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.

Note

This page explains how to create and authenticate a custom app in the Shopify admin, whether you're the store owner, or a developer with a collaborator or staff account. If you're a developer, then you can learn more about custom apps by reading the developer documentation for custom apps.

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 Partner. Learn more about hiring a Shopify Partner.

If you want a collaborator or staff account to create, edit, or delete custom apps, then you can give them the Develop apps permission. The collaborator or staff account must also have the relevant permissions to set certain API scopes.

Custom Level 2 PII apps

Permissions control what types of information from your store an app can access or modify for the functions it performs.

Personally identifiable information (PII) is information that alone or combined can uniquely identify an individual. Apps that you install from the Shopify App Store can access different types of PII when they use information about your store, customers, orders, or other business data. To access Custom Level 2 PII apps, your store must be on the Shopify plan or higher.

Caution

If you sign up for or downgrade your plan to either the Basic Shopify plan or the Shopify Starter plan, then you won't have access to Custom Level 2 Personally Identifiable Information (PII) apps.

Activate custom app development from the Shopify admin

Before you can create a custom app for your store, you need to activate custom app development. You need to be the store owner or a staff member with the Enable app development permission to activate custom app development.

Steps:

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

2. Click Develop apps.

3. Click Allow custom app development.

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

Create and install a custom app

After you've activated 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 the relevant permissions, can create and install custom apps.

Tip

If you need help creating custom apps for your store, then you can hire a Shopify Partner. Learn more about hiring a Shopify Partner.

Create the app

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

2. Click Develop apps.

3. Click Create a custom app.

4. In the modal window, enter the App name and select an App developer. The app developer can be the store owner, or any staff or collaborator account with the Develop apps permission.

5. Click Create 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. You need to select at least one scope before you install the app.

Caution

The Storefront API is an unauthenticated public API, which means that all data you expose to the app could be accessed by any visitors to your store. You should use the Storefront API only if you are comfortable with this risk, and you should give permissions for only the types of data that the private app needs.

Steps:

1. Click Select scopes.
2. In the Admin API access scopes section, 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 up Google Cloud Pub/Sub to handle webhook subscriptions for the app. In the Google Cloud Pub/Sub section, copy your Shopify service account address and use it to configure your Google Cloud Pub/Sub account.
   3. Optional: You can set up Amazon EventBridge to handle webhook subscriptions for the app. In the Amazon EventBridge section, click Create source.
3. In the Storefront API access scopes section, select the API scopes that you want to assign to the app.
4. Click Save.

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.

Caution

The Admin API access token is displayed one time only, because the token provides API access to sensitive store data. After revealing the access token, write down or record the token somewhere secure so that you can refer to it again.

Treat the token like a password. Share the access token only with developers that you trust.

Steps:

1. Click Install app.
2. In the modal window, click Install app.
3. Get the access token:
   • If you selected Admin API scopes for the app, then go to the Admin API access token section and click Reveal token once. After revealing the full access token the first time this page is accessed, this page displays only the last 4 digits of the access token for reference on subsequent visits.
   • If you selected Storefront API scopes for the app, then you can go to the Storefront API access token section and copy your token. Unlike the Admin API access token, the Storefront API access token is always available on this page.

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's API credentials page. You can also check the Admin API access token, but after revealing it the first time the page is accessed, you can only check the last four digits of the token.

Note

The API secret is the same as a shared secret. If a developer asks for a shared secret, then provide your API secret. Remember to share your API secret only with developers that you trust.

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

2. Click Develop apps.

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

4. Click API credentials.

Update Admin API scopes for a custom app

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

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

2. Click Develop apps.

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

4. Click Configuration.

5. In the Admin API integration section, click Edit.

   • If you haven't previously assigned any Admin API scopes, then click Configure.

6. Select the scopes that you want to assign to the app.

7. Optional: Set the API version you want to use for webhook subscriptions.

8. Optional: You can set up Google Cloud Pub/Sub to handle webhook subscriptions for the app. In the Google Cloud Pub/Sub section, copy your Shopify service account address and use it to configure your Google Cloud Pub/Sub account.

9. Optional: You can set up Amazon EventBridge to handle webhook subscriptions for the app. In the Amazon EventBridge section, click Create source.

10. Click Save.

If the app is installed on the store, then you won't be able to click Save unless 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

Caution

The Storefront API is an unauthenticated public API, which means that all data you expose to the app could be accessed by any visitors to your store. You should use the Storefront API only if you are comfortable with this risk, and you should give permissions for only the types of data that the private app needs.

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

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

2. Click Develop apps.

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

4. Click Configuration.

5. In the Storefront API integration section, click Edit.

   • If you haven't previously assigned any Storefront API scopes, then click Configure.

6. Select the scopes that you want to assign to the app.

7. Optional: If your app integrates with the iOS Buy Software Development Kit (SDK), then you can make any necessary changes in the iOS Buy SDK section. You can only make changes in this section if the app has already been installed.

   • Refer to the iOS Buy SDK developer documentation for more detailed instructions.

8. Optional: If your app integrates with the Android Buy SDK, then you can make any necessary changes in the Android Buy SDK section. You can only make changes in this section if the app has already been installed.

   • Refer to the Android Buy SDK developer documentation for more detailed instructions.

9. Click Save.

If the app is installed on the store, then you won't be able to click Save unless 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, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

2. Click Develop apps.

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

4. Click App settings.

5. To change the name or description, enter a new App name or App description.

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

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

8. Click Save.

Uninstall a custom app

When you uninstall a custom app, your Admin and Storefront API access tokens are revoked, any webhooks and fulfillment services registered under the app are removed, and your app can't access store data. If you re-install the app, then you'll get new access tokens.

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

2. Click Develop apps.

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

4. Click Uninstall app.

Delete a custom app

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

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

2. Click Develop apps.

3. Click App settings.

4. Click Delete app.

API scope permissions for custom apps

Collaborator and staff accounts can set API scopes for custom apps only if the account has the Develop apps permission, as well as any other staff permissions related 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.