Token-Based Store Pairing: Security Without Complexity

Why we chose one-time tokens over shared API keys, and how HMAC verification keeps your store data safe.

Token-Based Store Pairing: Security Without Complexity

Security is non-negotiable when you're connecting multiple Shopify stores. MultiStore Sync uses a token-based pairing system that keeps things simple without compromising safety.

Why not shared API keys?

Sharing API keys between stores creates a sprawling attack surface. If one key leaks, all connected stores are at risk. Revoking it breaks every connection simultaneously.

How tokens work

When a server store generates a pairing token, it's a cryptographically random string stored as a hashed value in our database. The raw token is shown once and never stored in plaintext. When a client store submits the token to connect, we hash it and compare — if it matches, the connection is established and the token is invalidated.

HMAC webhook verification

Every webhook payload from Shopify is verified using HMAC-SHA256 before any processing occurs. The signature is computed using your app's client secret and compared against the X-Shopify-Hmac-Sha256 header. Payloads that fail verification are rejected immediately.

GDPR compliance

MultiStore Sync processes the minimum data necessary. We respond to Shopify's GDPR webhooks (customers/data_request, customers/redact, shop/redact) and permanently delete store data within 30 days of uninstallation.

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