shopify_skill

Overview

This skill provides practical guidance for implementing Shopify apps, extensions, themes, and API integrations using Shopify CLI, GraphQL/REST APIs, Polaris UI, and Shopify Functions. It focuses on concrete workflows, extension types (checkout, admin, POS), theme development with Liquid, and production-ready practices for authentication, webhooks, and performance. Use it as a hands-on reference when building or maintaining Shopify integrations.

How this skill works

The skill inspects common development tasks and maps them to recommended tools and APIs: Shopify CLI for scaffolding and local development, GraphQL Admin API for efficient data access and mutations, REST for legacy compatibility, and Polaris for UI consistency. It outlines extension generation commands, function types, Liquid templating patterns, authentication flows (OAuth and session tokens), webhook setup, and metafields usage to extend store data. It also provides troubleshooting, versioning guidance, and deployment steps.

When to use it

• Starting a new public or custom Shopify app and scaffolding with Shopify CLI
• Building checkout, admin, POS, post-purchase, or customer account UI extensions
• Creating or editing themes using Liquid, sections, and snippets
• Integrating server-side logic via Shopify Functions (discounts, delivery, payments)
• Implementing API operations with GraphQL Admin API or maintaining legacy REST integrations
• Configuring webhooks, metafields, and production deployment workflows

Best practices

• Prefer GraphQL Admin API for new development; request only needed fields and paginate large queries
• Secure credentials in environment variables, verify webhooks, and request minimal access scopes
• Use Shopify CLI for local dev, extensions generation, and theme sync (theme dev/pull/push)
• Implement retries with exponential backoff and use bulk operations for large datasets
• Follow Polaris guidelines for UI, add loading states and clear error messages, and test on development stores

Example use cases

• Scaffold a new embedded app, configure OAuth scopes, and start local development with shopify app dev
• Create a checkout UI extension to collect a gift message and add a conditional discount via a Function
• Build a theme section using Liquid to surface metafield-driven product content and preview with shopify theme dev
• Implement a GraphQL bulk operation to migrate product inventory across hundreds of variants
• Add webhook handlers for orders/create and app/uninstalled with verification and GDPR event support