Appstle Subscriptions: Recurring Revenue for Shopify

Learn how Appstle Subscriptions works, when to use the Admin API vs. the Storefront API, and what you can build with each interface.

Appstle Subscriptions gives Shopify merchants a complete platform for selling and managing recurring products. Once you install the app, Shopify stores subscription contracts natively — and Appstle exposes two REST API surfaces so you can build integrations, automation workflows, custom portals, and more on top of that data.

Available APIs

Appstle Subscriptions exposes two REST API surfaces. Pick the one that matches where your code runs:

• Admin API — server-side, authenticated with X-API-Key. For backend integrations, mobile apps, automation, and admin dashboards. Browse the full reference under Admin API in the sidebar.
• Storefront API — customer-facing, accessed through Shopify App Proxy. For custom subscription portals on your storefront. Browse the full reference under Storefront API in the sidebar.

Which API should you use?

Use the Admin API when…

• You are building a server-side integration (backend service, CRM connector, helpdesk plugin)
• You are building a mobile app (iOS or Android)
• You need to manage subscriptions programmatically on behalf of merchants
• You want to run bulk operations or scheduled automation
• You are building an admin dashboard or reporting tool
• Your code runs anywhere outside a customer’s browser on the storefront

Admin API requests require an X-API-Key header. Keys are created in the Appstle dashboard under Settings → API Key Management. Never expose keys in client-side code.

Use the Storefront API when…

• You are building a custom customer portal hosted on your Shopify storefront
• You want customers to self-manage their subscriptions (skip, pause, swap products, update payment)
• Your code runs inside the storefront with a logged-in customer session
• You are customizing the subscription portal theme or appearance

Storefront APIs run exclusively through Shopify’s App Proxy and require the customer to be logged in. They will not accept API key authentication and cannot be called from a backend server.

Key features

Subscription management

Create, update, pause, resume, and cancel subscription contracts. Full lifecycle control from initial checkout through cancellation.

Billing & payments

Process payments, handle billing failures, update payment methods, and manage billing cycles and retry logic.

Product catalog

Configure subscription-eligible products, manage selling plans, handle product swaps, and set up Build-a-Box bundles.

Order fulfillment

Manage subscription order cycles, skip upcoming orders, reschedule billing dates, and control delivery schedules.

Reporting & analytics

Access revenue metrics, billing history, order counts per subscription contract, and detailed past-order reports.

Loyalty & rewards

Integrate loyalty programs that let customers earn and redeem points on their subscription orders.

Customization

Apply custom CSS, configure label translations, and manage theme settings for the storefront widget and customer portal.

Automation

Connect with Shopify Flow, listen to JavaScript storefront events, and receive real-time webhook notifications.

Base URL

All Admin API endpoints use:

https://subscription-admin.appstle.com/api/external/v2/

Storefront API endpoints are accessed through your store’s Shopify App Proxy — no separate base URL is needed.

HTTP status codes

All API responses use standard HTTP status codes.

Code	Meaning
200	Success
201	Resource created
400	Bad request — invalid parameters
401	Unauthorized — missing or invalid API key
403	Forbidden — key lacks required permissions
404	Not found
429	Rate limit exceeded
500	Server error

Error responses follow this shape:

{
  "error": "Unauthorized",
  "message": "Invalid API key provided",
  "status": 401
}

Next steps

Authentication

Create API keys and learn how to authenticate every request.

Quickstart

Make your first API call in under five minutes.

Integration guide

End-to-end walkthrough covering the most common integration workflows.

Webhooks

Receive real-time event notifications when subscriptions change.