shopify-apps

Shopify App Development Skill

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

Sources: Shopify Dev Docs | Shopify CLI | Admin API

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

export async function getProducts(admin, first = 10) {
  const response = await admin.graphql(`
    query getProducts($first: Int!) {
      products(first: $first) {
        edges {
          node {
            id
            title
            status
            variants(first: 5) {
              edges {
                node {
                  id
                  price
                  inventoryQuantity
                }
              }
            }
          }
        }
        pageInfo {
          hasNextPage
          endCursor
        }
      }
    }
  `, {
    variables: { first }
  });

  const data = await response.json();
  return data.data?.products?.edges.map(e => e.node);
}

Mutations

export async function createProduct(admin, input) {
  const response = await admin.graphql(`
    mutation createProduct($input: ProductInput!) {
      productCreate(input: $input) {
        product {
          id
          title
        }
        userErrors {
          field
          message
        }
      }
    }
  `, {
    variables: {
      input: {
        title: input.title,
        descriptionHtml: input.description,
        status: "DRAFT"
      }
    }
  });

  const data = await response.json();
  const result = data.data?.productCreate;

  if (result?.userErrors?.length > 0) {
    throw new Error(result.userErrors.map(e => e.message).join(", "));
  }

  return result?.product;
}

Metafields (App Settings Storage)

// Get metafield
export async function getMetafield(admin, namespace, key) {
  const response = await admin.graphql(`
    query getShopMetafield($namespace: String!, $key: String!) {
      shop {
        id
        metafield(namespace: $namespace, key: $key) {
          id
          value
        }
      }
    }
  `, {
    variables: { namespace, key }
  });

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

  return {
    shopId: data.data?.shop?.id,
    value: metafield?.value ? JSON.parse(metafield.value) : null,
  };
}

// Set metafield
export async function setMetafield(admin, namespace, key, value, shopId) {
  const response = await admin.graphql(`
    mutation CreateMetafield($metafields: [MetafieldsSetInput!]!) {
      metafieldsSet(metafields: $metafields) {
        metafields {
          id
          namespace
          key
          value
        }
        userErrors {
          field
          message
        }
      }
    }
  `, {
    variables: {
      metafields: [{
        namespace,
        key,
        type: "json",
        value: JSON.stringify(value),
        ownerId: shopId,
      }]
    }
  });

  const data = await response.json();
  const errors = data.data?.metafieldsSet?.userErrors;

  if (errors?.length > 0) {
    throw new Error(errors.map(e => e.message).join(", "));
  }

  return data.data?.metafieldsSet?.metafields?.[0];
}

GDPR Compliance (REQUIRED)

All Shopify apps MUST handle GDPR webhooks. This is required for App Store approval.

// app/routes/webhooks.gdpr.jsx
import { authenticate } from "../shopify.server";

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

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

  switch (topic) {
    case "customers/data_request":
      // Return any customer data you store
      // If you don't store customer data, return empty
      return json({ customer_data: null });

    case "customers/redact":
      // Delete customer data
      // Example: await deleteCustomerData(payload.customer.id);
      return json({ success: true });

    case "shop/redact":
      // Delete all shop data (48 hours after uninstall)
      // Clean up metafields, database records, etc.
      if (session) {
        const { admin } = await authenticate.admin(request);
        await admin.graphql(`
          mutation metafieldDelete($input: MetafieldsDeleteInput!) {
            metafieldsDelete(input: $input) {
              deletedId
            }
          }
        `, {
          variables: {
            input: {
              namespace: "your_app",
              key: 

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