---
title: Purchase Order Read API - Shopify developer changelog
description: >-
  Shopify’s developer changelog documents all changes to Shopify’s platform.
  Find the latest news and learn about new platform opportunities.
source_url:
  html: 'https://shopify.dev/changelog/posts/purchase-order-read-api'
  md: 'https://shopify.dev/changelog/posts/purchase-order-read-api.md'
metadata:
  effectiveApiVersion: 2026-10
  affectedApi:
    - displayName: Admin GraphQL API
      handle: admin-graphql
  primaryTag:
    displayName: API
    handle: api
  secondaryTag:
    displayName: New
    handle: new
  indicatesActionRequired: false
  createdAt: '2026-09-15T14:24:47-04:00'
  postedAt: '2026-09-17T12:00:00-04:00'
  updatedAt: '2026-10-15T21:58:47-04:00'
  effectiveAt: '2026-09-17T12:00:00-04:00'
---

September 17, 2026

# Purchase Order Read API

DateSeptember 17, 2026

Version[2026-10](https://shopify.dev/changelog?api_version=2026-10)

FlagsNew

SurfacesAPI

Affected APIs[Admin GraphQL API](https://shopify.dev/changelog?api_type=admin-graphql)

You can now read purchase orders through the `inventoryPurchaseOrder` and `inventoryPurchaseOrders` queries in GraphQL Admin API version `2026-10` and later. This public release lets apps read purchase order details, line items, supplier snapshots, and linked inventory transfers without enrolling shops in the physical inventory feature preview.

Apps using the preview's `read_inventory` access must obtain purchase order read access.

## What changed

Previously, public apps read purchase orders only through the unstable preview. The 2026-10 GraphQL Admin API now exposes:

* `inventoryPurchaseOrder` to retrieve a purchase order by ID, and `inventoryPurchaseOrders` to retrieve a paginated list.
* Purchase order details and line items, including the supplier name captured in `origin.supplierName`.
* A paginated `transfers` connection returning the linked `InventoryTransfer` objects. Reading these objects also requires `read_inventory_transfers` access.

`InventoryPurchaseOrder.referenceName` is not part of the public `2026-10` API. If your preview query selects it, remove that selection before moving to `2026-10`.

This is a read-only release. Purchase order mutations are not included. Existing user permissions continue to apply.

## Who's affected

* **Apps adopting purchase order reads**: Request `read_inventory_purchase_orders`. Neither API beta access nor shop preview enrollment is required for these reads.
* **Existing preview integrations**: `read_inventory` alone no longer authorizes purchase order reads, including on `unstable`. Obtain `read_inventory_purchase_orders` before relying on the released behavior. Keep `read_inventory` if your app still needs it for other inventory resources.
* **Apps already granted purchase order access**: No additional purchase order scope request is needed if the installation already has `read_inventory_purchase_orders` or `write_inventory_purchase_orders`, which includes read access. Check your queries against the released field names and types.

Versions `2026-07` and earlier do not gain these public queries. Apps that don't read purchase orders don't need to make changes.

## What to do

1. **Update your app's requested scopes.** Add `read_inventory_purchase_orders`, and add `read_inventory_transfers` if you need the `transfers` connection. Preserve any other scopes your app still needs.
2. **Obtain the new grants.** Deploy the configuration changes and complete your app's scope approval flow for existing installations. Changing the requested scopes alone does not grant access. Verify the installation's granted scopes through `currentAppInstallation.accessScopes`.
3. **Update and test your queries.** Target `/admin/api/2026-10/graphql.json`, and use the supplier and transfer fields shown below. If you integrate before October 1, 2026, `2026-10` is a release candidate: use it for testing rather than production.
4. **Check the result on a development store.** Use a store with a purchase order and a linked transfer. Confirm the query returns those records without schema-validation or `ACCESS_DENIED` errors. Check both access scopes and the acting user's permissions if access is denied.

For a Shopify CLI app that needs both purchase orders and their linked transfers, include these scopes in `shopify.app.toml`:

```toml
[access_scopes]
scopes = "read_inventory_purchase_orders,read_inventory_transfers"
```

Merge these values with your existing scope list rather than replacing it. Apps that already hold the corresponding write scopes don't need to request redundant read scopes.

This example reads the first five purchase orders, with up to five line items and five linked transfers per purchase order:

```graphql
query PurchaseOrders {
  inventoryPurchaseOrders(first: 5) {
    nodes {
      id
      name
      status
      origin {
        supplierName
      }
      lineItems(first: 5) {
        nodes {
          id
          title
        }
      }
      transfers(first: 5) {
        nodes {
          id
          name
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Paginate each connection to retrieve additional records. If your app doesn't need transfers, omit that selection and the additional transfer scope.

## Related docs

* [InventoryPurchaseOrder reference](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/2026-10/objects/InventoryPurchaseOrder)
* [Manage app access scopes](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/authentication-authorization/manage-access-scopes)
* [Shopify API versioning and release candidates](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/usage/versioning)