Shopify Braze Integration: how to connect both platforms and stop losing customer data

Many brands run Shopify and Braze at the same time. However, in most cases, one never talks to the other. The result is always the same: generic campaigns, missed opportunities, and a database that doesn’t reflect what your buyers actually do. The good news is that the Shopify Braze integration is simpler than it looks — and the impact shows fast. In this article we explain how the standard integration works, what data it unlocks, and when it makes sense to go with a more advanced setup.

The Shopify Braze standard integration: fast, solid, and no coding required

If your store runs on Shopify’s classic frontend, the standard integration is the best place to start. It’s configured directly from the Braze dashboard and requires no code. Within a few hours, you’re already receiving behavioral data from your users.

Here’s how the process works:

1. Connect your store

Go to Partner Integrations > Technology Partners in Braze, search for Shopify, and click Begin Setup. From there, you’ll be redirected to the Shopify App Store to install the Braze app. Once you’re back, confirm the workspace you want to link. One key point: each store can only connect to one workspace. So if you manage multiple stores, it’s worth planning this carefully from the start.

2. Decide when Braze starts listening

This step carries more weight than it seems. You have two options, and each one has its consequences.

Upon site visit ✅ Tracks anonymous users, like shoppers browsing without logging in. This gives you more data to personalize with. ⚠️ Site visits count toward your monthly MAU quota. For that reason, costs can rise if your store gets a lot of anonymous traffic.

Upon account sign in ✅ A more privacy-conscious approach. Activity is only tracked once the user identifies themselves. ❌ In contrast, you lose visibility into what happens before login: browsing, carts, and behavior from unidentified users.

3. The data that starts flowing

Once the integration is active, you have access to two distinct types of events.

Braze eCommerce Events

Currently in Early Access, these events activate automatically with the integration. They also replace the classic Purchase Events. These are events built for online stores:

• ecommerce.product_viewed
• ecommerce.cart_updated
• ecommerce.checkout_started
• ecommerce.order_placed

Shopify Custom Events

On the other hand, these events are native to the Shopify ecosystem. They add information about the order lifecycle:

• shopify_account_login
• shopify_paid_order
• shopify_order_canceled
• shopify_order_refunded
• shopify_order_fulfilled
• shopify_order_partially_fulfilled

Customer Attributes

In addition to events, these attributes sync automatically:

• shopify_tags
• shopify_total_spent
• shopify_order_count
• shopify_last_order_id
• shopify_last_order_name
• shopify_zipcode
• shopify_province

To explore all available use cases, check out the official Braze eCommerce use cases documentation.

All of these events are part of what makes the Shopify Braze integration so powerful: real data, in real time, ready to segment with.

Does your store already have history?

In that case, you can load the last 90 days all at once — customers, orders, and attributes come in together. That way, you can start segmenting from day one without waiting to build up new data.

4. User management

You choose how to identify your users in Braze: by Shopify customer ID, email, hashed email, or a custom ID. However, our recommendation is to avoid using email as the external ID, even if it seems convenient for cross-platform data matching. The risks are real:

⚠️ Easy to guess: email addresses are simple to figure out. For that reason, they’re more vulnerable to attacks. ⚠️ Risk of misuse: if someone sends another user’s email as an external ID, they could access that person’s messages or sensitive data.

Instead, the Shopify customer ID or a custom ID are safer options for most cases. Moreover, you can sync email and SMS marketing opt-ins directly from Shopify, which simplifies subscription management.

5. The product catalog and channels

There are two extras worth activating. On one hand, real-time product catalog sync — essential for deep message personalization. On the other, in-browser messages, which you can set up without code to capture leads or send on-site communications.

What if the standard integration isn’t enough?

For most stores, the standard version covers everything you need to run powerful campaigns. However, there are cases where it falls short: headless stores, sites built on Shopify Hydrogen, or brands that need precise control over what gets tracked and how. For those cases, there’s the custom integration.

The difference is clear: in the custom version, the technical team installs and manages the Braze SDK directly in the frontend code. It requires more upfront work, but it opens options the standard version simply doesn’t have.

What you gain:

• Full control over events, attributes, and user identification logic
• Compatible with any modern architecture
• Native support for Content Cards, Feature Flags, and in-app messages
• More flexibility for complex identity and personalization scenarios

What it involves:

• You need a technical team to set it up and maintain it
• Setup takes significantly longer
• Any SDK changes require technical work

Which one is right for you?

To sum up: if your store runs on Shopify’s standard theme, start with the standard integration. It’s fast, solid, and gives you everything you need for abandoned cart flows, post-purchase journeys, behavioral segmentation, and personalized messaging.

If instead your frontend is custom or headless, the investment in the advanced integration is worth it — as long as you have the technical team to support it.

Not sure where to start or want to walk through it together? Let’s talk.