How to Link Gelato to Square Online: The Basics

I love print on demand for a few reasons. It’s easy for anyone to get started without pouring money into inventory, or dealing with fulfillment headaches – and it gives you an opportunity to be really creative with what you sell.

Over the years, I’ve found a handful of POD providers I can really trust to create high-quality, amazing products, and deliver them to my customers fast.

Gelato is one of my favorite options. This company doesn’t just excel in a range of product areas (its paper-based products are particularly impressive) – it’s also one of the most sustainable print on demand companies out there.

Plus, it gives users access to awesome tools, like a fantastic mock-up generator, the Personalization Studio, and a pricing calculator.

It also integrates with a lot of great platforms, like Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Etsy, and even TikTok shop. But if you’re reading this article you’re probably wondering “what about Square Online?”

Square Online might not be my favorite ecommerce platform – but I can see its appeal, particularly for those who want a streamlined, convenient (and affordable) way to start selling online.

The trouble is it doesn’t integrate with a lot of tools directly – including Gelato.

That said, the two can still work together extremely well. If you’re looking for a combination that supports low-overhead ecommerce with global reach, Square + Gelato is a serious contender.

60-Second Summary Gelato is one of the world’s top POD partners (particularly for those who value sustainability), and Square Online is an affordable, easy-to-use ecommerce platform. They make a great combo for smaller companies and budding entrepreneurs. The easiest way to connect Gelato with Square Online is through another app (Order Desk) which integrates with both platforms. You can also use Gelato’s custom API and the APIs on Square to bridge the gaps – but this requires a little more technical knowledge.

Tips for success:

Do your research before you start experimenting with apps and APIs Consider taking advantage of Gelato’s other (simpler) integrations Make sure you have a plan in place for tracking orders across platforms. Why Gelato and Square Online?

Gelato and Square Online aren’t typically the first combo you hear about when people talk ecommerce and POD, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a strong match.

In fact, if you're looking for a global, sustainable fulfillment partner paired with an affordable, intuitive ecommerce builder, this pair can punch well above its weight.

If you’re new to the ecommerce space, Square Online will let you launch a relatively impressive (professional-looking) store for free. You get a free URL, free unlimited hosting, inventory management and tracking, and integrated reporting.

You can also upgrade to paid plans for more features – like access to additional premium themes.

Square Online is also incredibly easy to use, comes with a built-in, world-renowned payment processing system, and offers access to fantastic customer support.

Then we have Gelato, one of my favorite print on demand companies for a bunch of reasons. The company’s network spans across 30+ countries, which translates to relatively fast shipping times and reduced costs (and carbon emissions) for international orders. That’s a big deal if your customers are from all over the world.

You also get a fantastic range of high-quality products to choose from (for a relatively affordable price).

Plus, you can tap into a huge selection of fantastic tools, like the Personalization Studio – if you want customers to be able to add elements to your products.

On top of that, Gelato offers flexible subscription plans with perks like:

Access to millions of free assets Branded packaging options Tiered discounts as your order volume grows

When combined, Square’s ease of use and Gelato’s production power offer a streamlined, scalable ecommerce model for both local and global selling.

How to Link Gelato to Square Online: Step by Step

So, if Gelato and Square Online are such a strong combo, why do people hesitate to use them together? Simple: there’s no native one-click integration on either side.

You won’t see “Square” listed on Gelato’s website until you create an account, and even then, it only shows up under your “Stores” tab.

To bridge the gap, the most effective solution is to use Order Desk, a powerful automation tool that connects with both Square Online and Gelato. It acts as the middleman, handling order routing, inventory syncing, and more.

It’s not as simple as plugging in an app, but if you follow the steps below, you’ll have a fully functional, streamlined POD setup with local production and global reach.

Step 1: Choosing Your Products

Before you dive into account setups and integrations, it’s worth thinking carefully about what to sell. One of Gelato’s biggest strengths is its wide product catalog, which includes everything from t-shirts and mugs to premium wall art and stationery. Pair that with Square Online’s user base, often small business owners, creators, and local sellers, and you get some clear product strategy insights.

When picking your products, consider these factors:

Target Audience: Are you selling to gift shoppers, local art lovers, or a global TikTok crowd? Fulfillment Speed: Gelato’s local production is ideal for fast-shipping items like cards or mugs. Design Customization: Products like notebooks or posters are perfect for offering personalization. AOV (Average Order Value): Consider bundling items or offering premium packaging to increase cart size.

Another helpful update worth pointing out here is Gelato’s new CreateAI suite. It includes time-saving tools like mockup automation, quicker product launch flows, and store migration helpers.

Even on the free plan, it gives you a head start when setting up your first product batch — especially if you’re moving from another platform or prepping a catalog quickly.

PlatformBest-Selling Gelato ProductsWhy They WorkSquare OnlineGreeting Cards, Wall Art, MugsPerfect for local gifting and retail themesTikTok ShopApparel (T-Shirts), Phone Cases, PostersTrend-driven, visual, easy impulse purchasesEtsyNotebooks, Calendars, Art PrintsCustomization-heavy, suited for creativesShopifyBranded Merch, Packaging, ApparelScales well, ideal for DTC and brand builders

If you’re using Square in a brick-and-mortar setting (e.g., coffee shop, boutique, art studio), try selling printed products both online and in-store. Gelato’s local production model makes it easy to restock without overordering.

Step 2: Creating Your Accounts

Let’s start with the most obvious first step. The first thing you’re going to need is an account with Square Online, Gelato, and Order Desk. As mentioned above, you can create an account for free with Square Online in just a couple of steps.

Just enter your email address, a password, and your location, and Square will walk you through the process of getting everything set up.

Similarly, you’ll be able to create a free account with Gelato, by visiting the Gelato website and clicking “Start for free”. You can log in with your social media details or Google account if you want to save a little time.

Again, you can upgrade to a paid account with Gelato, but it’s usually a good idea to test the waters with free version first.

Once you have both of those accounts, head to Order Desk, and click the “Sign Up” button to create your account. While there is a free trial available here, there’s no free forever plan.

You’ll need to pay at least $20 per month. Still, that’s a little cheaper than paying for something like Shopify.

Step 3: Connecting Order Desk to Gelato and Square

Once you have your account with Order Desk, log in, and click on the Manage Integrations tab in your right-hand sidebar. You can either search for “Square” or scroll down until you find it. Click “Enable”, then enter your Square account details.

You’ll have to fill out a few details, and set up your integration preferences. I recommend making sure the system checks for new orders regularly, and syncs inventory automatically (as well as any order tracking numbers).

You’ll now be able to define how Order Desk handles Square orders—such as syncing inventory or importing orders at regular intervals. Be sure to:

Enable frequent syncing for new orders Turn on automatic inventory updates Pass tracking numbers from Gelato back to Square

Once that’s done, repeat the process for Gelato:

Go back to Manage Integrations. Search for “Gelato”, click Enable, and log in. Follow the setup guide to link your Gelato account to Order Desk.

Here’s where you’ll configure the nuts and bolts of your fulfillment process:

Assign product SKUs (more on that in Step 3) Set shipping rules Choose whether to auto-approve orders

Gelato’s setup inside Order Desk may take a bit longer than Square’s because you’ll need to enter some product-level details. But once it’s done, your order flow will run smoothly in the background.

Step 3: Configuring Your Settings in Order Desk

Once you’ve connected all your accounts, you’ll need to deal with a few settings in Order Desk to keep things flowing smoothly. For instance:

Multiple Supplier Options

If you’re working with multiple print providers with different print_skus, you’ll need to use the “Product Code Match” feature in Order Desk.

You can find out how to do that here, but I won’t get into it in this article, as I’m assuming you’re just going to be using Gelato.

Order Approval Workflows

If your workflow requires you to make modifications before sending them to print – such as incorporating images that your customers upload or send to you – go to the Gelato integration on Order Desk, click on Settings and disable the “Automatically Approve submitted orders” setting.

This will mean all of the new orders you get will receive a “pending approval” status, which you can review in Gelato’s dashboard – before anything gets sent for production.

Print Parameters

To make sure your orders are processed correctly by Gelato, you’ll need to provide print parameters for each product variant in your Order Desk system:

Print_SKU: This corresponds to your product UID – the exact physical product any artwork is going to be printed on. You can find this on the product page in your Gelato dashboard. Print_URL: This delivers a direct link to the print file or art work you want to add to the product. You’ll need to follow Order Desk’s print on demand guide to prepare these files. Step 4: Dealing with API Keys and Webhooks

Still with us? Next you’re going to need a Gelato API key. Gelato shows you how to do this in this guide, but it’s pretty straightforward. Basically, you just log into your account in Gelato’s API portal, click on Developer then API Keys.

Just hit the “Add API” button to generate a key. I’d recommend giving it a unique name, so you know exactly what it’s for. Once you have that key, go back to your Order Desk account, click on the Gelato integration, and paste the API key into the given field.

After that, you can set up your webhooks for Order Desk – basically the little notifications that tell Order Desk the status of your orders in real-time. To create webhooks, go to Order Desk, and your Gelato integration, then locate your Webhook URL.

Copy the URL, and paste it into the Webhook Setup section in your Gelato account. Then, adjust your settings as necessary.

Step 5: Managing Everything

Once your initial setup is complete (which is best done on a desktop), you’ll be pleased to know that day-to-day operations can be largely managed from your phone or tablet.

Here’s what you can realistically handle on mobile:

Orders & Fulfillment (Gelato Dashboard)

View incoming orders: Check what’s been placed and what’s in production Approve or reject orders: Useful if you disabled auto-approval for customized items Track shipping status: Monitor estimated delivery times for each customer Communicate with Gelato Support: Quickly report issues or get help via the chat widget

The Gelato dashboard is mobile-optimized, and their order updates also come via email, making it easy to stay on top of things.

Inventory & Routing (Order Desk Mobile View)

See synced products and stock levels Manually push orders or re-sync inventory Review webhook activity and status logs Adjust fulfillment settings (with care)

While Order Desk doesn’t have a native mobile app, their web interface is functional on mobile browsers for quick changes or order checks. For bulk edits or rules automation, it’s still better to use a desktop.

Storefront Management (Square Dashboard App)

View customer orders and sales performance Issue refunds or edit transactions Manage basic product listings and pricing Chat with customers or respond to disputes

Square offers a dedicated mobile app for sellers, making it one of the easiest platforms to manage on the go. It's particularly handy for syncing your online and offline business activity in one place.

Is There an Alternative Option?

Other than using Order Desk, there is one other strategy you can use to connect Gelato and Square Online.

If you're comfortable with code and want full control over your ecommerce setup, you can bypass Order Desk entirely and build your own integration using the Gelato API and Square Online’s API suite. This is obviously a bit more complicated.

You’ll need development experience, time to test, and a way to securely manage credentials and webhooks.

If you do decide to go down this route, here’s a quick-start example of how to create an order with the Gelato API using Python:

import requests

headers = {

‘Authorization': ‘Bearer YOUR_GELATO_API_KEY',

‘Content-Type': ‘application/json',

}

data = {

“order_type”: “PrintOnDemand”,

“recipient”: {

“name”: “John Doe”,

“address_line1”: “123 Main St”,

“city”: “New York”,

“country”: “US”,

“zip_code”: “10001”

},

“items”: [

{

“product_uid”: “prod_ABC123”,

“files”: [{“url”: “https://example.com/printfile.png”}]

}

]

}

response = requests.post(‘https://api.gelato.com/v3/orders', headers=headers, json=data)

print(response.json())

You can combine this with Square’s RESTful APIs to manage order intake and product inventory. Use their API Explorer to try out endpoints like CreateOrder, ListCatalog, and UpdateInventory.

Setup Time Expectations

Setting up your integration between Gelato and Square Online isn’t a five-minute job, but it’s very achievable with the right expectations.

Here’s a breakdown of how long it typically takes, depending on your approach and familiarity with ecommerce tools:

Order Desk Integration Setup (Recommended Path)

Estimated Total Time: 1.5 to 3 hours

TaskTime EstimateCreating accounts (Square, Gelato, Order Desk)15–20 minutesConnecting Square and Gelato in Order Desk30–45 minutesSetting up product SKUs and print parameters30–60 minutesTesting order flow + sync settings20–30 minutes

Ideal for: Most users, especially if you're not a developer. Minimal code required, and plenty of support documentation is available.

Tips to Save Time:

Prepare your product designs and artwork files in advance Use the same product naming conventions across platforms to reduce mapping errors Start with a small batch of test products before scaling to your full catalog Custom API Integration Setup

Estimated Total Time: 2–4 days (depending on complexity)

TaskTime EstimateReading and understanding both APIs4–6 hoursGenerating API keys and setting up auth1–2 hoursCoding order creation and routing1–2 daysTesting webhook flows and error handling4–6 hoursDebugging + deploymentVariable

Recommended for developers or technical teams. While you get full control, it also requires more effort, documentation reading, and troubleshooting.

Tips if you go this route:

Use Postman or a similar tool to test endpoints before writing code Start with sandbox environments whenever possible Document your webhook URLs, triggers, and fallback logic carefully Linking Gelato to Square Online

Connecting Gelato to Square Online through Order Desk is definitely a project, but for the right user, it’s a high-reward setup. It gives you access to Gelato’s global print network, eco-conscious production model, and robust catalog, all tied into Square’s easy-to-use ecommerce tools.

If you’re committed to using Square, especially if you already use it for in-person sales, then taking the time to link it with Gelato can elevate your brand’s fulfillment and scalability. Just be prepared for a little setup work, and lean on Order Desk to keep your systems in sync.

That said, if you’re looking for a faster start or want native integrations, platforms like Shopify, Wix, or Etsy will connect to Gelato far more easily. These platforms are especially helpful if you don’t want to deal with middle-layer software or custom API work.

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