With millions of merchants relying on Shopify to manage their businesses, apps are essential tools that empower them to tackle unique challenges. According to Shopify, each Shopify merchant uses six apps to enhance their stores on average.
As Shopify’s merchant base continues to grow and the e-commerce landscape evolves, developers have numerous opportunities to create innovative solutions. Each stage of a merchant’s journey—from sourcing products to customer management—represents a billion-dollar industry in itself.
If you’re new to developing Shopify apps, where do you start? This guide covers the six essential stages of app development for launching a successful app on Shopify, offering insights and advice from Shopify developers and successful partners.
Let’s begin!
Get to know about Shopify’s app ecosystem
Before starting to plan and develop your app, it is crucial to understand how apps integrate with Shopify’s ecosystem.
In this section, we will explore how apps interact with Shopify, the available infrastructure and tech stack for developers, and the various types of apps you can create.
How apps fit into Shopify’s ecosystem
Shopify is designed to help merchants get started quickly. However, each merchant has unique needs, so they use apps to address their specific challenges. In the Shopify ecosystem, apps are web applications that enhance the functionality of Shopify stores. They enable merchants to customize their Shopify experience to meet their exact requirements. Apps integrate with Shopify by:
- Connecting with Shopify’s APIs, particularly the Admin API, which enables applications to read and write information about orders, products, customers, inventory, fulfillment, and other topics.
- Adding new features to existing parts of the Shopify Admin or POS.
- Improving how stores present information to customers.
Two types of apps
Your app can have two levels of accessibility:
- Public apps: Available to many merchants and can be listed in the Shopify App Store. These are created in your Partner Dashboard.
- Custom apps: Those created especially for a certain retailer and not available through the Shopify App Store. Additionally, these are made in your Partner Dashboard.
This guide will focus on creating public apps, designed for broad distribution through the Shopify App Store. Public apps are ideal for developers new to Shopify as they provide a quick way to connect your solution with a wide merchant base.
Apps can take two forms:
- Standalone apps: These have their own user interface on their own web domain and do not have access to app extensions.
- Embedded apps: These are hosted on your infrastructure, completely integrate with Shopify through Shopify App Bridge, and show up as an iframe right inside the Shopify merchant admin or POS.
Embedded apps allow you to add features to specific parts of Shopify’s user interface (UI) and online stores via app extensions. These extensions relay information between Shopify and your app when merchants interact with Shopify, then display your app back to the merchant. App extensions can be used to extend functionality into:
- The Shopify Admin
- The online store
- Shopify POS
- Shopify Flow
- Shopify Kit
Due to their close integration with Shopify and the superior experience they offer merchants, we recommend building embedded apps. This guide will walk you through that process.
Data of merchant and buyer
Since the Shopify platform powers the businesses of millions of merchants, it is imperative that developers put the trust and security of merchants and their customers first.
The Shopify API License and Terms of Use outline the regulations governing what is and isn’t allowed on Shopify’s platform. Additionally, you can visit the trust and security page to find information on:
- Authentication and API keys
- API rate limits
- API versioning
- Data privacy and sharing
- Global GDPR compliance
- Mandatory webhooks
These rules protect merchant and customer data while maintaining the Shopify platform’s fairness and transparency for all users. Below, you can read more about recommended procedures for app security.
The Shopify App Store
The simplest method for retailers to locate apps with the features they require to create their businesses is through the Shopify App Store, which features more than 10,000 apps available to users for enhancing their stores. The App Store is divided into categories and has a powerful search function along with a recommendation engine to assist retailers in finding the apps they need.
Every open application is granted a listing page within the Shopify App Store. Unlisted apps have less visibility than listed apps, which are accessible to all retailers. The advantages of each approach vary based on your specific use case.
Listed Apps
Listed apps can be seen in the Shopify App Store, giving you the opportunity to highlight the advantages of your app and attract a large audience. Featured apps profit from the app store’s advertisements as well.
Benefits of listed apps:
- Discoverability through search
- Increased organic reach
- Enhanced brand awareness
- Greater trust through reviews
- Ability to highlight app features
- Leverage Shopify App Store ads
Unlisted Apps
Public apps that are not accessible in the Shopify App Store are known as unlisted apps, although they still need to be listed in the app store. This gives you the option to manage who can install your app and to hide it during maintenance or off-peak times. If you want to take advantage of all the capabilities offered by the Shopify App Store, we do advise listing your app publicly.
Benefits of unlisted apps:
- Targeted merchant base
- More control over growth
- Suitable for seasonal apps
- Ideal for maintenance periods
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Validating your app idea
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Key considerations during the designation of your Shopify app
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Submission process in the Shopify App Store
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Monitoring your app: Prioritizing performance
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Final Words
Mastering the process of building a Shopify app might seem overwhelming if you’re uncertain about where to begin. With a grasp of the six stages of app development in the Shopify ecosystem, your creativity becomes your greatest asset. The steps outlined here serve as a roadmap to help you navigate the app-building journey.
Armed with this knowledge, you’re equipped to embark on creating your Shopify app. The possibilities are wide open—it’s time to bring your ideas to life.
