What is a hook?

A hook is a piece of JavaScript code that connects your Shopify store with other systems and automates business processes. It can either respond to Shopify store events (like orders or inventory changes) or accept requests from external systems to make changes in your store.

How hooks work

Every hook follows a simple trigger-and-response pattern:

A trigger occurs (either a Shopify store event or an external API call)
The hook detects this trigger
Your custom code runs automatically
The hook performs actions in Shopify or external systems

Creating a hook

Hooks are written as CommonJS modules that export a single function. Here's the basic structure:

module.exports = async function(payload, actions, context) {
	// Your hook code is here with actions
}

Your hook function receives three important parameters:

payload: Contains all the data from the trigger event
actions: Provides functions to interact with Shopify, send emails, make HTTP requests, and more
context: Gives access to environment-specific variables for customizing your hook's behavior

Hooks run in a secure sandbox environment, so you can’t import external JavaScript modules.

Managing your hooks

Hooks can be in one of two states:

Active Hooks

Respond to triggers in real-time
Can be tested at any time
Allow modifications to trigger events and properties

Inactive Hooks

Don't respond to triggers
Can be safely tested and modified
Useful for development and maintenance

Monitoring hook performance

Every active hook generates detailed run logs, giving you visibility into their performance. You can:

Filter logs by date, resource ID, or status
Track successful and failed executions
Add debug log entries for troubleshooting
Monitor all actions performed by your hooks

These logs are essential for maintaining and optimizing your hooks' performance.