Generate customer portal authentication token

Generates a secure, time-limited authentication token that grants access to the customer portal. Supports lookup by either Shopify customer ID or customer email address, making it flexible for various integration patterns.

What This Endpoint Returns: An encrypted JWT-like token that authenticates a customer for the subscription management portal, along with token metadata. Unlike the manage-subscription-link endpoint which returns a complete URL, this returns only the token itself.

Response Components:

token (string):

• Encrypted authentication token
• JWT-style format with cryptographic signature
• Contains customer ID and shop information
• Valid for 2 hours from generation
• Cannot be forged or tampered with

customerId (long):

• Shopify customer ID (numeric)
• Useful for verification
• Same ID used to generate token

Customer Lookup Methods:

Option 1: By Customer ID (Recommended)

GET /api/external/v2/customer-portal-token?customerId=12345

• Direct lookup by numeric Shopify customer ID
• Can use GraphQL GID format (automatically parsed)
• Fastest and most reliable
• No ambiguity

Option 2: By Email Address

GET /api/external/v2/customer-portal-token?email=customer@example.com

• Searches subscription database for matching email
• Finds associated customer ID automatically
• Useful when customer ID unknown
• Fails if email not found or invalid

Parameter Validation:

• Exactly ONE of customerId or email must be provided
• Providing neither: Returns 400 error
• Providing both: customerId takes precedence
• Email must exist in subscription database

Token Security:

Encryption:

• Uses HMAC-SHA256 cryptographic signing
• Secret key stored securely on server
• Token includes tamper detection
• Modification invalidates token

Expiration:

• Tokens expire exactly 2 hours after generation
• Timestamp embedded in token payload
• Verified on each use
• Cannot be extended

Scope:

• Token tied to specific customer
• Token tied to specific shop
• Cannot be used for other customers
• Cannot be used across shops

Use Cases:

1. Custom Portal Implementations:

• Build custom authentication flows
• Integrate portal into existing apps
• Create native mobile app authentication
• Headless commerce integrations

2. API-First Architectures:

• Generate tokens programmatically
• Pass tokens to frontend applications
• Build microservice authentication
• Separate auth from presentation

3. Single Sign-On (SSO):

• Authenticate users from existing system
• Bypass password entry
• Seamless portal access
• Cross-platform authentication

4. Email/SMS Campaigns:

• Generate tokens for magic links
• Embed in notification emails
• Include in SMS messages
• Create passwordless login links

5. Customer Support Tools:

• Generate portal access for support agents
• View customer’s portal perspective
• Troubleshoot portal issues
• Assist customers remotely

Response Format:

{
  "customerId": 12345,
  "token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJjdXN0b21lcklkIjoxMjM0NSwic2hvcCI6Im15c3RvcmUubXlzaG9waWZ5LmNvbSIsInRpbWVzdGFtcCI6MTcwOTU2MjAwMH0.abc123xyz789"
}

Using the Token:

Append to Portal URL:

const { token } = await getCustomerPortalToken(customerId);
const portalUrl = `https://mystore.com/tools/recurring/customer_portal?token=${token}`;
window.location.href = portalUrl;

Store in Session:

// Store for authenticated API calls
sessionStorage.setItem('portalToken', response.token);
sessionStorage.setItem('customerId', response.customerId);

// Use in subsequent requests
fetch('/api/subscription-data', {
  headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${sessionStorage.getItem('portalToken')}` }
});

Mobile App Authentication:

// Generate token server-side
const tokenData = await generateToken(email);

// Send to mobile app
return {
  authToken: tokenData.token,
  customerId: tokenData.customerId,
  expiresIn: 7200 // 2 hours in seconds
};

Important Considerations:

Token vs. Full URL:

• This endpoint: Returns token only
• /manage-subscription-link endpoint: Returns complete URL
• Use this for custom implementations
• Use manage-subscription-link for simple email links

Email Lookup Limitations:

• Email must exist in subscription database
• Searches only customers with subscriptions
• Won’t find customers without subscriptions
• Case-sensitive in some databases

Customer ID Formats:

• Accepts numeric ID: 12345
• Accepts GraphQL GID: gid://shopify/Customer/12345
• Automatically extracts numeric portion
• Always stores numeric format

Best Practices:

1. Generate On-Demand: Create tokens when needed, not in advance
2. Don’t Store Long-Term: Tokens expire in 2 hours
3. Use HTTPS: Always transmit tokens over secure connections
4. Validate Expiry: Check token age on frontend
5. Prefer Customer ID: Use customerId lookup when available
6. Handle Errors: Gracefully handle missing customers

Security Notes:

• Treat tokens like passwords
• Don’t log tokens in plain text
• Don’t expose in URLs if possible (use POST bodies)
• Rotate tokens frequently
• Monitor for suspicious token generation patterns

Comparison with Other Endpoints:

vs. /manage-subscription-link:

• This: Token only
• That: Complete URL
• Use this for APIs, that for emails

vs. /subscription-contracts-email-magic-link:

• This: Returns token
• That: Sends email
• Use this for programmatic access, that for customer notifications

Authentication: Requires valid X-API-Key header