Category field not available when using Python API library

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Topic summary

Issue: The category field is unavailable when using Shopify’s Python REST API library, throwing an AttributeError when attempting to access product[0].category.

Root Cause: The REST API does not support the category field. The Products REST API has been deprecated and will be discontinued next year.

Recommended Solution: Migrate to GraphQL API, which supports product categories.

Follow-up Problems: After switching to GraphQL:

  • First attempt using productCreate mutation with linked metafields returns error: “At least one value for the option linked to the ‘shopify.size’ metafield is invalid”
  • Second attempt following official documentation produces schema errors: fields productCategory, productTaxonomyNodeId, and options don’t exist on types UserError and ProductCreatePayload

Status: Unresolved. The user successfully identified the REST API limitation but encountered multiple GraphQL implementation errors, suggesting either API version mismatches or outdated documentation examples.

Summarized with AI on November 5. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hello,

we are trying to update category and metafields using python API library but are unable to set category.

Adding code and error we get below:

api_version = '2024-07'

with shopify.Session.temp(shop_url, api_version, 'hidden'):
   product = shopify.Product.find()
   print(product[0].category)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
AttributeError                            Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-122-9a45f5223925> in <module>
      3 #   print(single_image[0].src)
      4    product = shopify.Product.find()
----> 5    print(product[0].category)
      6   # product = shopify.Product()
      7   # product.title = "Shopify Logo T-Shirt"

c:\Users\root\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37\lib\site-packages\pyactiveresource\activeresource.py in __getattr__(self, name)
    915             if name in self.attributes:
    916                 return self.attributes[name]
--> 917         raise AttributeError(name)
    918
    919     def __setattr__(self, name, value):

AttributeError: category

We can set other fields like title.

Also, how would we set the values of attributes using python API library. For example:
Attributes:

  • Age group: Adults
  • Clothing features: Wrinkle resistant
  • Color: Beige
  • Dress occasion: Formal
  • Dress style: Gown
  • Fabric: Satin
  • Neckline: Halter
  • Pattern: Solid
  • Size: One size
  • Skirt/Dress length type: Maxi
  • Sleeve length type: Sleeveless
  • Target gender: Female
2

Hi @aideveloper2 ,

I think the issue that you are having here is that the category field is not supported by the REST API. If you want to start using product categories you are going to need to migrate to GraphQL - https://github.com/Shopify/shopify_python_api?tab=readme-ov-file#graphql.

Its also worth mentioning that the Products REST API has been deprecated and will be going away next year - https://shopify.dev/changelog/deprecation-timelines-related-to-new-graphql-product-apis

3

We did that but run into another issue. When we run this:

mutation productCreate {
  productCreate(input: {
    title: "Linked option product test",
    category: "gid://shopify/TaxonomyCategory/aa-1-13-7",
    productOptions: [
      { 
        name: "Size",
        linkedMetafield: {
          namespace: "shopify",
          key: "size",
          values: [
            "gid://shopify/Metaobject/43003248699",
            "gid://shopify/Metaobject/38602899515"
          ]
        }
      }
    ]
  }), {
    userErrors { message }
    product {
      id
      metafields(first: 10) {
        nodes {
          namespace
          key
          value
        }
      }
      options {
        name
        optionValues {
          name
          linkedMetafieldValue
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

we get this: {
“data”: {
“productCreate”: {
“userErrors”: [
{
“message”: “At least one value for the option linked to the ‘shopify.size’ metafield is invalid”
}
],
“product”: null
}
},
“extensions”: {
“cost”: {
“requestedQueryCost”: 18,
“actualQueryCost”: 10,
“throttleStatus”: {
“maximumAvailable”: 2000,
“currentlyAvailable”: 1990,
“restoreRate”: 100
}
}
}
}

4

And if we try the code here: https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/graphql/migrate/new-product-model/metafield-linked

we get another error / bug: {
“errors”: [
{
“message”: “Field ‘productCategory’ doesn’t exist on type ‘UserError’”,
“locations”: [
{
“line”: 6,
“column”: 9
}
],
“path”: [
“mutation CreateProductWithLinkedOptions”,
“productCreate”,
“userErrors”,
“productCategory”
],
“extensions”: {
“code”: “undefinedField”,
“typeName”: “UserError”,
“fieldName”: “productCategory”
}
},
{
“message”: “Field ‘productTaxonomyNodeId’ doesn’t exist on type ‘UserError’”,
“locations”: [
{
“line”: 11,
“column”: 9
}
],
“path”: [
“mutation CreateProductWithLinkedOptions”,
“productCreate”,
“userErrors”,
“productTaxonomyNodeId”
],
“extensions”: {
“code”: “undefinedField”,
“typeName”: “UserError”,
“fieldName”: “productTaxonomyNodeId”
}
},
{
“message”: “Field ‘options’ doesn’t exist on type ‘ProductCreatePayload’”,
“locations”: [
{
“line”: 13,
“column”: 7
}
],
“path”: [
“mutation CreateProductWithLinkedOptions”,
“productCreate”,
“options”
],
“extensions”: {
“code”: “undefinedField”,
“typeName”: “ProductCreatePayload”,
“fieldName”: “options”
}
}
]
}