# How to Set Up an AI Analyst for Shopify: Connect Sources, Invite Your Team, Ask Away

E-commerce analytics onboarding without a developer: how to set up Luca AI as the AI analyst for your Shopify brand, from sign-up and a read-only Shopify connection to your other sources, your team, Slack and your first answer.

- Applies to: Every new Luca AI organisation
- Status: Live
- Verified: 2026-10-29
- Canonical page: https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/getting-started/set-up-luca

How do you set up an AI analyst for Shopify without a developer? Good e-commerce analytics onboarding comes down to doing a few things in the right order: sign up, connect your store, add your other sources, bring in your team and ask a first question. This guide walks you through that order for Luca AI. Every connection is read-only, and the sources that need more work are set up for you by Luca's team.

## At a glance {#at-a-glance}

| | |
|---|---|
| **What you'll do** | Sign up, register your organisation, connect Shopify, add other sources, invite your team, add Luca to Slack, add your business context, ask a question |
| **How long it takes** | Setup takes a few clicks per source. Your first insight arrives within minutes of signing up, before any data has synced, and each source you add joins your answers from the next overnight refresh |
| **What you need** | Admin access to your Shopify store, and admin or owner access to each other platform you connect |
| **Who does the hard parts** | Luca's team runs hands-on onboarding, maps your data, sets up WooCommerce, Magento, Recharge and Klaviyo, and builds any connector you need |
| **What Luca can change** | Nothing. Luca reads from your systems and writes to none of them |
| **Where it runs** | In your web browser on desktop or phone, plus Slack on the Leadership plan and above |

## Before you begin {#before-you-begin}

Gather a few things first, so nothing stalls halfway through.

- **Shopify admin access.** You need it to approve the store connection.
- **Access to your other platforms.** You need admin or owner access to each one you connect, such as Google Ads, Xero or Stripe.
- **Your teammates' email addresses.** Each person you invite needs a free seat on your plan.
- **Someone who can add Slack apps.** Only needed if you want to ask Luca from Slack.
- **Your key documents, if you have them.** Cost rules, supplier lead times and your goals for the year all help Luca answer in your terms.

If you are still choosing tools, our overview of the [e-commerce tech stack](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/e-commerce-tech-stack) shows where an AI analyst fits.

## Step 1: Sign up and register your organisation {#sign-up}

1. **Sign up**, or **sign in** if you already have an account.
2. **Register your organisation.** You are taken to a page for registering the organisation, then you finish the registration.

As soon as you sign up, Luca reads your brand's website and starts on a first insight, followed by a guided tour. You don't need to wait for any data to sync for that first look.

## Step 2: Invite your team, now or later {#invite-team}

Inviting a team member is the next step in Luca's onboarding order, straight after you register the organisation. You can invite colleagues now, or skip ahead and come back once your sources are in.

1. Enter each colleague's email address to give them their own login to your organisation.
2. Choose the roles each person owns: growth, finance or operations. Luca's role lenses send each brief to the right seat.
3. Set what each person can see. Luca gives role-based access per source and per action, including role-based access to finance data.
4. Check you have a free seat for each person. Plans include 1, 3 or unlimited seats; see [plans and seats](https://ask-luca.com/pricing).

## Step 3: Connect Shopify {#connect-shopify}

Shopify is the record of what sold, so connect it first.

1. Open **Sources** and find the Shopify card in the **Commerce** group.
2. Click **Connect**. Luca shows what it can read in Shopify and what it can't.
3. Approve access in Shopify with one-click OAuth. This is where you need admin access to your store.

When it works, the Shopify card shows as connected with the time of the last sync. Luca imports your full Shopify history: orders, refunds, products, customers, inventory, payouts and fees. It only reads your Shopify data and never changes your store. Our guide on [connecting Shopify, Google Ads and more](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/ecommerce-data-integration) explains why one joined-up view matters.

![The Commerce group of the Luca Sources screen with the Shopify card connected, labelled sales, orders and products, showing its last sync date and time, with the other commerce cards faded](https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/images/getting-started/shopify-card-connected.webp)

*A connected Shopify card for Fernlow, a demo brand, with a sample sync time. This is what a finished Step 3 looks like: connected, with a last sync shown.*

### If your store runs on WooCommerce or Magento {#other-stores}

WooCommerce and Magento stores are set up by Luca's team rather than connected self-serve. Their cards show **Get in touch** instead of **Connect**. For WooCommerce, the team sets the connection up with your store's API keys.

If you sell in person through Shopify POS, those sales are split out by channel. Trade and wholesale data can be added through a custom source.

## Step 4: Add your other sources {#add-sources}

On **Sources**, find each platform and click **Connect**, then [approve read-only access](https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/platform/read-only-access) on that platform's own consent screen. For OAuth sources such as Stripe, Google Ads and Xero, a successful approval redirects you back to Luca.

| Source | How it connects |
|---|---|
| **Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console** | Self-serve, on one **Google** card |
| **Amazon Seller Central** | Self-serve, per region |
| **Amazon Ads** | Self-serve |
| **TikTok Ads** | On the **TikTok** card in **Marketing**, read-only spend and reach |
| **Xero** | Self-serve OAuth |
| **QuickBooks Online** | Self-serve |
| **Stripe** | Self-serve OAuth |
| **PayPal** | On the **Payments** group, next to Stripe |
| **Open Banking, via Mastercard** | On the **Banking** group, for bank balances |
| **Meta (Facebook and Instagram ads, Facebook Page and Instagram data)** | OAuth for some accounts, guided partner access with Luca's team for others |
| **WooCommerce, Magento, Recharge, Klaviyo** | Set up by Luca's team: click **Get in touch** |

Amazon Seller Central brings in up to two years of history. If you are new to GA4, our guide to [adding Google Analytics to Shopify](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/add-google-analytics-to-shopify) covers the store side first.

![The Marketing group of the Luca Sources screen with the Google card open, showing Google Ads, Google Search Console and Google Analytics each marked connected, under one last sync time](https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/images/getting-started/google-card-connected.webp)

*The Google card for Fernlow, a demo brand, with sample sync times. One card covers Google Ads, Analytics 4 and Search Console, so one approval brings in all three.*

### Add your bank balances {#add-banking}

Bank balances come in through Open Banking, via Mastercard, in the **Banking** group on **Sources**. With your bank, Stripe, Shopify and Amazon payouts connected, Luca shows your cash position across banks and payment processors, traced from sale to cash. Xero and European banks connect through Open Banking too.

![The Luca Sources screen with the Marketing, Email and subscriptions, Finance and Payments groups collapsed and the Banking group open, showing the Open Banking card, labelled bank balances via Mastercard, marked connected with its last sync date and time](https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/images/getting-started/open-banking-card-connected.webp)

*A connected Open Banking card for Fernlow, a demo brand, with a sample sync time. Adding the bank puts cash next to sales and the books, so cash questions have a complete answer.*

> **Try asking Luca:** "How much cash do we hold across our bank accounts, Stripe and Shopify payouts today?"

### If a source is missing {#missing-source}

You can search the list, or click **Contact us** if a source you use isn't there. Wherever your data lives, Luca can see it: if a source isn't listed, Luca's team builds the connector. That covers ad platforms such as Pinterest, Snap and Microsoft, accounting systems such as Exact, 3PL and shipping tools such as ShipBob and ShipStation, ERPs such as NetSuite, Cin7 and Linnworks, and helpdesks such as Gorgias and Zendesk. You can also reach the team through the [Luca AI contact page](https://ask-luca.com/contact).

![The Contact tab in Luca settings with a message headed Custom connector request, asking the team to connect a fulfilment system so shipping costs per order show, and a Send message button](https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/images/getting-started/custom-connector-request.webp)

*A sample custom connector request from Fernlow, a demo brand. Writing down what the missing source holds, and why you need it, helps the team scope the connector.*

## Step 5: Add Luca to Slack {#add-slack}

Slack is available on the Leadership plan and above. Someone with permission to add apps to your Slack workspace needs to install it.

1. In Luca, choose **Add Luca to Slack**. In Luca's onboarding order it comes after connecting your data sources.
2. Approve the Slack OAuth request. A successful approval redirects you back to Luca.
3. In Slack, mention **@Luca** with your question.

Luca replies in Slack. Once it is installed, Luca can also deliver its briefs and alerts there. You choose where alerts go: Slack, email or the app. Luca only posts its own work and never changes your other systems.

## Step 6: Add your business context {#add-context}

Luca answers better when it knows how your business works. This step is optional, and you can come back to it at any time.

1. **Upload your documents.** Add PDFs, spreadsheets, CSVs and documents to the knowledge base, or drop them straight into a chat. You can add your website too, and Luca uses all of it in answers.
2. **Tell Luca your rules.** Goals, constraints, cost rules, lead times and seasonality are held as business context.
3. **Use your own words.** Luca uses your business's own terminology and metric definitions.

Luca also keeps a persistent memory across conversations, shared by everyone in your organisation, and learns your preferred style of reply.

## Step 7: Ask your first question {#first-question}

Open the chat and ask your first question in plain English. You can also speak your question and Luca transcribes it, and you can ask in 50+ languages. A **Welcome to Luca** conversation shows the first insight Luca built from your website. From there, ask about anything your connected sources cover, for example sales by channel or last month's refunds.

![A Welcome to Luca conversation for a demo skincare brand, noting when Shopify connected and when the first insight arrived, with a summary of what Luca read about the brand's website](https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/images/getting-started/first-insight-welcome.webp)

*The Welcome to Luca conversation for Fernlow, a demo brand, with sample times and findings. Your own first insight will reflect what Luca reads on your website.*

> **Try asking Luca:** "Which Google Ads campaigns had the most spend and conversion value last week?"

Luca answers with figures, a chart where useful, and next steps, and each figure links to the table it came from. For ideas on what to ask, read how [conversational analytics works for e-commerce](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/conversational-analytics-for-ecommerce).

## What setting up Luca gives you {#what-it-is}

Luca is an AI analyst for e-commerce brands. You connect the systems you already run on, and Luca brings them into one private data warehouse for your brand. Your team then asks questions about the business in plain English. Read [how Luca works](https://ask-luca.com/how-it-works) for the full picture.

Every source refreshes automatically once a day, overnight. During onboarding, Luca's team maps your data with you, so the numbers line up from the start. Luca runs as a web app in your browser. It also works in your phone's browser, and you can save it to your home screen.

Luca works with stores selling in the UK, EU, US and Australia. Sales in any currency are converted into your reporting currency at the daily rate, so a brand that sells in US dollars can report in Swiss francs.

### Help from Luca's team {#team-help}

Setup is hands-on. Luca's team runs your onboarding and gives you a written implementation timeline, so you know what happens when. You get:

- **A named success manager**, who knows your setup.
- **A direct WhatsApp or Slack line to the team**, for quick questions.
- **Integration setup guides and support inside the web app**, where you connect each source.
- **Migration from spreadsheets**, if your reporting lives in sheets today.
- **A trial build on your own data**, so your first look uses your real numbers.
- **A customer community**, where other brands share how they use Luca.

## Why good e-commerce analytics onboarding matters {#why-it-matters}

### What it's for {#what-its-for}

E-commerce analytics onboarding is how a brand gets connected, gets the team invited and gets a first answer. Done in the right order, it takes you from signing up to a sourced answer without a developer.

### How it helps {#how-it-helps}

- **Store first.** Shopify goes in before anything else, so every answer starts from what sold.
- **No code.** Self-serve sources connect by clicking **Connect** and approving access.
- **Help where it's hard.** Luca's team sets up the trickier sources and maps your data with you.
- **Safe by design.** Every connection is read-only, so Luca never changes your store or books.

### What happens without it {#without-it}

Skip a proper onboarding and the tool sits half connected. Answers miss whole channels, the team never logs in, and the first useful number takes weeks to arrive.

### Why buyers care {#why-buyers-care}

Founders care because they want an answer this week, not after a data project. Operations and finance leads care because they are usually the ones asked to set it up, often with no developer to lean on. Our piece on [why founders are drowning in data](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/why-e-commerce-founders-are-drowning-in-data) explains the pressure.

## The Luca AI approach to e-commerce analytics onboarding {#approach}

{/* 5P */}

Think of an operations manager at a Shopify homeware brand. The founder has asked her to get an AI analyst running before Monday's trading meeting. There is no developer on the team, and she has never set up an analytics tool.

The usual path is long. A data tool often wants a tracking script pasted into the theme or a custom app made in Shopify. Some need a consultant to wire up the ad accounts. Each step can mean a ticket and a wait. Weeks can pass before anyone sees a number they trust.

Nothing about the job needs code. Her store, ad accounts and books already hold the data, and each platform has its own approval screen. What she needs is a clear order and someone to handle the awkward parts.

Luca gives her that order. Luca starts on a first insight from the brand's website the moment she signs up. Luca connects Shopify with read-only access, then Google, Xero and Stripe through each platform's own approval screen. Luca's team sets up Meta and maps the data with her. She invites the founder by email, adds Luca to Slack, and asks her first question.

One fact here is easy to check against other tools: whether you get a first insight before your data has finished syncing. That point is covered in How Luca AI compares for e-commerce analytics onboarding, below.

## How setup works with the rest of Luca {#works-with}

### Chat {#with-chat}

Chat is where your setup pays off. It answers [questions about the business across every connected platform](https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/chat/cross-source-answers), so each source you add widens what you can ask. Our guide to the [AI data analyst for e-commerce](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/ai-data-analyst-for-ecommerce) shows the kinds of questions teams ask first.

### Daily refresh and data checks {#with-refresh}

Once a source is connected, it refreshes overnight with the rest. Daily data-quality audits compare Luca's data with Shopify, Amazon and QuickBooks, and catch gaps, duplicates and stale tables. Luca also checks its imported orders against the source platforms every day, and alerts you when a connection fails or data goes stale.

### Your team and Slack {#with-team}

Teammates you invite each get their own login. On the Leadership plan and above, anyone can also ask Luca from Slack once it is installed. Read more about [Luca as your AI analyst](https://ask-luca.com/the-agent).

## Who sets up Luca, and how {#who-uses-it}

### Founders and CEOs {#founders}

A founder often signs up first, connects Shopify, then invites the team. The first insight from the website gives them something to react to on day one. Our [introduction to Luca AI](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/meet-luca-ai) sets out what to expect.

### CFOs and finance leads {#finance-leads}

A finance lead connects Xero or QuickBooks and Stripe through each platform's own approval screen. Because Luca reads the books and never writes to them, the ledger stays exactly as it was.

### Growth and marketing leads {#growth-leads}

A growth lead connects the Google card for Ads, Analytics 4 and Search Console, and works with Luca's team on Meta. Our guide to [omnichannel analytics](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/ecommerce-omnichannel-analytics) explains why channels belong in one view.

## How connecting your data sources works {#how-connecting-works}

Every analytics tool, from a spreadsheet add-on to an AI analyst, gets your data in one of a few ways. Knowing them makes each step above less mysterious, and helps you judge any tool's setup.

### Approving access on each platform {#approving-access}

Most self-serve sources use OAuth. The tool sends you to the platform's own screen with a list of permissions, which Shopify's developer guide describes as [a list of permissions that you're asking the store owner to accept](https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/17056443-how-to-generate-a-shopify-api-token). You approve, and the platform sends you back to the tool, to an address the guide calls [where the user should be sent to next](https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/17056443-how-to-generate-a-shopify-api-token). That is the redirect you see after approving Stripe, Google Ads or Xero.

### Sources a team sets up with you {#team-set-sources}

Some sources need more than an approval button, so a person helps. In Luca, Meta connects by OAuth for some accounts and through guided partner access with Luca's team for others. WooCommerce, Magento, Recharge and Klaviyo are set up by the team, and the team builds a connector for any source that isn't listed.

### Importing your history {#importing-history}

A new connection is only as useful as the history it brings. Seasonal patterns need more than one year to show: the Prophet forecasting library, for example, [works best with time series that have strong seasonal effects and several seasons of historical data](https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/prophet/index.html). Luca imports your full Shopify history, and up to two years from Amazon Seller Central.

### Overnight refresh, not live {#overnight-refresh}

Tools either stream data as it happens or collect it in batches. A nightly batch gives every source the same cut-off, so the store, the ads and the books describe the same day. Luca refreshes every source once a day, overnight, and a new source joins your answers from the next overnight refresh.

### Mapping your data {#data-mapping}

Raw exports rarely line up. Order IDs, currencies, product names and dates differ between platforms. Luca brings every source into one private warehouse for your brand, where the data is modelled into consistent tables, cleaned, matched and checked. During onboarding, Luca's team maps your data with you.

## How to tell your setup is complete {#setup-complete}

A finished setup is not just a row of connected cards. Use these checks before you rely on the answers.

- **Every card has a recent sync.** Each connected card on **Sources** shows its last sync time.
- **Your sales are covered.** Every channel that takes orders, store, marketplace and wholesale, is connected.
- **Your spend is covered.** Every ad account is connected, so blended measures use all of your spend.
- **Your books are in.** Xero or QuickBooks is connected if you want profit and cash in your answers.
- **Your team can log in.** Each person you invited has accepted and can ask a question.
- **A first answer checks out.** Ask for last month's sales and compare the total with your Shopify admin.

### What Luca checks for you {#luca-checks}

Daily data-quality audits compare Luca's data with Shopify, Amazon and QuickBooks, and catch gaps, duplicates and stale tables. Luca knows which sources are connected and flags any that fail or go stale. It treats missing values as unknown rather than zero, and says when it can't see the data needed to answer. In chat, each figure links to the table it came from, so you can see which source an answer used. Once the checks pass, the same figures feed [one morning view of the whole business](https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/use-cases/see-the-whole-business).

## How to set up e-commerce reporting without an AI analyst {#manual-setup}

It helps to know what an AI analyst saves you. Here is the job done by hand.

### The manual method {#manual-method}

1. **List your sources.** Store, marketplaces, ad accounts, analytics, payments and accounting.
2. **Get the data out.** Download exports, or set up API access for each platform.
3. **Build a shared sheet.** One tab per source, with a summary tab on top.
4. **Map the fields.** Match order IDs, product names, currencies and dates across sources.
5. **Set a refresh routine.** Decide who updates each tab, and how often.
6. **Give the team access.** Share the sheet and agree who can edit it.
7. **Check it against the platforms.** Compare totals with each platform's own reports every month.

### The same job in Luca {#same-job-in-luca}

In Luca, steps two to five are done for you. You click **Connect** and approve read-only access for the self-serve sources, and Luca's team sets up the rest with you. Every source lands in one warehouse and refreshes overnight, and your team asks questions in plain English instead of editing tabs. The same figures can then go into your [monthly KPI reports](https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/use-cases/kpi-reporting).

> **Try asking Luca:** "How did sales by channel compare last month across Shopify and Amazon?"

### A worked example: how much of the business your setup covers {#worked-example}

This illustrative calculation uses sample figures for a demo homeware brand, in pounds sterling for one month. It is not a Luca output. It shows why a half-finished setup can mislead.

| Sources connected | Arithmetic | Sales covered |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify only | 150,000 ÷ 220,000 | 68% |
| Shopify and Amazon | (150,000 + 50,000) ÷ 220,000 | 91% |
| Plus wholesale, through a custom connector | (150,000 + 50,000 + 20,000) ÷ 220,000 | 100% |

| Ad accounts connected | Arithmetic | Spend covered | Blended efficiency (sales ÷ spend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google only | 8,000 ÷ 24,000 | 33% | 200,000 ÷ 8,000 = 25.0 |
| Google and Meta | (8,000 + 12,000) ÷ 24,000 | 83% | 200,000 ÷ 20,000 = 10.0 |
| Google, Meta and Amazon Ads | (8,000 + 12,000 + 4,000) ÷ 24,000 | 100% | 200,000 ÷ 24,000 = 8.3 |

With only Google connected, store and marketplace sales of 200,000 against 8,000 of spend suggest an efficiency of 25.0. The true figure, with all 24,000 of spend, is 8.3. Connect every channel that takes orders and every account that spends money before you trust a blended number.

## Setting up before peak season {#before-peak}

Black Friday falls on Friday 27 November 2026 and Cyber Monday on Monday 30 November. Setting up before then means last year's peak is already in your history, and this year's peak arrives in answers from the next overnight refresh. Our [revenue forecast guide](https://ask-luca.com/product-docs/forecasting/revenue-forecast) shows how that history shapes the weeks ahead.

The stakes are high. Over Black Friday Cyber Monday 2025, Shopify merchants sold [14.6 billion US dollars](https://www.shopify.com/news/bfcm-data-2025), and [more than 94,900 merchants had their highest-selling day ever](https://www.shopify.com/news/bfcm-data-2025). Shopify notes the figures are approximate and unaudited.

You will not be setting up alone. The ONS found that [30% of UK businesses used at least one AI technology in September 2026](https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/bulletins/businessinsightsandimpactontheukeconomy/8october2026), and 29% of those with fewer than 10 employees. Its wider review notes that around 18% of businesses with 100 to 249 employees say [insufficient expertise has delayed adoption](https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/articles/artificialintelligenceinukbusinesses/2023to2026). A setup that needs no developer removes that obstacle.

## How Luca AI compares for e-commerce analytics onboarding {#compare}

Luca starts on a first insight the moment you sign up, before any data has synced. Shopify connects self-serve with read-only access, and Slack answers come from the same setup. Luca AI is the only platform in this table that does all three.

E-commerce analytics onboarding features, from each platform's public documentation:

| Platform | Shopify connects self-serve, read-only | First insight before your data syncs | Questions answered in Slack |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Luca AI** | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| **Lifetimely by AMP** | Partly (self-serve install, scope not stated) | Import first ([30 minutes to 24 hours](https://help.useamp.com/article/647-getting-started-account-setup-walkthrough)) | Yes ([@mention the Profit Agent](https://help.useamp.com/article/1367-profit-agent-slack-overview)) |
| **Daasity** | Partly ([plus a collaborator access request](https://help.daasity.com/core-concepts/data-integrations/setup-guides/digital-integrations/shopify/integration-setup)) | Not in docs | Partly ([scheduled results to Slack](https://help.daasity.com/getting-started/quickstart-guides/how-to-analyze-your-data)) |
| **Saras Analytics** | Partly ([manual app creation, for now](https://help.sarasanalytics.com/en_US/2026/daton-january-2026)) | Not in docs | Yes ([iQ in your Slack channels](https://help.sarasanalytics.com/en_US/getting-started-saras-IQ/connect-and-use-saras-iq-on-slack-)) |
| **Northbeam** | Partly ([pixel script added to your theme](https://docs.northbeam.io/docs/shopify-installation)) | Not in docs | Not in docs |

*Yes: documented and built in. Partly: documented with a limit, shown in brackets. Not in docs: not found in the vendor's public documentation.*

### Why Luca AI is the stronger choice for e-commerce analytics onboarding {#compare-stronger}

- **A first answer before the sync.** Luca gives a first insight within minutes of signup, before any data has synced. Lifetimely says its [initial import takes 30 minutes to 24 hours](https://help.useamp.com/article/647-getting-started-account-setup-walkthrough). See [Luca AI and other Lifetimely alternatives](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/lifetimely-alternatives).
- **Read-only from the first click.** Luca only reads your Shopify data and never changes your store. Daasity's Shopify setup also [requests collaborator access to your store](https://help.daasity.com/core-concepts/data-integrations/setup-guides/digital-integrations/shopify/integration-setup). See [Luca AI and other Daasity alternatives](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/daasity-alternatives).
- **No theme code.** Luca's sources connect by clicking **Connect** and approving access. Northbeam's Shopify guide starts by having you [install its pixel and metadata script](https://docs.northbeam.io/docs/shopify-installation) in your theme. See [Shopify analytics apps compared](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/best-shopify-analytics-apps).

*Competitor details checked against each vendor's public documentation on 29 October 2026. Features and plans change, so confirm with the vendor before you decide.*

## Limits to plan around {#limits}

- **Some sources need Luca's team.** WooCommerce, Magento, Recharge and Klaviyo are set up with Luca's team rather than self-serve, and so is Meta for some accounts.
- **Overnight refresh.** Sources refresh once a day, overnight, so changes made during the day appear after the next refresh.
- **Amazon history.** Amazon Seller Central brings in up to two years of history. Shopify brings in its full history.
- **Slack is plan-gated.** Slack is available on the Leadership plan and above.
- **Browser, not an app store.** Luca runs in the browser on desktop and phone, and you can save it to your home screen.
- **Custom connectors take a build.** Sources that aren't listed, such as Pinterest, Exact or a 3PL, are built for you by Luca's team rather than connected with a click.
- **Read-only.** Luca never changes your store, ads, email platform or books.

## Common questions {#common-questions}

#### Do I need a developer to set up Luca? {#faq-developer}

The self-serve sources connect by clicking **Connect** and approving access on each platform's own screen. Sources that need more work are set up by Luca's team, which also maps your data with you.

#### What should I connect first? {#faq-first}

Connect Shopify first, since it is the record of what sold. Then add your ad, analytics, payment and accounting sources.

#### Will Luca change anything in my Shopify store? {#faq-store}

No. Luca only reads your Shopify data and never changes your store. It reads from every connected system and writes to none of them.

#### What access do I need? {#faq-access}

Admin access to your Shopify store to approve the connection, and admin or owner access to each other platform you connect.

#### How do I connect Meta ads? {#faq-meta}

Meta connects by OAuth for some accounts and through guided partner access with Luca's team for others. Luca reads Meta Ads, Facebook Page and Instagram data.

#### My store runs on WooCommerce. Can I still use Luca? {#faq-woocommerce}

Yes. WooCommerce and Magento stores are set up by Luca's team, and WooCommerce connects with your store's API keys. Their cards show **Get in touch** instead of **Connect**.

#### How many teammates can I invite? {#faq-seats}

Plans include 1, 3 or unlimited seats, and each teammate needs a free seat. Invite colleagues by email, choose their roles, and set what each can see.

#### Which plan includes Slack? {#faq-slack-plan}

Slack is available on the Leadership plan and above. Someone with permission to add apps to your Slack workspace installs it.

#### When does a new source show up in answers? {#faq-new-source}

From the next overnight refresh. After that, answers in chat can combine the new source with everything else you have connected.

#### What if a source I use isn't listed? {#faq-missing}

Click **Contact us** on **Sources**. Wherever your data lives, Luca can see it: Luca's team builds the connector, such as Pinterest, Exact, ShipBob or NetSuite.

#### Does Luca work for Amazon sellers? {#faq-amazon}

Yes. Amazon Seller Central and Amazon Ads both connect self-serve. Seller Central connects per region and brings in up to two years of history.

#### How much history does Luca import? {#faq-history}

Luca imports your full Shopify history and up to two years from Amazon Seller Central. That history lets answers compare this season with the same weeks in earlier years.

#### Does Luca work on my phone? {#faq-browser}

Yes. Luca works in your phone's browser, and you can save it to your home screen. On the Leadership plan and above, you can also ask Luca from Slack.

#### What does Luca's team do during setup? {#faq-team-help}

Luca's team runs hands-on onboarding to a written timeline, maps your data with you, and sets up WooCommerce, Magento, Recharge and Klaviyo. You get a named success manager, and the team builds any connector you need.

## Further reading {#further-reading}

- [How to generate a Shopify access token](https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/17056443-how-to-generate-a-shopify-api-token): how permissions, OAuth approval and the redirect back work when a tool connects to a store.
- [Prophet package documentation](https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/prophet/index.html): why seasonal forecasts need several seasons of history.
- [Shopify Black Friday Cyber Monday 2025 results](https://www.shopify.com/news/bfcm-data-2025): the size of last year's peak.
- [ONS business insights, October 2026](https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/bulletins/businessinsightsandimpactontheukeconomy/8october2026): how many UK businesses now use AI.
- [ONS, artificial intelligence in UK businesses](https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/articles/artificialintelligenceinukbusinesses/2023to2026): the barriers businesses report when adopting AI.

## Related {#related}

- [E-commerce data integration](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/ecommerce-data-integration): why your store, ads and books belong in one place.
- [Best AI tools for Shopify owners](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/best-ai-tools-for-shopify-owners): where an AI analyst sits among other Shopify tools.
- [ChatGPT for e-commerce data analysis](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/chatgpt-for-ecommerce-data-analysis): what a general chatbot can and can't do with your store data.
- [E-commerce KPIs](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/ecommerce-kpis): the numbers to ask about once your sources are in.
- [Shopify reporting dashboard](https://ask-luca.com/blogs/Shopify-reporting-dashboard): how the reports you know map to your new answers.

*Updated 29 October 2026: added how connecting data sources works, how to tell your setup is complete, the manual method with a worked example on source coverage, peak-season context, images and further reading. Later the same day: added TikTok Ads, PayPal and Open Banking, custom connectors, roles and access for your team, business context and uploads, the help Luca's team gives during setup, and phone access.*