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Case Study: How Minion Built A Host-First Booking Platform Built for the Shopify Ecosystem

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Minion developed ShopSTR, a custom Shopify application built for hosts and rental operators to manage direct bookings, sync with platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, and automate guest workflows. The result? A scalable, host-first platform that replaces third-party fees with full control and seamless operations.


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No two businesses are the same — and neither are our solutions. Whether you're migrating to Shopify, redesigning your store, or building something entirely custom, our team is ready to deliver. We offer tailored migration plans, full-scale redesigns, and hands-on support to make your move seamless. Whatever you need, we have the expertise to get you there.

ShopSTR is a powerful, host-focused application built by Minion to bridge the gap between Shopify’s commerce engine and the real-world needs of vacation rental operators, experience providers, and service-based businesses. Instead of relying on Shopify’s native product system, ShopSTR uses the Shopify Draft Order API, allowing hosts to create and manage listings directly within the app — and integrate seamlessly with any Shopify theme using embedded app extensions.

The platform is designed for performance, scale, and deep integration with both the Shopify ecosystem and third-party booking platforms.

The Challenge

Traditional ecommerce tools aren’t designed for businesses that sell time, space, or experiences. Hosts needed a platform that could:

  • Manage listings independently of Shopify’s product structure
  • Embed booking components into any Shopify theme
  • Handle availability and custom pricing logic
  • Integrate with OTAs like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo via iCal
  • Automate messaging and guest communications
  • Connect to Google Vacation Rentals for visibility
  • Trigger workflows via Zapier and external tools

Our Solution

Minion designed and built ShopSTR to be a flexible, scalable, and deeply integrated platform for bookings and rentals — with hosts at the center.

Key Features

  • App Extensions: Booking components embed directly into any Shopify theme, preserving full, native design control.
  • Draft Order API: Listings are managed in ShopSTR with bookings using Shopify’s Draft Order API to drive checkout workflows.
  • iCal Syncing: ShopSTR syncs availability with Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com & more.
  • Google Vacation Rentals Integration: Listings surface in Google’s vacation search results.
  • Zapier Automation: Hosts can connect to thousands of tools with our custom Zapier connector.
  • Automated Messaging: Hosts automate communications using smart rules and timing logic.
  • Scalable Infrastructure: Powered by Google Cloud, Vercel, Cloudflare Workers, and MongoDB & more.

The Results

  • More direct bookings and less reliance on OTAs
  • Fully automated workflows and guest messaging
  • Faster launch times for new host storefronts
  • Complete branding control with embedded checkout flows
  • Improved visibility via Google Vacation Rentals

Technologies Used

  • Shopify Draft Order API
  • Shopify App Extensions
  • Google Cloud Platform
  • Vercel
  • Cloudflare Workers
  • MongoDB
  • iCal + Google Vacation Rentals integration
  • Zapier Custom Application

Why This Matters

Shopify is built for selling products — but modern commerce includes experiences, access, and bookings. ShopSTR enables a new generation of hosts to own their brand, automate their business, and scale across platforms without compromise.

If you’re a service-based brand looking to streamline your operations and unlock direct bookings, ShopSTR is built for you.

With thousands of Shopify experts out there, finding the right fit for your store can be overwhelming. Your Shopify store deserves more than just an expert—it deserves a team that’s dedicated to helping it thrive and grow every step of the way.

Smart, host-first booking infrastructure is no longer optional — and that’s where Minion comes in.

With ShopSTR, we’ve reimagined how booking-based businesses operate on Shopify. From bypassing the product model using Draft Orders to syncing listings across Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, our team engineered a system designed to simplify complexity and power direct growth.

Whether it’s integrating with Google Vacation Rentals, automating workflows via Zapier, or embedding booking flows into any Shopify theme, Minion brings the technical expertise and strategic thinking needed to build modern, scalable platforms. We don’t just launch products — we build ecosystems that grow with you.

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“ Working with Minion for the Gravity Blankets website redesign was a great experience overall. From day 1, they understood our pain points with our current site and what we wanted to achieve with our new site. They used this input and their expertise to build a design that achieved these from Day 1. We barely had any edits on the design as result. Throughout the process, the team was very quick to implement the content and any tweaks we had along the way. Their system for flagging these tasks also kept things very organized. We would get updates as items were completed so it saved us from reaching out for status updates. ”

Gravity Blankets

“ Minion was a pleasure to work with throughout our website building process. We had a clear vision going into this project and Minion's deliverable exceeded our expectations. The team at Minion were diligent in processing our requests and very helpful throughout the entire process. They were able to build us a visually engaging site that delivers a great user experience. Minion's communication throughout it all was reliable and consistent. They answered any questions or concerns we had, were able to talk us through any issues, and recommended add-on apps to enhance our user experience. Overall, I would recommend Minion to anyone who is looking for a custom site. ”

Sporting KC

“ The team at Minion were fantastic and really efficient at realising our designs. It was a complex site with 20 years of features and nuances that were being migrated to new platform and design, and Minion handled the build like seasoned experts. The build was faithful to the design and brand quality, fixes and updates were made quickly and even through a pandemic, they were responsive to our questions and actions. We'll be happily working with them again in the future. ”

Elusionist

“ Minion has been a good partner throughout a lengthy multi-site project! They know their stuff, and have taken the time to get to know our stuff (Triple Eight Helmets, Pads, and Protective Gear worn by everyone from the world's best skateboarders like Tony Hawk - to kids just starting out in the cul-de-sac). We started with a long list of objectives and requirements, and we've been able to work together creatively and collaboratively through all phases of the project, from the design of the theme to the function of each aspect of the Shopify store, and even the development of a couple of custom apps. If you are looking for a good team to build your Shopify Store - I recommend Minion. ”

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