FAQ about updates to our Partner Program Agreement and API License and Terms of Use
On June 16, 2025, Shopify announced updates to our Partner Program Agreement and API License and Terms of Use. These updates, effective Wednesday, July 16, 2025, include terms that aim to support the growth of Shopify Partners and Merchants while ensuring the continued reliability and performance of our platform and its offerings.
Here’s a summary of key updates taking effect Wednesday, July 16, 2025:
- App revenue share adjustment: The annual exemption limit will be adjusted to a lifetime limit, based on revenues earned after January 1, 2025. Developers will continue to receive a revenue share exemption on the first $1 million USD of lifetime revenue.
- Ad transparency requirement: Partners will now be required to register Shopify and related trademarks as negative phrase-match keywords when purchasing ads, ensuring consumer transparency and brand integrity.
- Requirements for data syncing: Specific requirements for syncing Customer and Order data will be moved from the API License and Terms of Use into our Developer Documentation. Developers are still required to ensure that their apps comply with all listed requirements.
Refer to the email sent to your business email for more information on these changes.
On this page you can find answers to frequently asked questions related to these changes, and how they affect Partners.
On this page
Partner Revenue Share changes for App Developers
What is the new revenue share structure for App developers?
Shopify has sunset the annual exemption reset. Developers will continue to receive a revshare exemption on the first $1 million USD of lifetime revenue, and a 15% share on amounts above that.
Earnings before January 1, 2025 do not count toward the $1 million threshold. Earnings are aggregated at the partner level, including apps developed under associated developer accounts.
Why is Shopify making this change?
During the pandemic, we lowered our app revenue share to help small developers and introduced an exemption on the first $1M earned each year. Our ecosystem is stronger than ever—merchants have more than 16,000 apps to choose from, and we paid out more than $1B to developers last year.
This change allows for the Shopify ecosystem to be fair and durable for the long-term. The additional revenue collected will fund tools, infrastructure, and innovation that benefit developers at every stage.
Ad transparency and keyword bidding
Why must I register negative phrase-match keywords when buying ads?
Registering Shopify and related trademarks as negative keywords is important for ensuring consumer transparency. This practice helps prevent your ads from appearing in search results related to Shopify’s trademarks, reducing the potential for customer confusion about the relationship between your services and Shopify.
Can I use ‘Shopify’ in combination with other keywords?
No. Our terms prohibit bidding on the keyword "Shopify" by itself or when combined with any number of words, as well as any misspellings of "Shopify.”
Requirements for data syncing
Are there new requirements for data syncing as it pertains to app developers?
Our requirements for syncing Customer data have remained unchanged. We have updated, with the intention to clarify, requirements for Order data syncing.
New requirements for Order data syncing help determine which Order Mutation to use depending on the type of order data being created or modified.
Where can I find requirements for Customer and Order data syncing.
To learn more about the requirements for data syncing, refer to the API terms compliance.