Shopify Access Token Regex for PHP

What this pattern does

This page provides a comprehensive, battle-tested regular expression for matching shopify access token, ported and verified for PHP. In security-sensitive code, using an unverified regex can open the door to both false positives and denial-of-service attacks. The snippet below is ready to drop into your PHP project — whether you're validating in a Laravel validator, a WordPress plugin, or a standalone PHP script.

Php Implementation

<?php
// Shopify Access Token
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Security > API Keys & Tokens

define('SHOPIFY_ACCESS_TOKEN_PATTERN', '/^shpat_[a-fA-F0-9]{32}$|^shpca_[a-fA-F0-9]{32}$|^shppa_[a-fA-F0-9]{32}$|^shpss_[a-fA-F0-9]{32}$/');

function validate_shopify_access_token(string $input): bool {
    return (bool) preg_match(SHOPIFY_ACCESS_TOKEN_PATTERN, $input);
}

// Example
var_dump(validate_shopify_access_token("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")); // bool(true)

Test Cases

When to use this pattern

This pattern is drawn from the Security > API Keys & Tokens category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for PHP developers because especially relevant in PHP where PCRE backtracking limits can trigger silent failures on malicious input. RegexVault audits patterns against known backtracking attack vectors, ensuring you have the necessary context before using this regex in a high-stakes production environment.

Common Pitfalls

Technical Notes

Shopify token prefixes: shpat_=access token, shpca_=custom app token, shppa_=partner app token, shpss_=shared secret. All are 32 hex chars after the prefix. Each is scoped to a specific store.