How to connect Claude, ChatGPT and other AI tools to your store

You can let an AI assistant read and update your store for you. It works through your store's own API, with an API key you create in your store admin area. This guide shows you how to set it up, which AI tools can use it, and how to keep your store safe while you do.

Which AI tools can connect

Any AI tool that can send web requests or run code can use your store's API. For example:

• Coding assistants: Claude Code, OpenAI Codex and Cursor. You describe what you want in plain English, and the assistant makes the API calls.
• Automation tools: n8n, Make and Zapier, through their HTTP request step.
• Your own scripts, written by you or by an AI.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create an API key for the AI

1. Log in to the store admin area of the store you want the AI to work on. A key belongs to one store.
2. Go to Settings > API Keys and click Create API Key.
3. Give the key a name that says which tool uses it, for example "Claude Code".
4. In Preset, choose one of the AI assistant presets:
   • AI assistant: read only lets the AI look at your products, offers, categories, brands, articles, pages and analytics. It cannot change anything. Start here.
   • AI assistant: read, and edit content also lets the AI create and edit products, categories, brands, articles and pages.
5. Create the key, then copy it straight away. It is shown only once.

Keys made from a preset expire after 90 days. Neither preset lets the AI see your store users or subscribers, change your settings, or change your offers.

2. Give the AI your store details

The AI needs three things: your store address, your API key, and the API reference. Paste something like this into your AI tool, with your own details:

My FreshStore store is at https://your-store-domain.com.
Its API is documented at https://guides.freshstore.com/article/729-freshstore-api
Send my API key as "Authorization: Bearer KEY" on every request.
Also send a normal browser User-Agent header on every request.
List the 10 products that got the most clicks this month.

Treat the key like a password. In coding assistants, it is safer to store it in an environment variable and tell the AI the name of the variable, rather than paste the key itself into the chat.

3. Start small

Ask a question first, such as which products get the most clicks, or which articles have no meta description. When the answers look right, move on to changes.

Tips for safe changes

• Ask for a plan first. Tell the AI to list what it will change and wait for your OK before it changes anything.
• Change a few items, then check them. Open your store and look at the changed pages before you let the AI do the rest.
• One key per tool. Then you can see each key's Last Used time and revoke one tool without breaking the others.
• Revoke keys you no longer use. Go to Settings > API Keys and click Revoke.

Questions and Troubleshooting

Can the AI change my plan, billing or FreshStore account?

No. A store API key only reaches the content of that one store. It cannot touch your subscription, your payments or your account at my.freshstore.com.

The AI gets "403 Forbidden" with no message

Your store's firewall blocked the request. Tell the AI to send a normal browser User-Agent header on every request.

The AI gets "This token does not have access to ..."

The key does not include that permission. Choose the other preset, or tick the extra permission when you create a new key.

The AI gets "429 Too Many Requests"

The API takes up to 60 requests a minute for each key. Ask the AI to wait a second between requests.

I run more than one store

Create one key in each store, and give the AI the address and key of each one.