Onboarding Guide: What to Expect
This article is your map of the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Returns onboarding process — what happens, in what order, and what's needed from you versus what Cahoot handles. Read this first so you know where you are at each stage. Each step below links to a detailed guide.
How Onboarding Works (At a Glance)
Going live with P2P Returns is a six-step process. Most steps take only a few minutes on your end — Cahoot does the heavier configuration behind the scenes.
1Confirm your Cahoot account and login access. Your onboarding specialist sets up your account and shares your login for the merchant panel. Confirm you can log in before moving on.
2Install the Peer-to-Peer Returns app. Install the single Cahoot P2P Returns app from the Shopify App Store. This connects your store to Cahoot. See Getting Started / Install the App.
3Grant Cahoot access to your Shopify store. Approve the permissions the app needs to display resale listings and process returns. See Granting Cahoot P2P Returns Access to Shopify.
4Set up your theme blocks. Enable the Cahoot app embeds and add the Cahoot sections to your product and order confirmation pages so resale listings and item details display correctly. See Setting Up Cahoot Theme Blocks.
5Configure your returns portal. Confirm your branding, return policy defaults, refund options, and which products are eligible for P2P. See Configuring Your Returns Portal.
6Test and go live. Run a test return end-to-end with your onboarding specialist to confirm the full workflow. Once you're satisfied, Cahoot activates your account for live customer returns.
What You Provide vs. What Cahoot Handles
Most of the setup is handled by Cahoot using sensible defaults. Your part is a short list of confirmations and choices.
What you provide:
- Confirmation that you can log in to the merchant panel
- Installing the P2P Returns app and approving its permissions
- Enabling the Cahoot theme blocks on your storefront
- Your branding and policy inputs (logo, contact email, return window, refund options)
- Custom theming to match your brand
- Which products are eligible for P2P, plus any condition overrides
What Cahoot handles for you:
- Your Cahoot account setup and Shopify connection
- Returns portal hosting at your subdomain
- Return reason, issue, and condition defaults customers see
- P2P workflow rules that drive the cashback offer and matching
- Activating your account for live returns once testing is complete
Timeline and Going Live
After you've completed your steps and provided your configuration inputs, Cahoot sets up your account and shares the returns portal so you can preview the customer experience before going live. Your onboarding specialist will confirm the timeline for your store.
The final gate before going live is a successful test return: you'll submit a return, approve it, confirm the resale listing appears on your storefront, map it to a test order, and generate the shipping label. Once that runs cleanly and you're comfortable with the workflow, Cahoot activates your account for live customer returns.
After You're Live
Once you're processing real returns, the day-to-day guides cover reviewing returns, assigning conditions, mapping returns to new buyers, creating shipping labels, and issuing refunds. See the Using Peer-to-Peer Returns guides.
Need Help?
Reach out to your onboarding specialist directly during setup, or Submit Ticket for any questions about the onboarding process.