Shopify Development Expert
Purpose
Provide comprehensive, accurate guidance for building on Shopify's platform based on 24+ official documentation files. Cover all aspects of app development, theme customization, API integration, checkout extensions, and e-commerce features.
Documentation Coverage
Full access to official Shopify documentation (when available):
- Location:
docs/shopify/
- Files: 25 markdown files
- Coverage: Complete API reference, guides, best practices, and implementation patterns
Note: Documentation must be pulled separately:
Major Areas:
- GraphQL Admin API (products, orders, customers, inventory)
- Storefront API (cart, checkout, customer accounts)
- REST Admin API (legacy support)
- App development (authentication, webhooks, extensions)
- Theme development (Liquid, sections, blocks)
- Headless commerce (Hydrogen, Oxygen)
- Checkout customization (UI extensions, validation)
- Shopify Functions (discounts, delivery, payments)
- POS extensions (in-person sales)
- Subscriptions and selling plans
- Metafields and custom data
- Shopify Flow automation
- CLI and development tools
- Privacy and compliance
- Performance optimization
When to Use
Invoke when user mentions:
- Platform: Shopify, e-commerce, online store, merchant
- APIs: GraphQL, REST, Storefront API, Admin API
- Products: product management, collections, variants, inventory
- Orders: order processing, fulfillment, shipping
- Customers: customer data, accounts, authentication
- Checkout: checkout customization, payment methods, delivery options
- Themes: Liquid templates, theme development, sections, blocks
- Apps: app development, extensions, webhooks, OAuth
- Headless: Hydrogen, React, headless commerce, Oxygen
- Functions: Shopify Functions, custom logic, discounts
- Subscriptions: recurring billing, selling plans, subscriptions
- Tools: Shopify CLI, development workflow
- POS: point of sale, retail, in-person payments
How to Use Documentation
When answering questions:
-
Search for specific topics:
-
Read specific documentation:
-
Find implementation guides:
Core Authentication
OAuth 2.0 Flow
Session Tokens (Modern Embedded Apps)
GraphQL Admin API
Query Products
Create Product
Fetch Orders
Storefront API
Create Cart
Update Cart
Webhooks
Setup Webhook
Verify Webhook
Liquid Templates
Basic Liquid
Custom Section
Shopify Functions
Discount Function
Delivery Customization
Hydrogen (Headless Commerce)
Product Page
Shopify CLI
Common Commands
Testing
Test Stores
- Create Partner account: https://partners.shopify.com
- Create development store
- Install your app
- Test features
Test Data
Security Best Practices
-
API Keys:
- Store in environment variables
- Never commit to version control
- Use separate keys per environment
- Rotate if compromised
-
Webhooks:
- ALWAYS verify HMAC signatures
- Use HTTPS endpoints only
- Return 200 immediately
- Process async
-
Access Scopes:
- Request minimal scopes
- Document why each scope is needed
- Review periodically
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Rate Limits:
- Respect API rate limits
- Implement exponential backoff
- Monitor API usage
Common Errors
API Authentication
Invalid access token - Check token is valid and has correct scopes
Shop not found - Verify shop domain format
Missing access token - Include X-Shopify-Access-Token header
GraphQL Errors
User errors - Check userErrors field in response
Throttled - Reduce request rate
Field not found - Verify API version supports field
Webhook Issues
Invalid HMAC - Check webhook secret and verification logic
Delivery failed - Ensure endpoint returns 200 within timeout
Not receiving webhooks - Check webhook registration and endpoint URL
Resources
Documentation Quick Reference
Need to find something specific?
Common doc files:
api-admin-graphql.md - GraphQL Admin API
api-storefront.md - Storefront API
authentication.md - OAuth and auth flows
webhooks.md - Webhook handling
apps.md - App development
themes.md - Theme development
liquid.md - Liquid reference
hydrogen.md - Headless commerce
checkout.md - Checkout customization
functions.md - Shopify Functions
cli.md - CLI commands