🧵 Understanding the Difference Between Products and Designs in the Apliiq API

When working with the Apliiq API, it's essential to understand the distinction between Products and Designs. These two data objects serve very different purposes, and understanding how they relate will help you build effective and accurate integrations.

🧺 What Is a Product?

In the Apliiq ecosystem, a Product refers to a blank garment or item that Apliiq offers for customization. This could be:

• A Bella+Canvas 3001 t-shirt

• An Independent Trading Co. hoodie

• A Dad hat or other accessories

These are the foundational items that form Apliiq’s product catalog. You can use the API's product-related endpoints to:

• Browse the entire catalog of blank products

• Explore available sizes, colorways, and materials

• Understand product-level metadata (e.g., SKU, fit, base cost)

❗️Important: Customers cannot purchase "Products" directly from Apliiq. Products are not sellable on their own—they are raw materials for creating customized goods.

🎨 What Is a Design?

A Design is a sellable product. It includes all the specific information Apliiq needs to manufacture and fulfill a customized order. A design combines:

• The underlying blank product (style and color)

• Artwork placements and files

• Branding elements (e.g., labels, hem tags)

• Any other configuration required for fulfillment

Once a design is created, it becomes an item you can list in your storefront, sell to customers, and fulfill through Apliiq.  When you create a saved design a Apliiq will provide a sku (unique identifier) you can use to purchase that design

🔄 Sequence of API Usage

To create a complete and functional integration, follow this workflow:

1. Explore Products
   Use the GET /products endpoint to browse available blank garments and identify what you'd like to use as a base.

2. Create a Design
   Use the POST /designs endpoint to configure your sellable item, including style, color, artwork, and branding. This step transforms a blank product into a customer-facing product.

3. Create an Order
   Use the CREATE /orders endpoint to add one or more designs to a cart and submit an order for fulfillment. This is the final step in the order lifecycle.

🧠 Key Takeaways

🔄 Designs depend on Products, and Orders depend on Designs—understanding this relationship is critical for proper integration.