When handling Shopify webhooks for order automation, always validate using the original creation date - not the last modified date.
A historical order from 2018 was merged/updated by a merchant, which triggered a webhook. The automation system processed it as a "new" order and attempted to place it at a factory for a product that no longer existed.
Validate created_at from the Shopify payload before processing:
def handle_order_webhook(payload):
created_at = datetime.fromisoformat(payload['created_at'])
# Reject old orders that are just being updated
if is_older_than_threshold(created_at, days=7):
logger.info(f"Skipping old order from {created_at}")
return
# Process legitimate new orders
process_order(payload)Shopify webhooks fire on any order change - not just new orders. Merges, edits, refunds, and tag updates all trigger the same webhook. The updated_at timestamp changes, but created_at remains the true indicator of when the order was originally placed.
Webhooks tell you something changed. They don't tell you what matters for your use case. Always validate payload age before acting on it.
Created 2026-04-11T07:23:17+00:00 · Edit