Skip to content

Getting Started

Install and onboarding

Step-by-step guide to installing Cadence, completing onboarding, and configuring your store before go-live.

Getting Cadence running in your store follows a structured onboarding flow inside the Shopify embedded app. You can complete most steps while your historical data imports in the background.

Step 1: Install the app

Install Cadence from the Shopify App Store. When you open the app for the first time, Cadence automatically links to your Shopify store — no separate account or API keys needed for Shopify itself.

Shopify permissions are requested at install time. Cadence needs access to orders, products, customers, discounts, and your theme (for Nudges). You’ll approve these as part of the standard Shopify app install flow.

Step 2: Import your data

Cadence begins importing your historical Shopify data immediately after install:

  • Orders — purchase history used to learn customer buying rhythms
  • Products — catalog for predictions and ConvertCart
  • Customers — profiles for event delivery and segmentation

Import runs in the background. You can continue with other onboarding steps while it completes. The onboarding screen shows progress and any errors.

Tip: The more order history you have, the better Cadence’s initial predictions will be. Stores with at least 6–12 months of order data see the strongest results.

Step 3: Connect a marketing platform

At least one marketing platform is required before Cadence can go live. Choose from:

  • Klaviyo (email) — OAuth or private API key
  • Omnisend (email + SMS) — API key
  • Attentive (SMS) — API token
  • Postscript (SMS) — API token

You can connect multiple marketing platforms simultaneously. Events will be delivered to all connected platforms.

Go to Integrations in the Cadence app, select your platform, and follow the connection steps. See the Integrations section for platform-specific instructions.

Important: Connecting Cadence to your marketing platform is only half the setup. You also need to create flows or automations in that platform that listen for Cadence events. See Events and flows and Sequences.

Step 4: Connect a subscription platform (optional)

If you offer subscribe-and-save, connect your subscription platform to enable subscription upsell predictions and (optionally) Subscription Management:

  • Recharge — OAuth
  • Skio — API key
  • Loop — API key + API URL
  • Shopify Subscriptions — enable with no credentials

Only one subscription platform can be connected at a time. This step is skippable if you don’t offer subscriptions.

Step 5: Configure ConvertCart branding

While you wait for import to finish, set up your ConvertCart appearance:

  1. Go to ConvertCart → Settings
  2. Upload your logo and set brand colors
  3. Customize headings and CTA text for each prediction type
  4. Optionally configure discount codes per prediction type

See ConvertCart settings for the full walkthrough.

Step 6: Configure Nudges (optional)

Nudges show on-site prompts to logged-in customers with active predictions:

  1. Go to Nudges → Settings and enable nudges
  2. Choose which prediction types to show and configure display settings
  3. Enable the Cadence Nudges app embed in your Shopify theme editor — this is required for nudges to appear on your storefront

The onboarding screen includes a direct link to your theme editor. See Nudges for full configuration details.

Step 7: Review products

Before going live, review your product catalog in Cadence:

  • Exclude products you don’t want triggering predictions (gift cards, samples, one-time bundles) via tag-based rules or manual exclusion
  • Pin products you want prioritized in ConvertCart cross-sell recommendations

Go to Settings in the Cadence app for both options.

Onboarding checklist summary

Step Required? Where
Install app Yes Shopify App Store
Data import Automatic Background
Connect marketing platform Yes Integrations
Create flows in marketing platform Yes Your ESP/SMS tool
Connect subscription platform Optional Integrations
Configure ConvertCart Recommended ConvertCart → Settings
Configure Nudges Optional Nudges → Settings + theme embed
Review product exclusions Recommended Settings

Where to go next