Hi Stefan,
Thanks for explaining this very well and including a video too - I’ve reached out to the product team in this area to assist with troubleshooting this. I will update here when I have more info.
Topic summary
Issue: Creating a Return from an existing return request (customer-initiated request awaiting approval) with exchange items via the public Admin GraphQL API (2024-07) fails. Evidence (video/screenshots) suggests the Shopify Admin UI uses an internal mutation to add exchange line items when approving a request, which partners can’t access.
Context: Attempts made July 14 using the Shopify GraphiQL app, following the return management docs (step 4: optional create a return).
Shopify update: Product team says the failure occurs because the item is already in another return (requested state). Current limitation: adding exchange items to a requested return via API isn’t supported. Recommended workflow is to create a new return using returnCreate, not to edit the requested one. Clarification requested on why editing the request is needed.
Counterpoint: The author notes the Admin supports this via an internal mutation (e.g., returnEditAddExchangeLineItems) and argues it’s essential for approving return requests with exchange details through the API.
Status: Unresolved and open. Awaiting product guidance on exposing the internal endpoint or offering an alternative API workflow.
Notes: Linked video and screenshots are central to reproducing and illustrating the internal call.