# Creating a shopping cart ## Problem You need to create a new shopping cart where the customer can put the items they want to purchase. ## Solution Within Commerce Layer, a shopping cart is just a draft order, so creating a new shopping cart actually means creating a new order. To do that, all you need to do is to send a `POST` request to the `/api/orders` endpoint. ### Example {% tabs %} {% tab title="Request" %} The following request creates a draft order that acts as a new (empty) shopping cart: ```javascript curl -g -X POST \ 'http://yourdomain.commercelayer.io/api/orders' \ -H 'Accept: application/vnd.api+json' \ -H 'Authorization: Bearer your-access-token' \ -H 'Content-Type: application/vnd.api+json' \ -d '{ "data": { "type": "orders" } }' ``` {% endtab %} {% tab title="Response" %} On success, the API responds with a `201 Created` status code, returning the newly created order object, with its status set to `draft`: ```javascript { "data": { "id": "xYZkjABcde", "type": "orders", "links": { "self": "https://yourdomain.commercelayer.io/api/orders/xYZkjABcde" }, "attributes": { "number": 1234, "status": "draft", "payment_status": "unpaid", "fulfillment_status": "unfulfilled", "guest": true, "editable": true, "placeable": false, "customer_email": null, "language_code": "en", "currency_code": "EUR", "tax_included": true, "tax_rate": null, "freight_taxable": null, "requires_billing_info": false, "country_code": null, "shipping_country_code_lock": null, "coupon_code": null, "gift_card_code": null, "gift_card_or_coupon_code": null, "subtotal_amount_cents": 0, "subtotal_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_subtotal_amount": "€0,00", "shipping_amount_cents": 0, "shipping_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_shipping_amount": "€0,00", "payment_method_amount_cents": 0, "payment_method_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_payment_method_amount": "€0,00", "discount_amount_cents": 0, "discount_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_discount_amount": "€0,00", "adjustment_amount_cents": 0, "adjustment_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_adjustment_amount": "€0,00", "gift_card_amount_cents": 0, "gift_card_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_gift_card_amount": "€0,00", "total_tax_amount_cents": 0, "total_tax_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_total_tax_amount": "€0,00", "subtotal_tax_amount_cents": 0, "subtotal_tax_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_subtotal_tax_amount": "€0,00", "shipping_tax_amount_cents": 0, "shipping_tax_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_shipping_tax_amount": "€0,00", "payment_method_tax_amount_cents": 0, "payment_method_tax_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_payment_method_tax_amount": "€0,00", "discount_tax_amount_cents": 0, "discount_tax_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_discount_tax_amount": "€0,00", "adjustment_tax_amount_cents": 0, "adjustment_tax_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_adjustment_tax_amount": "€0,00", "total_amount_cents": 0, "total_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_total_amount": "€0,00", "total_taxable_amount_cents": 0, "total_taxable_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_total_taxable_amount": "€0,00", "subtotal_taxable_amount_cents": 0, "subtotal_taxable_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_subtotal_taxable_amount": "€0,00", "shipping_taxable_amount_cents": 0, "shipping_taxable_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_shipping_taxable_amount": "€0,00", "payment_method_taxable_amount_cents": 0, "payment_method_taxable_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_payment_method_taxable_amount": "€0,00", "discount_taxable_amount_cents": 0, "discount_taxable_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_discount_taxable_amount": "€0,00", "adjustment_taxable_amount_cents": 0, "adjustment_taxable_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_adjustment_taxable_amount": "€0,00", "total_amount_with_taxes_cents": 0, "total_amount_with_taxes_float": 0.0, "formatted_total_amount_with_taxes": "€0,00", "fees_amount_cents": 0, "fees_amount_float": 0.0, "formatted_fees_amount": "€0,00", "skus_count": 0, "line_item_options_count": 0, "shipments_count": 0, "payment_source_details": null, "token": "your-order-token", "cart_url": null, "return_url": null, "terms_url": null, "privacy_url": null, "checkout_url": "https://checkout.yourdomain.com/xYZkjABcde", "placed_at": null, "approved_at": null, "cancelled_at": null, "payment_updated_at": null, "fulfillment_updated_at": null, "created_at": "2018-01-01T12:00:00.000Z", "updated_at": "2018-01-01T12:00:00.000Z", "reference": null, "metadata": {} }, "relationships": { "market": { "links": {...} }, "customer": { "links": {...} }, "shipping_address": { "links": {...} }, "billing_address": { "links": {...} }, "available_payment_methods": { "links": {...} }, "available_customer_payment_sources": { "links": {...} }, "payment_method": { "links": {...} }, "payment_source": { "links": {...} }, "line_items": { "links": {...} }, "shipments": { "links": {...} } }, "meta": { "mode": "test" } } } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ## Additional notes #### Market scope The new order will be automatically associated with the market embedded in the request access token, as its scope. #### Empty carts For performance reasons, we highly suggest you avoid dealing with empty carts — just create a new order right before adding the first line item to it. ## More to read See our documentation if you need more information on how to [create an order](https://docs.commercelayer.io/developers/v/api-reference/orders/create). --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.commercelayer.io/how-tos/placing-orders/shopping-cart/create-a-shopping-cart.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.