/shopify-apps

name: shopify-apps
description: Shopify app development - Remix, Admin API, checkout extensions
when-to-use: When building Shopify apps or extensions
user-invocable: false
effort: medium

Shopify App Development Skill

For building Shopify apps using Remix, the Shopify App framework, and checkout UI extensions.

**Sources:** [Shopify Dev Docs](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps) | [Shopify CLI](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/tools/cli) | [Admin API](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql)

---

Prerequisites

Required Accounts & Tools

# 1. Shopify Partner Account (free)
# Sign up at: https://partners.shopify.com

# 2. Development Store
# Create in Partner Dashboard → Stores → Add store → Development store

# 3. Shopify CLI
npm install -g @shopify/cli

# 4. Node.js 18.20+ or 20.10+
node --version

Partner Dashboard Setup

1. Create Partner account at partners.shopify.com 2. Create a development store for testing 3. Create an app in Partner Dashboard → Apps → Create app 4. Note your API key and API secret

---

Quick Start

Scaffold New App

# Create new Shopify app with Remix
shopify app init

# Answer prompts:
# - App name
# - Template: Remix (recommended)
# - Language: JavaScript or TypeScript

# Start development
cd your-app-name
shopify app dev

Project Structure

shopify-app/
├── app/
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── app._index/          # Main app page
│   │   │   └── route.jsx
│   │   ├── app.jsx              # App layout with Polaris
│   │   ├── auth.$.jsx           # Auth catch-all
│   │   ├── auth.login/          # Login page
│   │   │   └── route.jsx
│   │   ├── webhooks.app.uninstalled.jsx
│   │   ├── webhooks.app.scopes_update.jsx
│   │   └── webhooks.gdpr.jsx    # GDPR compliance (REQUIRED)
│   ├── shopify.server.js        # Shopify app config
│   ├── db.server.js             # Prisma client
│   └── entry.server.jsx
├── extensions/                   # Checkout/theme extensions
│   └── my-extension/
│       ├── src/
│       │   └── index.tsx
│       ├── shopify.extension.toml
│       └── package.json
├── prisma/
│   └── schema.prisma            # Session storage
├── shopify.app.toml             # App configuration
├── package.json
└── vite.config.js

---

App Configuration

shopify.app.toml

# App configuration - managed by Shopify CLI
client_id = "your-api-key"
name = "Your App Name"
handle = "your-app-handle"
application_url = "https://your-app.onrender.com"
embedded = true

[webhooks]
api_version = "2025-01"

# Required: App lifecycle webhooks
[[webhooks.subscriptions]]
topics = ["app/uninstalled"]
uri = "/webhooks/app/uninstalled"

[[webhooks.subscriptions]]
topics = ["app/scopes_update"]
uri = "/webhooks/app/scopes_update"

# Required: GDPR compliance webhooks
[[webhooks.subscriptions]]
compliance_topics = [
  "customers/data_request",
  "customers/redact",
  "shop/redact",
]
uri = "/webhooks/gdpr"

[access_scopes]
scopes = "read_products,write_products"

[auth]
redirect_urls = [
  "https://your-app.onrender.com/auth/callback",
  "https://your-app.onrender.com/auth/shopify/callback",
]

[pos]
embedded = false

[build]
dev_store_url = "your-dev-store.myshopify.com"
automatically_update_urls_on_dev = true

shopify.server.js

import "@shopify/shopify-app-remix/adapters/node";
import {
  ApiVersion,
  AppDistribution,
  shopifyApp,
} from "@shopify/shopify-app-remix/server";
import { PrismaSessionStorage } from "@shopify/shopify-app-session-storage-prisma";
import { prisma } from "./db.server";

const shopify = shopifyApp({
  apiKey: process.env.SHOPIFY_API_KEY,
  apiSecretKey: process.env.SHOPIFY_API_SECRET || "",
  apiVersion: ApiVersion.January25,
  scopes: process.env.SCOPES?.split(","),
  appUrl: process.env.SHOPIFY_APP_URL || "",
  authPathPrefix: "/auth",
  sessionStorage: new PrismaSessionStorage(prisma),
  distribution: AppDistribution.AppStore,
  future: {
    unstable_newEmbeddedAuthStrategy: true,
    removeRest: true,  // Use GraphQL only
  },
});

export default shopify;
export const apiVersion = ApiVersion.January25;
export const addDocumentResponseHeaders = shopify.addDocumentResponseHeaders;
export const authenticate = shopify.authenticate;
export const unauthenticated = shopify.unauthenticated;
export const login = shopify.login;
export const registerWebhooks = shopify.registerWebhooks;
export const sessionStorage = shopify.sessionStorage;

---

Authentication

Route Protection

// app/routes/app._index/route.jsx
import { json } from "@remix-run/node";
import { useLoaderData } from "@remix-run/react";
import { authenticate } from "../../shopify.server";

export const loader = async ({ request }) => {
  // This authenticates the request and redirects to login if needed
  const { admin, session } = await authenticate.admin(request);

  // Now you have access to admin API and session
  const shop = session.shop;

  return json({ shop });
};

export default function Index() {
  const { shop } = useLoaderData();
  return <div>Connected to: {shop}</div>;
}

Webhook Authentication

// app/routes/webhooks.app.uninstalled.jsx
import { authenticate } from "../shopify.server";
import { prisma } from "../db.server";

export const action = async ({ request }) => {
  const { shop, topic } = await authenticate.webhook(request);

  console.log(`Received ${topic} webhook for ${shop}`);

  // Clean up shop data on uninstall
  await prisma.session.deleteMany({ where: { shop } });

  return new Response(null, { status: 200 });
};

---

GraphQL Admin API

Basic Query Pattern

// app/shopify/adminApi.server.js
export async function getShopId(admin) {
  const response = await admin.graphql(`
    query getShopId {
      shop {
        id
        name
        email
        myshopifyDomain
      }
    }
  `);

  const data = await response.json();
  return data.data?.shop;
}

Query with Variables