<aside class="note note-deprecated">
<h4>Legacy</h4>
<p>The REST Admin API is a legacy API as of October 1, 2024. All apps and integrations should be built with the <a href="/docs/api/admin-graphql">GraphQL Admin API</a>. For details and migration steps, visit our <a href="/docs/apps/build/graphql/migrate">migration guide</a>.</p>
</aside>
The REST Admin API is versioned so that developers can better plan their development cycle. This guide describes how Shopify previews new API features and schedules releases. You can consult the [developer changelog](https://shopify.dev/changelog) for a complete list of changes that apply to each REST Admin API version.
## Release schedule
Shopify releases a new API version every three months at the beginning of the quarter. Version names are date-based to be meaningful and semantically unambiguous (for example, `2023-01`). The following is an example release schedule for 2023:
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Stable version</th>
<th>Release date</th>
<th>Date stable version is supported until</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>2023-01</td>
<td>January 1, 2023</td>
<td>January 1, 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2023-04</td>
<td>April 1, 2023</td>
<td>April 1, 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2023-07</td>
<td>July 1, 2023</td>
<td>July 1, 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2023-10</td>
<td>October 1, 2023</td>
<td>October 1, 2024</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Stable versions are released at 5pm UTC.
Each stable version is supported for a minimum of 12 months. This means that there are at least nine months of overlap between two consecutive stable versions. When a new stable version is introduced and contains changes that affect your app, you have nine months to test and migrate your app to the new version before support for the previous version is removed.
> Tip:
> When a new version has an impact beyond the API, such as on the online store or the UI of the Shopify admin, a developer preview is made available in your Partner Dashboard. To learn more, see [Developer previews](/docs/api/developer-previews).
We strongly recommend updating your apps to make requests to the latest stable API version every quarter. However, if your app uses a stable version that is no longer supported, then Shopify falls forward and responds to your request with the same behaviour as the oldest supported stable version. For example, when Shopify removes `2023-07`, API requests to version `2023-07` will be served version `2023-10`, because that will be the oldest supported stable version.
If your request doesn't include a version, then the API also defaults to the oldest supported stable version. However, we do not recommend relying on this behaviour for adopting deprecated changes. As you update your app, you should specify the API version with every request. By making your app version aware, you anchor your code to a specific set of features that are guaranteed to behave in the same way for the supported timeframe.
### Example version support schedule
<figure class="figure"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/shopifycloud/shopify_dev/assets/api/versioning/api-release-schedule-16bad0abbbdf9a629e89e9b7fc3d459d3d621fa1622dd5b29e26a9eecd527550.png" class="lazyload" width="1966" height="1574"></figure>
## Making requests to an API version
Shopify API versions are explicitly declared in the URLs that your app makes requests to the REST Admin API (`/admin/api/{api_version}/{endpoint}.json`).
For example, the following REST Admin API URL makes a request to version `2025-04`:
`/admin/api/2025-04/customers.json`
There are several supported versions of the APIs available, and you specify the version that you want to use by substituting the version name in the URL. There are three types of API versions: stable, release candidate, and unstable.
Shopify's API responses contain the header `X-Shopify-API-Version`, which returns the API version that was used to execute the request. When you keep your app updated, this matches the API version that's specified in your request. If the returned version is different, then your app is out of date and is using the default API version.
> Note:
> If you're using the REST Admin API and writing your app in Ruby, Python or Node, then you can use the [official libraries](/docs/api) to interact with the API and set the version.
>
> Webhooks are also versioned. To learn how to select a webhook API version, refer to [Versioned webhooks](/docs/api/usage/versioning#webhooks).
## Release candidates
Release candidates let you see what changes are scheduled for release in the next stable version so that you can begin updating your app as early as possible. API release candidates are made available on the same date that we release our stable versions. For example, when version `2023-01` is released on January 1, 2023, the release candidate for version `2023-04` will also become available.
Both backwards-incompatible and backwards-compatible changes can be added to the release candidate so that they’re available to you ahead of the stable release. For this reason, we recommend that you don’t use release candidates in production.
## Unstable API versions
There is always an unstable version of the APIs available. The unstable versions contain features and changes that are still in progress, and we make backwards-incompatible and backwards-compatible changes to them regularly. Generally, changes appear in the unstable version before a stable release, but there is no guarantee that changes in the unstable version will eventually be released. A feature might be added to an unstable version but then be removed later.
You can use the unstable API versions to test new changes and features early, but you shouldn't use them in production.
For example, you can use the following REST Admin API URL to make requests to the unstable API:
`https://{shop}.myshopify.com/admin/api/unstable/customers.json`
## Deprecation practices
Part of a Shopify API can be deprecated if it becomes unnecessary, unsafe, or outdated. It's marked as deprecated when it's removed in a newer version of the API. The deprecation is then retroactively applied to previous stable versions of the API. When a deprecation is introduced, any further details and any relevant migration information is announced in the [developer changelog](https://shopify.dev/changelog).
Because each version is supported for a minimum of a year, there are always at least nine months of overlap between versions for you to update your app to support deprecations.
### Removing parts of a Shopify API
Any properties or resources that have been deprecated in a release will be removed in a subsequent release. For example, a property that's deprecated in `2023-07` might be removed in `2023-10`.
### Apps using deprecated resources
If a public app or sales channel continues to use unsupported resources after the upgrade deadline, it will be delisted from the Shopify App Store. Also, users who install an unsupported public app, unsupported custom app, or unsupported sales channel will see a warning during the installation process.
If your app continues to use unsupported API resources, users will be blocked from installing the app for a minimum of seven days.
In the Shopify admin, users will see warning messages indicating that the app is unsupported. These warnings are shown to users only if the app makes calls to unsupported resources after the upgrade deadline. Warnings are removed seven days after the last use of unsupported resources is detected. Warnings can't be manually removed by you or by the user.
> Warning:
> If you use the Shopify API in a standalone app that requires updates, such as a desktop app or mobile app, then your users will need to update before the upgrade deadline to ensure their app continues working. This might mean you’ll have to update well ahead of the migration deadline, so that your users then have time to update their apps. Any calls to unsupported resources could result in your app being delisted or users being warned about or blocked from installing your app.
### Deprecation practices
When Shopify deprecates a resource or a property of a resource in the REST Admin API, the change is communicated in one or more of the following ways:
- The [API Health report](/docs/api/usage/versioning/api-health) lists which resources require changes.
- Calls that include the deprecated behavior return the response header `X-Shopify-API-Deprecated-Reason` and a link to get more information:
```
...
X-Shopify-Shop-Api-Call-Limit → 1/40
X-Shopify-API-Version → 2025-04
X-Shopify-API-Deprecated-Reason → https://shopify.dev/api/release-notes/2023-01#metafields-rest
```
> Note:
> If individual properties on a resource are deprecated, then GET requests to that resource don't return the deprecation header in the response.
- A notice about the deprecation is posted in the [developer changelog](https://shopify.dev/changelog).
- The [REST Admin API reference](/docs/api/admin-rest) is updated to identify the affected resource and any action you need to take.
- If there is an imminent backwards-incompatible change that affects your app, then the [emergency developer contact](/docs/api/usage/versioning/updates) for your app might be contacted about the deprecation.
## Webhooks
Webhook payloads can change between API versions, similar to API response payloads. You can select the API version that you want to use for webhooks, and that version will be used for all webhooks that are sent to your app.
When your selected API version becomes unsupported, Shopify falls forward to using the next supported stable version. Webhooks include the `X-Shopify-Api-Version` request header to indicate the API version that was used to generate the webhook. If this value is different than the version that you selected, then your selected API version is no longer supported.
When your app is affected by the webhook changes in a newer API version, you should update your app before support for your selected API version is removed.
Learn more about [managing webhook versions](/docs/apps/build/webhooks).