleted or archived before the order was imported, or an order line has no SKU or isn't a product.

Solution: Manually create the order in Unleashed using the Import Sales Order template, with the Shopify order number as a reference. Make sure every SKU on the Shopify order is active and not archived, to prevent this error recurring.

Fix duplicate SKU errors

The Shopify integration needs a one-to-one match between each Unleashed product and each Shopify SKU. A SKU is a unique identifier for a product or variant, and any duplication causes mapping and synchronisation errors.When SKUs are blank or duplicate, the integration attaches to the first matching or empty SKU it finds, leading to incorrect product mapping. Common causes include using the same SKU for a subscription version and its primary product, or reusing a generic SKU across custom variants.

Example error messages:

  • 'Skipped import due to duplicate SKU found for Shopify Product Variant'

  • 'The SKU of the variant is duplicate'.

Cause: Multiple Shopify variants share the same SKU, or a draft and an active variant have identical SKUs.

Solution:

  1. Remove or change the duplicate SKU in Shopify.

  2. Remap the product in Unleashed.

  3. Re-attempt importing the order.

  4. If the error persists, follow the product mapping steps above.

Check for duplicate SKUs in Shopify

  1. In Shopify, click Products.

  2. Click Export, select All Products, then select CSV for Excel.

  3. Open the exported file and select the Variant SKU column.

  4. On Excel's Home tab, click Conditional Formatting.

  5. Click Highlight Cells Rules, then click Duplicate Values.

  6. Click OK. Duplicate SKUs are highlighted in red.

  7. Edit the highlighted products in Shopify so every SKU is unique, save the file, then re-import it into Shopify.

  8. If errors persist after fixing the duplicates, remap the affected products in Unleashed.

Fix out of sync stock levels

  1. Check Shopify's product audit log for manual inventory adjustments. If you find any, adjust Shopify to match Unleashed's Stock on Hand (SOH).

  2. Confirm the product is enabled for the relevant Shopify store in Unleashed, and that Export Stock on Hand to Shopify is enabled in Stock Configuration.

  3. Verify each Shopify store has a location, and each Unleashed product has a warehouse selected.

  4. Wait for any pending export tasks to complete. These can't be manually expedited.

  5. Update the Shopify SKU to match the Unleashed product code, then remap the product to re-establish the connection.

  6. Click Shopify Integration, click Configure Store, click Manage Your Data, then click Export Stock on Hand to manually trigger a stock export.

  7. Use the Connection Log to check for errors and confirm exports are running.

  8. Reduce the interval for Stock on Hand exports, for example to every 15 minutes, for smoother updates and to avoid looping issues.

🤓 Tip: To synchronise stock levels without updating other product information, clear Product Synchronisation in the Shopify configuration. Remap new products manually on a regular basis, as mappings can break over time as products change.

Fix customer sync issues

Error: 'Customer import is skipped: Customer's Code is duplicated'

Cause: The customer already exists in Unleashed, but the email addresses don't match between Shopify and Unleashed.

Solution: Update the customer's email in Unleashed to match Shopify, or update it in Shopify to match Unleashed.

Error: 'Order cannot be imported: Customer does not have a valid email address'

Cause: The customer in Shopify doesn't have a valid email address.

Solution: Update the customer in Shopify with a valid, unique email address, or select Use a single customer for all Shopify orders in Order Import Options on the Configuration tab, then click Save Configuration.

Error: 'No customer attached to the Order'

Cause: No customer details were provided for the order in Shopify.

Solution: Add the customer's details to the order in Shopify, then re-import it.

Missing phone number on sales orders

Cause: The shipping address phone number field in Shopify isn't mapped to a compatible field in Unleashed, or Unleashed doesn't pull that field by default.

Solution: Confirm which field in Shopify holds the phone number and check it's mapped to a compatible field in Unleashed. See After the Shopify integration for the full list of fields Unleashed imports.

Error: 'Customer Name is Missing' during order import

Cause: The customer name is missing in Shopify.

Solution: Confirm the customer name is present in Shopify for the affected order. If the name is present but the error persists, re-import your customers.

Updated customer details not reflecting on existing orders

Cause: Unleashed captures customer data at the time a sales order is created. Later updates to the customer record don't apply retroactively.

Solution: Updates to a customer record only apply to orders created after the update. For an existing order, update the details on that order manually if needed.

Fix currency mismatches

Error: 'Customer exists in Unleashed with one currency but order is with a different currency'

Cause: The order's currency doesn't match the currency already set on the mapped customer record in Unleashed.

Solution:

  1. Remove the email address from the existing customer record in Unleashed.

  2. Create a new customer record with the matching currency.

  3. Add the Shopify order's email address to the new customer contact.

  4. Contact Unleashed support to establish the new customer mapping.

Fix shipping and fulfilment issues

Error: 'You cannot complete this shipment because line(s) have ship quantity greater than the on hand quantity'

Cause: The sales order and shipment exist in Unleashed, but there isn't enough stock available in the shipping warehouse to dispatch it.

Solution:

  • Increase the stock available in the shipping warehouse.

  • Adjust the shipment's quantities to match the available stock.

  • Create a partial shipment for the stock that is available.

Fix repeated invoice import failures

Error: 'Failed to import salesInvoice record from Shopify after 3 attempts'

Cause: The order may be archived or too old to import automatically, its SKU mappings may be broken, or the order's edits can't be reconciled.

Solution: Manually create the order in Unleashed using the Import Sales Order template, with the Shopify order number as a reference.

Fix undefined data errors

Error: 'Cannot read properties of undefined (reading value)'

Cause: This points to a problem with data mapping or missing information somewhere in the integration.

Solution:

  1. Use the Import and Export options in Manage Your Data to establish the necessary mappings.

  2. Verify all Inbound Warehouse Mappings are complete.

  3. Check your Stock Configuration.

  4. Confirm Product Mappings are established.

  5. If you see a 403 Forbidden error when importing Shopify locations, refresh the locations by making a small change to each one and saving it again. If the error persists, disconnect and reconnect your Shopify store in Unleashed.

Fix tax rate errors

Error: 'Tax rate [40.000]% cannot be found'

Cause: The tax rate exists on the Shopify order but not in Unleashed. This is often caused by a third-party Shopify app changing Shopify's standard tax calculation.

Solution:

  • If you're integrated with an accounting provider, create the missing tax rate in your accounting platform, sync it with Unleashed, then re-import the orders.

  • If you're not integrated with an accounting provider, create the missing tax rate in Settings, click System, then click Taxes, and re-import the orders.

  • Disable any third-party Shopify apps that change tax data, and revert to Shopify's standard tax settings.

Prices displayed as tax exclusive in Shopify

Cause: This can be caused by incorrect tax settings in Shopify or a browser display issue.

Solution: Confirm the All taxes are included in my prices setting is enabled in Shopify, under Settings, then Taxes.

Incorrect price after a tax rate change

Solution: Set the Sales Tax Rate to blank in Unleashed, then re-enter the product price in Shopify. This triggers a refresh, so the correct tax-excluded price syncs to Unleashed. If the display issue persists, clear your browser cache or test in a different browser to rule out a local display problem.

Fix duplicate orders

Duplicate orders are usually caused by having more than one active integration, or by a manual system error.

If the duplicate order is complete, you can't delete it directly:

  1. Add a reference to the original Shopify order in the Customer Reference or Comments field on both orders, for traceability.

  2. Create a Credit Note to counter the duplicate order. This returns the stock and reverses the sale in Unleashed.

Bulk delete duplicate orders

If duplicate orders build up but aren't complete, dispatched, or invoiced, delete them in bulk:

  1. Click View Sales Orders in Unleashed.

  2. Select the checkboxes for the orders to delete.

  3. Click the settings cog, then click Delete.

Best Practices

  • Regular Monitoring: Check the connection log regularly to catch and resolve errors promptly.

  • Field Mapping Review: Ensure essential fields like customer name and phone number are accurately mapped.

  • Unique SKUs: Maintain unique SKUs across all Shopify products and variants.

  • Batch Importing: Limit order imports to 50 orders at a time to prevent overload errors.

  • Review Add-On Compatibility: Ensure that customizations or extensions in Shopify do not interfere with tax or data formatting.

  • Standardize Currency Settings: Align order currencies in Shopify with respective customer records' currencies in Unleashed to avoid mismatches.

  • Verify Admin Account Access: Ensure you are logged into a Shopify account with administrative permissions before troubleshooting integration-related issues.

  • Monitor Installed Shopify Apps: Regularly review and assess the compatibility of third-party Shopify apps with Unleashed to reduce error risks.

  • Sandbox Testing: Test any significant changes or app installations in a sandbox environment before applying them in production to mitigate potential disruptions in integration.

  • Duplicate Orders Prevention: Disconnect duplicate Shopify integrations (e.g., both native and API-based) to avoid the creation of redundant orders.

  • Reference Original Order Data: When manually resolving duplicates or manually adding orders from Shopify, include the original Shopify order numbers in Unleashed orders or references for traceability.

  • Establish a Consistent SKU Structure: Use a logical and standardized naming convention for SKUs that minimizes the risk of duplication.

  • Coordinate Across Systems: Ensure that SKU conventions are consistent across Shopify and any integrated platforms, such as Unleashed.

If you continue to experience issues after following these steps, contact support with the specific error messages from your Connection Log.

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