Shopware Gateways: A Flexible Way to Extend Shopware

January 29, 2026

A Shopware gateway acts as a dedicated communication layer between a Shopware store and external App servers.

Each gateway is designed for a specific integration area, such as checkout processes, customer context handling, or in-app purchases, while relying on a shared execution model. This model is based on a synchronous request sent to the App server, followed by immediate response handling directly inside Shopware.

So, where do gateways come into play?

There are two primary ways to extend a Shopware store:

• Plugins
• Apps

One of the key advantages of the App system, besides being fully compatible with all Shopware cloud environments, is how it handles business logic. The complete logic lives on your own server, fully separated from the shop’s core codebase.

This separation allows you to update your App independently of the shop itself. Even during major Shopware upgrades, Apps usually remain unaffected or require only minimal adjustments.

The challenge with traditional App execution

A known limitation of the App system is its asynchronous nature.

Shopware defines multiple internal events, such as customer login or order cancellation. Apps can subscribe to these events using webhooks, which call endpoints on your App server whenever such events occur.

However, this mechanism only informs you that something has happened and provides related data. You can react using APIs, but you cannot directly influence or modify Shopware’s processing logic during the event itself.

Technically, App Scripts already allow some synchronous behavior, but they place logic back into the shop’s codebase, something many developers wanted to avoid.

Based on extensive community feedback, Shopware introduced a solution that enables synchronous logic execution while keeping all logic on the App server.

This enhancement to the App system is called Shopware gateways.

What can gateways do?

At a high level, gateways follow this flow:

An event occurs → Shopware calls the gateway → waits for a response → applies the result

Each gateway serves a specific purpose. While all of them rely on synchronous communication, they differ in how they are triggered, what data they receive, and what actions they can perform.

At the time of writing, Shopware offers three gateway types:

• Checkout Gateway
• Context Gateway
• In-App Purchase Gateway

Among these, the Context Gateway is currently the most powerful and widely used. It enables Apps to interact directly with the Storefront experience, displaying messages, registering customers, changing language or currency settings, updating addresses, and more.

A complete list of available commands can be found in the official Context Gateway documentation.

How do Shopware gateways work?

Since the Context Gateway is the most relevant for most developers, let’s focus on how it works. The overall concept is similar for other gateways, with differences mainly in triggers and expected responses.

First, you define a gateway endpoint in your App’s manifest file.

From there, the gateway can be triggered directly from the Storefront using JavaScript. This can happen in response to user interactions, such as clicking a custom button, or automatically through timers or other Storefront events.

You can also send custom payload data along with the request to your App server.

Once the request is sent, Shopware pauses execution and waits for the App server’s response. The response contains a command, which Shopware executes before continuing its normal flow.

To simplify implementation, Shopware provides a JavaScript client along with existing App SDKs, making gateway integration straightforward.

From a developer’s perspective, using a gateway can be as simple as calling a JavaScript function, while all decision-making logic runs securely on the App server.

What can you build with gateways?

The currently available gateways and their commands are based entirely on real feedback from the developer community.

Looking at the Context Gateway command reference, you’ll find that it is well-suited for use cases such as:

• Address validation
• Payment method selection
• Customer authentication and SSO
• Dynamic Storefront messaging

Shopware focuses on building the platform itself, while the community builds powerful extensions on top of it. That’s why community input is essential, not only for new commands but also for entirely new gateway types.

The App system already minimizes upgrade effort. As gateways continue to evolve, developers can spend less time maintaining compatibility and more time building meaningful features that improve merchant success.

Shopware is already planning additional gateways, including advanced checkout integrations like external tax providers and more detailed cart manipulation options.

Make it your own

The future of Shopware gateways depends on real-world developer needs.

If you have a scenario where synchronous, server-side logic would improve your App, now is the time to speak up. Your ideas directly influence which gateways and commands Shopware develops next.

Share your use cases through the Shopware feedback portal or by opening an issue on GitHub.

The Shopware team is actively listening and looking forward to what you build next.

Bhavesh Purohit

Author

Bhavesh Purohit is a Shopware developer specializing in custom plugins, integrations, and scalable e-commerce solutions. He writes technical blogs focused on Shopware architecture, performance, and real-world development challenges.