A guide to the Gorgias GraphQL API: Use cases & alternatives
Kenneth Pangan
Katelin Teen
Last edited October 26, 2025
Expert Verified
Let's see if this sounds familiar. Your support team is drowning in manual work, toggling between Gorgias and Shopify just to get a customer's full story. You're trying to figure out which shipping carrier is breaking the most items, but the standard Gorgias dashboard just won't give you that report. You're stuck exporting spreadsheets and copy-pasting your way through the day, knowing there has to be a smarter way to work.
If this feels a little too real, you're not alone. The key to breaking out of that loop is often an API (Application Programming Interface). For anyone using the popular e-commerce helpdesk Gorgias, its API is the gateway to building the exact workflows you need. But here’s the thing about APIs: they aren’t a magic switch you can just flip on. They usually require developers, a budget, and ongoing babysitting that most support teams simply don't have the time for.
In this guide, we’ll pull back the curtain on the Gorgias API, showing you what it is, what it can do, and the often-overlooked headaches involved. We'll also walk you through a much simpler, self-serve way to get the same powerful results without needing to rope in your engineering team.
What is the Gorgias GraphQL API?
Think of an API as a universal translator that lets different software programs talk to each other. The Gorgias API is what lets you get under the hood and programmatically access or change data in your helpdesk. You can create tickets, update customer info, or pull message histories without ever logging into the Gorgias interface.
When you start digging in, you'll hear about two main types of APIs from Gorgias: REST and GraphQL.
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REST API: This is the old-school, traditional approach. It’s reliable and well-documented, working by accessing different URLs for different kinds of data. For example, you’d go to
/api/ticketsto get tickets,/api/customersto get customer info, and so on. -
Gorgias GraphQL API: This is the newer, more flexible option. With GraphQL, you can ask for exactly the data you need in a single, neat request. Want a customer's name, their last three ticket subjects, and the tags on those tickets? You can grab just that, nothing more and nothing less. It's incredibly efficient, but that power comes with a steeper learning curve.
Ultimately, the goal of using either API is to build custom connections between Gorgias and the other tools you use, automate your unique processes, and keep your data in sync everywhere.
Key use cases for the Gorgias GraphQL API
If you have an engineering team ready to go, you can build some seriously impressive things. Here are a few common headaches you can solve with the API.
Build the exact reports you need
The built-in analytics in Gorgias are a great starting point, but what happens when your questions get more specific? Maybe you want to see if there's a connection between a spike in support tickets and a recent marketing campaign, pulling data from your Shopify store. Or perhaps you need to track logistics data from your 3PL to find out which shipping carrier is causing the most headaches.
Using the Gorgias GraphQL API, a developer can write queries like "listTickets" to pull all the raw ticket data they need. They could build a script that automatically grabs every ticket tagged with "damaged item," cross-references it with shipping data from another system's API, and then sends all that information to a business intelligence (BI) tool. The end result is a custom dashboard that clearly shows which carriers are costing you money. It’s a fantastic outcome, but getting there involves a complex process known as ETL (Extract, Transform, Load), which is a specialized skill.
A look at the Gorgias dashboard, which can be customized using the Gorgias GraphQL API to build specific reports.::alt_text=A screenshot of the Gorgias user interface, a key feature when using the Gorgias GraphQL API for e-commerce brands.::alt_title=Gorgias Dashboard with Gorgias GraphQL APIKeep customer data synced
Nothing grinds an agent's productivity to a halt faster than having to constantly switch between Gorgias and an internal CRM or admin panel just to get the full story on a customer. The API can build a bridge between these systems.
With API actions like "createCustomer" or "updateCustomer", your tools can stay perfectly in sync. For example, when a customer gets upgraded to "VIP" status in your CRM, an API call could automatically add a "vip" tag to their profile in Gorgias. Going the other way, if a customer is submitting an unusual number of support tickets, an API call could flag their profile in the CRM so your customer success team can reach out proactively.
The Gorgias GraphQL API allows for deep integrations, such as syncing customer data directly from Shopify into the helpdesk.::alt_text=A view of the Gorgias automated ticketing system showing a customer's Shopify data, enabled by the Gorgias GraphQL API.::alt_title=Gorgias Shopify Integration via Gorgias GraphQL APIAutomate complex workflows
Gorgias's built-in rules are great for simple "if this, then that" automation. But what about workflows that have multiple steps or depend on information from outside of Gorgias? That's where the API comes in.
You could build a small, custom application that listens for new tickets. Imagine a customer asks if an out-of-stock item is available for back-order. Your custom app could see that ticket, use the Shopify API to check real-time inventory and supplier data, and then use the Gorgias GraphQL API to post an internal note on the ticket for the agent with a clear "yes" or "no" and an estimated restock date. While tools like Pipedream or Zapier can handle some of this, truly unique business logic often requires a custom-built solution.
The catch: Why building with the Gorgias GraphQL API is harder than it looks
While these use cases sound great in theory, the day-to-day reality of building and maintaining API integrations is often a different story. Here’s the fine print you should read before kicking off a big engineering project.
It requires a lot of developer time
Let's be blunt: using the Gorgias GraphQL API is not a task for your support manager to handle on a Friday afternoon. It requires engineers who are comfortable with APIs, know how to manage authentication securely (like API keys or OAuth 2.0, as Prismatic's documentation details), and understand the specific query language of GraphQL.
This translates directly into developer hours for research, building, testing, and deploying. A project that seems simple on the surface can easily stretch into weeks or even months. You're not getting a solution today; you're starting a project that might pay off next quarter, if you're lucky.
You often need a "middleman" app
The Gorgias API can only control Gorgias. The Shopify API can only control Shopify. If you want them to talk to each other, you need to build something that sits in the middle, speaks both languages, and has a place to live and run its code.
A perfect example of this popped up in a real Shopify Community post. A user wanted to pull custom data (metafields) from Shopify into Gorgias. The answer wasn't a simple API call. It involved building a custom "intermediary app" that would first ask the Shopify API for the data, and then turn around and use the Gorgias API to push it into the right ticket. This is exactly the kind of hidden work that turns a "quick sync" into a full-blown project.
Maintenance never really ends
An API integration isn't something you can set and forget. The digital world is always changing. Shopify might update an endpoint you depend on (a common issue discussed in Celigo's article on API migration), Gorgias could change its authentication process, or a tiny tweak in one system could accidentally break your entire workflow.
This means your engineering team isn't just building the tool once; they're on the hook for keeping it alive forever. Every bug fix and every update pulls them away from improving your actual product, creating a slow, constant drain on one of your most valuable resources.
The self-serve alternative: An AI integration layer like eesel AI
So, if you're not looking to spin up a new engineering squad just to connect your apps, what do you do? Instead of getting tangled up in the Gorgias GraphQL API, you can use an AI platform that handles all the technical heavy lifting for you.
Get up and running in minutes
An AI platform like eesel AI offers a refreshingly simple, do-it-yourself approach. Instead of you writing code to talk to the Gorgias API, eesel AI does it behind the scenes.
You can forget about wrestling with API keys and GraphQL queries. With eesel AI, you just connect your Gorgias account with a single click. A setup that would take a developer weeks to build can be done by you in less time than it takes to finish a cup of coffee. It completely sidesteps the "developer resources" problem by letting you get value immediately.
Connect all your knowledge, not just Gorgias
Remember that Shopify metafield problem? A truly helpful AI agent needs to know more than just what's in your help center. It needs access to all the scattered information your team relies on every day.
This is where a platform approach really shines. eesel AI connects not only to Gorgias but also to your other knowledge sources with the same one-click simplicity. You can link it to Shopify, internal wikis in Confluence, team processes in Google Docs, and more. Suddenly, your AI agent can answer questions about specific order details, internal return policies, or product specs without you ever having to think about building a "middleman" app. In essence, eesel AI is that intermediary app, ready to go right out of the box.
AI platforms like eesel AI connect to multiple knowledge sources, acting as a no-code alternative to the Gorgias GraphQL API.::alt_text=A screenshot of the eesel AI platform connecting to multiple business applications to build its knowledge base instead of using the Gorgias GraphQL API.::alt_title=eesel AI as an Alternative to the Gorgias GraphQL APITest everything with confidence before you launch
One of the most stressful parts of launching a custom-built tool is the uncertainty. It's tough to know how your code will handle the volume and chaos of real customer conversations until it's live, which is a risky way to learn.
eesel AI flips that around with a powerful simulation mode. You can test your AI agent against thousands of your actual past Gorgias tickets. It will show you exactly how it would have responded, what percentage of tickets it could have fully resolved, and, just as importantly, where your knowledge gaps are. This lets you fine-tune your automation and roll it out feeling confident, not just hopeful.
The eesel AI simulation dashboard shows how AI would have resolved past tickets, a feature not available when building directly with the Gorgias GraphQL API.::alt_text=The eesel AI simulation dashboard showing how AI uses past product knowledge, a benefit over using the Gorgias GraphQL API directly.::alt_title=eesel AI Simulation vs. Gorgias GraphQL APIA quick look at Gorgias pricing
Before we wrap up, it’s helpful to understand how Gorgias itself is priced, since you'll need a subscription to use their API at all.
According to their pricing page, their model is based on the volume of "billable tickets" or automated interactions, rather than the number of agent seats. This can be a friendly model for growing teams because you don't pay more every time you hire a new agent. Here's a quick summary of their plans.
| Plan | Starting Price (Monthly) | Included Tickets/Month |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $10/mo | 50 |
| Basic | $50/mo | 300 |
| Pro | $300/mo | 2,000 |
| Advanced | $750/mo | 5,000 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Get results without the Gorgias GraphQL API engineering project
The Gorgias GraphQL API is a fantastic tool for support teams that have the engineering firepower and the need for deeply customized, from-scratch solutions.
But for most teams, going down the path of direct API integration is slow, expensive, and full of hidden traps. It’s a project that demands management, not a solution that delivers immediate relief.
AI integration platforms like eesel AI offer a much smarter path forward. They give you the same powerful automation and data-syncing capabilities by using the API on your behalf, but they wrap it all in a simple, self-serve package. You can go live in minutes, not months, and get back to focusing on your customers instead of managing a software build.
Start automating your Gorgias support today
Ready to see what you can automate in Gorgias without writing a single line of code? Connect your helpdesk and find out.
Frequently asked questions
The Gorgias GraphQL API is a modern, flexible interface that allows you to request specific data from Gorgias in a single query, getting exactly what you need. In contrast, the REST API is a more traditional approach where you access different, predefined URLs for various data types. GraphQL offers more efficiency by reducing over-fetching of data.
You can build custom reports by pulling specific ticket and customer data to track key metrics beyond standard dashboards. It also enables complex automation workflows, like checking external inventory and updating tickets, and helps keep customer data synced across Gorgias and other systems like your CRM.
It requires specialized developer skills for querying, authentication, and secure deployment, leading to significant time investment for building and testing. Additionally, these integrations demand ongoing maintenance as systems update, creating a continuous drain on engineering resources.
The Gorgias GraphQL API only interacts with Gorgias data; it doesn't directly communicate with other platforms. A "middleman" app acts as an intermediary, speaking both APIs' languages to fetch data from one system and then push or transform it for Gorgias (or vice-versa). This app needs its own environment to run and manage these interactions.
Yes, the Gorgias GraphQL API can be leveraged to build robust, near real-time data synchronization solutions. When combined with webhooks or scheduled jobs, it allows you to update customer profiles, order statuses, or other relevant information across systems as events occur.
AI platforms like eesel AI have pre-built integrations that internally handle all the complexities of interacting with the Gorgias GraphQL API. They act as the "middleman" app, abstracting away the code, authentication, and maintenance, allowing you to connect Gorgias with a few clicks and leverage its data through an intuitive interface.
