---
title: ReturnReasonDefinition - Customer API
description: >-
  A standardized reason for returning an item.


  - Shopify offers an expanded library of return reasons available to all
  merchants

  - For each product, Shopify suggests a curated subset of reasons based on the
  product's category.
api_version: 2026-01
api_name: customer
type: object
api_type: graphql
source_url:
  html: 'https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/objects/ReturnReasonDefinition'
  md: >-
    https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/objects/ReturnReasonDefinition.md
---

# Return​Reason​Definition

object

A standardized reason for returning an item.

* Shopify offers an expanded library of return reasons available to all merchants
* For each product, Shopify suggests a curated subset of reasons based on the product's category.

## Fields

* deleted

  [Boolean!](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/scalars/Boolean)

  non-null

  Whether the return reason has been removed from taxonomy.

  Deleted reasons should not be presented to customers when creating new returns, but may still appear on existing returns that were created before the reason was deleted. This field enables graceful deprecation of return reasons without breaking historical data.

* handle

  [String!](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/scalars/String)

  non-null

  A unique, human-readable, stable identifier for the return reason.

  Example values include "arrived-late", "comfort", "too-tight", "color-too-bright", and "quality". The handle remains consistent across API versions and localizations, making it suitable for programmatic use.

* id

  [ID!](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/scalars/ID)

  non-null[Pre-auth accessible](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/customer-accounts/order-status-page#customer-account-api)

  A globally-unique ID.

* name

  [String!](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/scalars/String)

  non-null

  The localized, user-facing name of the return reason.

  This field returns the reason name in the requested locale, automatically falling back to English if no translation is available. Use this field when displaying return reasons to customers.

***

## Map

### Fields and connections with this object

* [LineItem.suggestedReturnReasonDefinitions](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/objects/LineItem#field-LineItem.fields.suggestedReturnReasonDefinitions)
* [ReturnLineItem.returnReasonDefinition](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/objects/ReturnLineItem#field-ReturnLineItem.fields.returnReasonDefinition)
* [ReturnLineItemType.returnReasonDefinition](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/interfaces/ReturnLineItemType#fields-returnReasonDefinition)
* [ReturnReasonDefinitionConnection.nodes](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/connections/ReturnReasonDefinitionConnection#returns-nodes)
* [ReturnReasonDefinitionEdge.node](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/objects/ReturnReasonDefinitionEdge#field-ReturnReasonDefinitionEdge.fields.node)
* [UnverifiedReturnLineItem.returnReasonDefinition](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/objects/UnverifiedReturnLineItem#field-UnverifiedReturnLineItem.fields.returnReasonDefinition)

***

## Interfaces

* [Node](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/interfaces/Node)

  interface

***

## ReturnReasonDefinition Implements

### Implements

* [Node](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/customer/latest/interfaces/Node)