Unified API for WooCommerce Integration: How It Benefits SaaS
Tags: devjournal, programming, wordpress, webdev
Published: 2022-04-18 11:52:03

As an eCommerce software vendor or developer, you want to see your business succeed as much as possible in 2022. Through digitization, the competition in almost every niche has become more intense and has forced many software companies out of business. 

To be a leading eCommerce software provider, you need to integrate with WooCommerce. API integration with WooCommerce allows you to connect with this large platform and reach many users. Whether you are a shipping solution vendor, marketing automation system, chatbot service, WMS, order and inventory management, or pricing software, you should read about how to integrate your system with WooCommerce easily.

##Three main reasons why you should connect to WooCommerce

With an API for WooCommerce integration, you can connect your business to this eCommerce platform. This opportunity will enable you to retrieve, synchronize, update, and delete data related to products, orders, inventory, or shipments. Also, you will be able to offer your specific services to hundreds of thousands of online store owners who use this platform.

Three main advantages of WooCommerce integration for your business:

1. Significantly increases the customer base. WooCommerce has over [5.1 million clients](https://trends.builtwith.com/shop/WooCommerce), making it one of today's most widely used eCommerce platforms. Furthermore, it has a broad reach of over 200 countries across all continents, and that number is constantly growing. WooCommerce integration allows for maximum reach and expansion of your business.  
2. Improves the functionality of your software. One more reason to develop WooCommerce API integration is that such a connection streamlines your software and takes it to a whole new level. WooCommerce provides more than 35 methods to work with customers, categories, orders, products, or other data type. You can use this info to offer new and improved functionalities for your customers.
3. Allows growing your revenue. WooCommerce integration can speed up the development of your business and increase its profits.

##Key Facts about WooCommerce API

The [WooCommerce API](https://woocommerce.com/document/woocommerce-rest-api/) uses the REST structure, allowing developers and software companies to access data such as orders, shipments, products, categories, descriptions, and customers.  Because WooCommerce has many versions, you should carefully research the integration of your software with each of them, as each version has its features.

The latest version of the WooCommerce API includes fixed bugs and improved functionalities to easily work with customers' data.

One of the key points of integration with WooCommerce is making API calls. To do that, you will need to go through the identification process. To authenticate with the WooCommerce API, you can use the HTTPs authentication or the OAuth 1.1 method.

Because WooCommerce API is a part of WordPress, it allows you to quickly and easily use plugins. It also enables maximally to utilize the RESTful infrastructure to build new, robust features and integrate them into existing programs.

##WooCommerce Integration Challenges

WooCommerce API integration is certainly beneficial for any eCommerce software business. But integration is a [complex process with severe nuances](https://api2cart.com/business/6-difficulties-api-integration-way-avoid/) and is time-consuming. 

First of all, WooCommerce has multiple API versions. For less experienced developers choosing the right API version can be problematic, especially as WooCommerce has a unique type of API called “legacy API” that comes as a separate module. Most developers typically integrate with the newest API versions, but it doesn't allow the system to connect to stores built on the older API versions. Developers should plan new releases accordingly to avoid this problem and constantly optimize the old code. They should also make sure that the connection works with several API versions. 

Second, the WooCommerce API includes a variety of PHP modules. These modules take up additional memory and contribute to the server load. 

Finally, integrating with WooCommerce will take several weeks, cost huge sums of money, and involve numerous security risks.

Trying to avoid these risks is always a smart decision. For example, you can use a [unified API](https://api2cart.com/woocommerce-api/?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=apiforwoocommercekh.ol) for WooCommerce integration to make the process easier.

##Using a Unified API for WooCommerce Integration

Developing a reliable connection with WooCommerce requires considerable effort and time. Besides, it is essential to avoid any integration risks that could cause problems as much as possible. To do that, you can use [this unified API](https://api2cart.com/how-it-works/?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=apiforwoocommercekh.ol).

Using it you can connect to WooCommerce and 40+ other eCommerce platforms, including Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Shopify, Ecwid, OpenCart, etc.

The service provides a range of API methods for easy accessing and working with a customer, price, order, and product data available on WooCommerce and other platforms. With it, you get a stable and affordable WooCommerce integration without any headaches and high prices.