# Merchant Onboarding

## Merchant Onboarding

After you've pre-registered a merchant in the Channel Dashboard, they complete onboarding through a single Violet Connect flow that handles both account creation and Shopify app installation. This page explains what the merchant experiences.

The merchant can onboard with the [Violet Connect Link](#using-violet-connect-link) or via the alternative path using [store URL lookup](#alternative-path-using-store-url-lookup).

## The Onboarding Flow

### Your Steps (Channel)

1. **Pre-register merchant** in Channel Dashboard with Store URL, Install Link, Client ID, and Client Secret
2. **Copy the Violet Connect link** from the Pre-Registered tab (Actions menu → Copy Violet Connect Link)
3. **Send Violet Connect link to merchant**

***

### Using Violet Connect Link

The merchant receives your Violet Connect link and completes the entire onboarding in one seamless flow:

**1. Open the Violet Connect Link**

* Merchant clicks the Violet Connect link you sent
* They're taken to the Violet Connect onboarding page

**2. Authenticate with Violet**

* Enter email address
* Receive and enter 6-digit verification code

![Violet Connect Login](/files/zdWNkKD2s6GwIZEvvICR)

![Violet Connect 6-digit Code Authentication](/files/zdTK4cHfaNPFYjzwkk6v)

**3. Review Pre-filled Details (Store Found)**

* Because the Violet Connect link contains the encoded pre-registration data, the merchant is taken directly to the "Store Found" screen
* They see their store name and URL already filled in
* Pre-registration detected automatically

![Violet Connect Store Found](/files/2tls0LYuEcfeih39o8R9)

**4. Install the Shopify App**

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Critical:** When installing the app, merchants should leave **"Embed app in Shopify admin"** unchecked (it's checked by default).
{% endhint %}

* Merchant clicks the **"Connect to Shopify"** button
* They're redirected to Shopify to authorize the app installation
* Merchant sees the "Install app" confirmation screen showing your app name and required permissions
* Merchant clicks **"Install"** button

![Install Custom App Screen](/files/cTFXP7ExllfaNPiPpcFL)

**5. Return to Violet Connect**

* After installation, merchant is automatically redirected back to Violet Connect
* Violet completes the OAuth handshake in the background

**6. Complete Setup**

* Set up payout account (if required)
* Configure commission settings (if applicable)

**7. Done!**

* Store is connected
* Merchant automatically moves to your Connected Merchants tab
* You receive webhook notification of successful connection

***

#### Why This Flow Works

| Benefit              | Description                                                 |
| -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| ✅ **Single link**    | Merchants only need one link to complete the entire process |
| ✅ **Seamless**       | App installation happens within the Violet Connect flow     |
| ✅ **Fast**           | Entire onboarding takes just a few minutes                  |
| ✅ **Error-free**     | No manual credential entry or typos                         |
| ✅ **Pre-configured** | All OAuth settings handled during pre-registration          |
| ✅ **Trackable**      | Real-time status updates in your Channel Dashboard          |
| ✅ **Secure**         | OAuth credentials never exposed to merchant                 |

***

#### Violet Connect Link Format

Your merchant-specific Violet Connect links should follow this format:

```
https://connect.violet.io/YOUR_APP_ALIAS/platforms/shopify/connect?preregistration=ENCODED_DATA
```

The encoded pre-registration data automatically connects everything to your pre-registration in the Channel Dashboard.

***

### Alternative Path: Using Store URL Lookup

The merchant loses the Violet Connect link or navigates directly to `https://connect.violet.io/{your_app_alias}`:

1. Merchant creates an account or logs in
2. Merchant selects **"Shopify"** as their platform
3. Merchant enters their store URL (e.g., `acme.myshopify.com`)
4. Violet detects the pre-registration and shows **"Store Found"** confirmation
5. Merchant clicks **"Connect to Shopify"** and is redirected to Shopify for app installation
6. After installation, merchant is redirected back to Violet Connect to complete setup

{% hint style="info" %}
**When to use this path**: If a merchant is not provided or loses their Violet Connect link, they can still complete onboarding by entering their store URL manually.
{% endhint %}

***

### Behind the Scenes

When a merchant completes onboarding, Violet automatically:

1. **Completes OAuth handshake** with Shopify using your pre-registered credentials
2. **Validates the connection** to ensure everything is working
3. **Updates merchant status** from "Pre-Registered" to "Connected"
4. **Sends webhook** to notify you of successful connection
5. **Begins catalog sync** to make products available in your channel

You don't need to handle any technical OAuth details — Violet manages the entire process using the Client ID and Client Secret you provided during pre-registration.

***

**Next steps:**

* [Troubleshooting & FAQs](/ecom-platforms/shopify/troubleshooting-faqs.md) — Common issues and solutions
* [Back to Pre-Registration](/ecom-platforms/shopify/pre-registration.md) — Set up more merchants


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