Custom apps

A custom app is an app that you or a developer builds exclusively for your Shopify store (unlike a public app, which is built to be used by many stores). You can use custom apps to add features to your Shopify admin, access your store's data directly using Shopify's APIs, or extend your online store to other platforms using the Storefront API.

Creating a custom app requires development knowledge and can be challenging. If you need help creating custom apps for your store, then you can hire a Shopify Expert. Learn more about hiringShopify Experts.

If you want acollaboratoror staff account to create, edit, or delete custom apps, then you can give them theDevelop appspermission. The collaborator or staff account must also have therelevant permissionsto set certain API scopes.

Enable custom app development from the Shopify admin

Before you can create a custom app for your store, you need to enable custom app development. You need to be the store owner or a staff member with theEnable app developmentpermission to enable custom app development.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, clickSettings>Apps and sales channels.

2. ClickDevelop apps.

3. ClickAllow custom app development.

4. Read the warning and information provided, and then clickAllow custom app development.

Create and install a custom app

After you'veenabled custom app development, you can create and install a custom app in your Shopify admin. You need to set API scopes to determine which parts of your store the custom app can access. After the app is installed, you'll receive access tokens that the app uses to access information from your store using Shopify's APIs.

The store owner, and collaborators and staff members with therelevant permissions, can create and install custom apps.

Create the app

1. From your Shopify admin, clickSettings>Apps and sales channels.

2. ClickDevelop apps.

3. ClickCreate a custom app.

4. In the modal window, enter theApp name并选择一个应用程序开发人员. The app developer can be the store owner, or any staff or collaborator account with theDevelop appspermission.

5. ClickCreate app.

Select API scopes

After you create a custom app, you can assign API scopes to it. A custom app can have Admin API scopes, Storefront API scopes, or both, depending on the requirements of the app.

1. ClickSelect scopes.

2. In theAdmin API access scopessection, select the API scopes that you to assign to the app.

   1. Optional: Set the API version you want to use for webhook subscriptions.
   2. Optional: You can set upGoogle Cloud Pub/Subto handle webhook subscriptions for the app. In theGoogle Cloud Pub/Subsection, copy yourShopify service account addressand use it to configure your Google Cloud Pub/Sub account.
   3. Optional: You can set upAmazon EventBridgeto handle webhook subscriptions for the app. In theAmazon EventBridgesection, clickCreate source.

3. In theStorefront API access scopessection, select the API scopes that you want to assign to the app.

4. ClickSave.

Install the app and get the API access tokens

After you've set API scopes for your app, you can install the app. You'll get your API access tokens after you install. Depending on what API scopes you assigned to the app, you'll get an Admin API access token, a Storefront API access token, or both.

1. ClickInstall app.
2. In the modal window, clickInstall app.
3. Get the access token:

• If you selected Admin API scopes for the app, then go to theAdmin API access tokensection and click揭示令牌一次.

• If you selected Storefront API scopes for the app, then you can go to theStorefront API access tokensection and copy your token. Unlike the Admin API access token, the Storefront API access token is always available on this page.

After revealing the full access token once, this page displays only the last 4 digits of the access token for reference.

Get the API credentials for a custom app

You can check the Storefront access token, the API key, and the API secret for a custom app from the app'sAPI credentialspage. You can also check the Admin API access token, but after revealing it once, you can only check the last four digits of the token.

1. From your Shopify admin, clickSettings>Apps and sales channels.

2. ClickDevelop apps.

3. Click the name of the app that you want the credentials for.

4. ClickAPI credentials.

Update Admin API scopes for a custom app

If you're a store owner, or a collaborator or staff member with therelevant permissions, then you can update the scopes for a custom app.

1. From your Shopify admin, clickSettings>Apps and sales channels.

2. ClickDevelop apps.

3. Click the name of the app that you want to update.

4. ClickConfiguration.

5. In theAdmin API integrationsection, clickEdit.

If you haven't previously assigned any Admin API scopes, then clickConfigure.

1. Select the scopes that you want to assign to the app.
2. Optional: Set the API version you want to use for webhook subscriptions.
3. Optional: You can set up Google Cloud Pub/Sub to handle webhook subscriptions for the app. In theGoogle Cloud Pub/Subsection, copy yourShopify service account addressand use it to configure your Google Cloud Pub/Sub account.

4. Optional: You can set up Amazon EventBridge to handle webhook subscriptions for the app. In theAmazon EventBridgesection, clickCreate source.

5. ClickSave.

If the app is installed on the store, then you won't be able to clickSaveunless at least one scope is selected, or if the app has been assigned Storefront API scopes.

Update Storefront API access scopes for a custom app

If you're a store owner, or a collaborator or staff member with therelevant permissions, then you can update the scopes for a custom app.

1. From your Shopify admin, clickSettings>Apps and sales channels.

2. ClickDevelop apps.

3. Click the name of the app that you want to update.

4. ClickConfiguration.

5. In theStorefront API integrationsection, clickEdit.

If you haven't previously assigned any Storefront API scopes, then clickConfigure.

1. Select the scopes that you want to assign to the app.
2. 可选的:如果你的应用程序集成with the iOS Buy SDK, then you can make any necessary changes in theiOS Buy SDKsection. You can only make changes in this section if the app has already been installed.

Refer to theiOS Buy SDK developer documentationfor more detailed instructions.

1. 可选的:如果你的应用程序集成with the Android Buy SDK, then you can make any necessary changes in theAndroid Buy SDKsection. You can only make changes in this section if the app has already been installed.

Refer to theAndroid Buy SDK developer documentationfor more detailed instructions.

1. ClickSave.

If the app is installed on the store, then you won't be able to clickSaveunless at least one scope is selected, or if the app has been assigned Storefront API scopes.

Update settings for a custom app

You can update the name and description of the app, as well as the app developer.

If you set the app developer to a staff or collaborater account, and later delete that account, then the store owner becomes the app developer by default.

1. From your Shopify admin, clickSettings>Apps and sales channels.

2. ClickDevelop apps.

3. Click the name of the app that you want to update.

4. ClickApp settings.

5. To change the name or description, enter a newApp nameorApp description.

6. To change the app developer that's associated with the app, select aPrimary app developer.

7. Optional: To notify another email address about development updates for this app, enter the email address underDevelopment update contact.

8. ClickSave.

Uninstall a custom app

When you uninstall a custom app, your Admin and Storefront API access tokens are revoked, and your app can't access store data. If you re-install the app, you'll get new access tokens.

1. From your Shopify admin, clickSettings>Apps and sales channels.

2. ClickDevelop apps.

3. Click the name of the app that you want to uninstall.

4. ClickUninstall app.

Delete a custom app

When you delete a custom app, it can't be recovered. If you want to temporarily disable an app on your store without deleting it,uninstall the appinstead.

1. From your Shopify admin, clickSettings>Apps and sales channels.

2. ClickDevelop apps.

3. ClickApp settings.

4. ClickDelete app.

API scope permissions for custom apps

Collaborator and staff accounts can set API scopes for custom apps only if the account has theDevelop appspermission, as well as any otherstaff permissionsrelated to the API scopes that they set.

You should consult with your app's developer to determine which account permissions and API scopes are required for the custom app to work. Make sure that you understand and are comfortable with the permissions that you give to the developer.