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Quick Start: Contributing Quickly to PrestaShop 9 Admin API

Mind map of 8 essential concepts for PrestaShop 9 Admin API

Contributing to PrestaShop 9’s new Admin API can seem intimidating. We read words like CQRS, API Platform, OAuth2… and many developers think:

“Wow, I’ll need to follow weeks of training before laying my first brick.”

Actually, it’s false ✅ With only 8 well-understood concepts, you can create a functional endpoint in less than an hour.

In this guide, I’ll explain each building block as if we were together in a classroom: I set the context, illustrate with a concrete example, then we move forward step by step.

1. #[ApiResource]: The Magic Label

Imagine a library. As long as a book doesn’t have a barcode, impossible to borrow it.

In PrestaShop, this barcode is #[ApiResource]. It tells API Platform: “This class is a resource exposed by the API.”

  • Without it → the class remains invisible
  • With it → it becomes a REST entry point

📚 Read official ApiResource doc

2. CQRSGet and CQRSCreate: Separating Reading and Acting

PrestaShop 9 applies a clear discipline:

  • Reading data → role of Queries
  • Modifying data → role of Commands

👉 This is the CQRS pattern (Command Query Responsibility Segregation).

Concretely:

  • CQRSGet → “When doing a GET, execute this Query.”
  • CQRSCreate → “When doing a POST, execute this Command, then return the result thanks to this Query.”

📚 Learn more about CQRS in PrestaShop

3. URI Templates: Your Resources’ Address

Each resource needs a readable and structured address.

'/products/{productId}'

➡️ Here, the API responds to /products/123 with 123 as parameter.

You can nest multiple levels:

/categories/{categoryId}/products/{productId}

👉 Think of it as a city map: your URIs are the streets where developers will navigate.

📚 Doc on API Resources

4. DTOs: Data Bags

A DTO (Data Transfer Object) = a backpack 🎒 It does nothing by itself, just transports data.

Minimalist example:

class Product {
    public int $id;
    public string $name;
}

No business logic here. 👉 All intelligence already lives in your Commands and Queries.

5. OAuth Scopes: Access Badges

An API is an open door. But who has the right to enter? The answer: OAuth2 scopes.

Each operation declares necessary permissions. Examples:

  • product_read → read products
  • product_write → modify products

See them as company access badges. Without the right badge → no entry.

📚 Admin API OAuth doc

6. Requirements: Filtering at the Door

An endpoint /products/{productId} must receive a numeric identifier. But what if someone sends /products/abc?

👉 Add a requirement:

requirements: ['productId' => '\\d+']

Result: only URLs with a number (/products/123) are accepted. It’s the bouncer at the nightclub entrance: wrong outfit → no entry.

7. The Identifier: Your Resource’s ID Card

API Platform must know which field represents the unique identifier. Otherwise, impossible to properly manage your resources.

So we add:

#[ApiProperty(identifier: true)]
public int $id;

Only one field must play this role. 👉 It’s your resource’s social security number.

8. Organization: One Folder per Entity

Last concept: a bit of discipline! In ps_apiresources, each resource lives in its folder:

ps_apiresources/src/ApiPlatform/Resources/Product/

👉 Like a well-organized backpack: one subject = one notebook, one resource = one folder.

📚 Explore ps_apiresources GitHub repo

Concrete Example: Product Resource

<?php
namespace PrestaShop\Module\APIResources\ApiPlatform\Resources\Product;

use ApiPlatform\Metadata\ApiResource;
use ApiPlatform\Metadata\ApiProperty;
use PrestaShopBundle\ApiPlatform\Metadata\CQRSGet;
use PrestaShopBundle\ApiPlatform\Metadata\CQRSCreate;

#[ApiResource(
    operations: [
        new CQRSGet(
            uriTemplate: '/products/{productId}',
            requirements: ['productId' => '\\d+'],
            CQRSQuery: GetProductForEditing::class,
            scopes: ['product_read']
        ),
        new CQRSCreate(
            uriTemplate: '/products',
            CQRSCommand: AddProductCommand::class,
            CQRSQuery: GetProductForEditing::class,
            scopes: ['product_write']
        )
    ]
)]
class Product
{
    #[ApiProperty(identifier: true)]
    public int $productId;

    public string $name;
    public float $price;
    public bool $active;
}

Tip: “Cheating” with Existing Commands and Queries

The secret? No need to reinvent everything: most Commands and Queries already exist in PrestaShop core!

To discover them:

php bin/console prestashop:list:commands-and-queries

Examples:

  • AddProductCommand / GetProductForEditing
  • AddCategoryCommand / GetCategoryForEditing
  • AddCustomerCommand / GetCustomerForEditing

📚 Official Commands/Queries list

How to Start Today?

  1. Join Slack #cfc-adminapi to ask your questions.
  2. Explore existing resources in ps_apiresources.
  3. Copy the template above, adapt it, propose a Pull Request.

Conclusion: Learning by Walking

Many hesitate to contribute because they believe they must master everything before starting. The truth: we learn by contributing.

With these 8 simple concepts, you already have the keys to write an endpoint. Advanced notions (State Providers, Processors, Serialization Groups…) will come naturally with practice.

👉 The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is today.

🔗 Useful Resources

Article published on September 12, 2025 by Nicolas Dabène - PrestaShop Expert & open source contributor since 2010.

Questions Fréquentes

Must I create my own Commands and Queries for the Admin API?

No, in most cases, Commands and Queries already exist in PrestaShop core. You simply need to wire them correctly in your API resource.

What's the difference between Admin API and the old Webservice API?

Admin API is built on Symfony and API Platform with OAuth2 and CQRS support, offering a modern approach. The old XML Webservice API is legacy and limited in its features.

Can I test my endpoints without a front interface?

Yes, you can use HTTP clients like Postman, Insomnia or curl to quickly test your API endpoints and check their functionality.

Where to ask questions if I'm stuck on the Admin API?

The PrestaShop community Slack, #cfc-adminapi channel, is the ideal place to exchange with other contributors and get help.

Is PrestaShop free?

Yes, PrestaShop is an open-source e-commerce CMS and is free. You only pay for hosting and premium modules.

Is PrestaShop suitable for beginners?

PrestaShop has a medium learning curve. With documentation, beginners can create their store in weeks.