> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.saletides.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connecting Your WooCommerce Store

> How to connect your WooCommerce store to SaleTides using OAuth — takes about 2 minutes.

## Before you begin

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What do I need?">
    * A live WooCommerce store (WooCommerce 3.5 or later)
    * Admin access to your WordPress dashboard
    * Your store's public URL (e.g. `https://yourstore.com`)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does SaleTides need write access to my store?">
    No. SaleTides requests **read-only** access via the WooCommerce REST API. It cannot create, modify, or delete any orders, products, or customers on your store.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does my store need to be publicly accessible?">
    Yes. SaleTides needs to reach your WooCommerce REST API over the internet. Stores on `localhost` or behind a VPN will not work.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Step-by-step setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create your SaleTides account">
    Go to [saletides.com](https://saletides.com) and click **Start Free Trial**. Enter your email address to begin.

    <Note>No credit card required for the 30-day free trial.</Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your WooCommerce store URL">
    Enter the full URL of your store — for example, `https://yourstore.com`.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/saletides/lTTWzBciyxzwP7DS/images/onboarding-store-url.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=lTTWzBciyxzwP7DS&q=85&s=8025ad42b4b00179e6d07d46a831dffb" alt="Enter store URL screen" width="1440" height="900" data-path="images/onboarding-store-url.png" />
    </Frame>

    SaleTides validates the URL and confirms it is a live WooCommerce store before proceeding.

    **Common mistakes to avoid:**

    * Missing `https://` — always include the full protocol
    * Entering a page URL — use your root domain, not `/shop` or `/products`
    * Store is in maintenance mode — disable it temporarily during setup
  </Step>

  <Step title="Authorize via WooCommerce OAuth">
    You'll be redirected to your WordPress admin with a WooCommerce authorization screen. Click **Approve**.

    This creates read-only API credentials that SaleTides uses to import your data. Your store data is never modified.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for the initial import">
    SaleTides immediately begins importing your historical data in the background.

    | Store size           | Estimated time |
    | -------------------- | -------------- |
    | Under 1,000 orders   | 2–5 minutes    |
    | 1,000–10,000 orders  | 5–20 minutes   |
    | 10,000–50,000 orders | 20–60 minutes  |
    | 50,000+ orders       | 1–3 hours      |

    <Tip>You don't need to wait for the full import — reports become available as data comes in.</Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Webhooks are set up automatically">
    After the import, SaleTides registers webhooks on your WooCommerce store so new orders, customers, and product updates appear in real time.

    Verify them at **WordPress Admin → WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced → Webhooks**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What gets imported

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Orders" icon="cart-shopping">
    All orders including line items, billing/shipping addresses, payment method, and notes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Customers" icon="users">
    All customer records linked to their orders
  </Card>

  <Card title="Products & Variations" icon="box">
    All products, categories, and variations with pricing data
  </Card>

  <Card title="Coupons" icon="tag">
    All coupon codes and usage history
  </Card>

  <Card title="Refunds" icon="rotate-left">
    All refunds linked to their original orders
  </Card>

  <Card title="Subscriptions" icon="rotate">
    All subscription records if WooCommerce Subscriptions is active
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I get an error when entering my store URL">
    * Make sure the URL includes `https://`
    * Confirm your store is publicly accessible (not in maintenance mode)
    * Verify WooCommerce is active, not just WordPress
    * Check that your server allows outgoing REST API requests
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The WooCommerce OAuth screen didn't appear">
    The WooCommerce REST API may be disabled. Go to **WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced → REST API** and enable it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I approved access but the import isn't starting">
    Refresh your SaleTides dashboard and wait 2 minutes. If still not started, go to **Settings → Store Settings** and click **Reconnect Store**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The import has been running for a very long time">
    Large stores (50,000+ orders) can take 1–3 hours — this is normal. If it has been running for more than 6 hours without progress, click **Report Issue** on the import screen or email [support@saletides.com](mailto:support@saletides.com).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>