# Violet Connect for Channels

Violet Connect is the onboarding flow your merchants complete to connect their e-commerce store to your app. Merchants complete this process themselves — it is not a process channels complete on behalf of their merchants.

{% hint style="info" %}
We recommend trying Violet Connect out for yourself first using a [test store](/prism/violet-connect/testing/connecting-a-shopify-store.md).
{% endhint %}

## Prerequisites

Before directing merchants to Violet Connect, make sure:

* Your app settings are configured with a redirect URL — merchants will be sent here after completing onboarding
* Commission rates have been pre-agreed with your merchants
* **For Shopify merchants:** Review the [Shopify Merchant Onboarding guide](/ecom-platforms/shopify.md), which covers the pre-registration flow required for Shopify's custom app model

## Sharing Violet Connect with Merchants

Once your app is configured, send merchants their Violet Connect link. For a full walkthrough of what merchants will experience, share the [Violet Connect for Merchants](/prism/violet-connect/guides/violet-connect-for-merchants.md) guide with them directly.

## Customizing the Flow

The default Violet Connect flow includes: platform selection → store URL entry → credential entry → payout account setup → commission rate selection. Several steps can be configured:

### Payout Account

By default, merchants are prompted to set up a payout account via Stripe KYC. If you are bypassing Violet Payments, this step will not appear. Contact Violet to skip it for any other reason.

### Commission Rate

By default, merchants select their own commission rate during onboarding. If you are setting commission rates on behalf of merchants based on pre-negotiated agreements, this step can be bypassed. Contact Violet to configure this.

## Verifying Merchant Connections

Once a merchant completes Violet Connect, you can confirm their connection and verify the commission rate they selected on your [Channel Dashboard](https://channel.violet.io/merchant).

## Merchant Experience Preview

Watch a full demo of the merchant onboarding experience below.

<https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8ba950de-ccd8-4c28-92d0-c16b70af7aed>


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