Creating a Custom Shopify App: Build and Deploy Tailored Solutions for Shopify Stores

Introduction

As the Shopify ecosystem continues to expand, so do the needs of store owners who want more tailored functionality, integrations, and automation. While the Shopify App Store offers thousands of ready-made apps, there are times when nothing beats building your own custom app—purpose-built for your business or clients.

Whether you’re looking to integrate with a third-party service, extend store capabilities, or create a fully bespoke solution, custom app development gives you complete control and flexibility.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to build and deploy a custom Shopify app—step-by-step. From setting up your development environment to authentication and app hosting, you’ll get everything you need to launch a reliable, scalable Shopify app that fits your exact needs.

1. Understand Shopify App Types

What Is a Custom App?

Shopify supports three app types:

• Public Apps: Available via the Shopify App Store for anyone to install
• Custom Apps: Built for a single store, without going through app store approval
• Private Apps (deprecated): Legacy apps being phased out in favour of custom apps

Custom apps are ideal when you need:

• Internal tools for store operations
• Unique integrations (e.g., ERP, CRM, third-party APIs)
• Store-specific workflows or data automation

2. Prerequisites Before You Start

Before you begin developing your Shopify app, make sure you have:

• A Shopify Partner account: partners.shopify.com
• A development store (free for partners)
• A publicly accessible server or tunneling tool like Ngrok (for local testing)
• Node.js and npm installed on your machine
• Familiarity with JavaScript, REST APIs, and/or GraphQL

Optional but helpful:

• Knowledge of React (for building app interfaces)
• Experience with Express.js (for server-side logic)

3. Set Up Your Development Environment

Install Shopify CLI

Shopify CLI helps you scaffold, develop, and deploy apps efficiently.

bashCopyEditnpm install -g @shopify/cli @shopify/app

Create a new app:

bashCopyEditshopify app create node

This creates a Node.js app with the essential Shopify scaffolding.

Navigate to your app directory:

bashCopyEditcd your-app-name

Start the local development server with tunneling:

bashCopyEditshopify app dev

4. Authenticate with OAuth

Shopify apps must authenticate using OAuth 2.0 to securely access store data.

Authentication flow:

1. The merchant clicks to install your app
2. They’re redirected to Shopify’s OAuth consent screen
3. Shopify redirects back with a code
4. Your app exchanges that code for an access token
5. You use the token to make API calls

The Shopify CLI handles this out-of-the-box, but you can customise it further using koa-shopify-auth or Shopify’s official libraries.

5. Use the Shopify Admin API or Storefront API

Shopify provides two primary APIs:

• Admin API: For app backends and store management (orders, customers, products)
• Storefront API: For building custom storefronts and checkout experiences

Example: Fetch products using Admin API

jsCopyEditconst response = await fetch("https://your-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2023-01/products.json", {
  method: 'GET',
  headers: {
    "X-Shopify-Access-Token": accessToken,
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
  }
});

Or use GraphQL for more efficient queries.

6. Build Your App Interface (Using Polaris)

Polaris: Shopify’s Design System

Use Shopify Polaris React components to build a consistent, responsive UI for your app.

Install Polaris:

bashCopyEditnpm install @shopify/polaris

Example usage:

jsxCopyEditimport { Page, Card } from '@shopify/polaris';

function Dashboard() {
  return (
    <Page title="Custom Dashboard">
      <Card sectioned>
        <p>Your custom app content goes here.</p>
      </Card>
    </Page>
  );
}

Ensure you wrap your app in Polaris’s <AppProvider> for styling and internationalization.

7. Set Up Webhooks (for Real-Time Updates)

Webhooks allow your app to respond to events like:

• Order creation
• Product updates
• App uninstalls

Register webhooks programmatically:

jsCopyEditawait shopify.webhooks.register({
  path: '/webhooks/orders/create',
  topic: 'ORDERS_CREATE',
  webhookHandler: async (topic, shop, body) => {
    console.log(`New order created: ${body}`);
  },
});

Make sure your server can receive POST requests and respond with a 200 status.

8. Host and Deploy Your App

You can host your Shopify app on any secure, HTTPS-enabled server. Popular platforms include:

• Heroku
• Render
• Vercel (for frontend-heavy apps)
• AWS / Google Cloud / Azure (for more control)

Set environment variables securely (e.g., API keys, Shopify secrets), and test thoroughly before going live.

9. Install the App on a Shopify Store

If you’re building a custom app, you can install it directly into your development store via the Shopify admin:

1. Go to Apps > Develop apps > Create app
2. Enter app name and permissions
3. Click Install app
4. Use the app URL from your hosted server

This bypasses the Shopify App Store and requires no approval.

10. Maintain, Secure, and Scale

Once your app is live, ensure you:

• Monitor logs and errors
• Keep dependencies updated
• Regularly review Shopify API changes
• Secure all endpoints and validate webhooks
• Backup app data if storing user inputs or settings

Pro Tip: Add analytics to track usage and identify performance bottlenecks.

Conclusion

Creating a custom Shopify app unlocks unlimited potential for personalisation, automation, and integration. Whether you’re enhancing a single store or building SaaS solutions for multiple clients, the skills and structure outlined in this guide provide a solid foundation.

At shopify.dev, you’ll find extensive documentation, but nothing beats building your own app from the ground up. And with tools like Shopify CLI, Polaris, and flexible APIs, creating a tailored Shopify experience is more accessible than ever.

Ready to build your custom Shopify app? Start coding today and turn your ideas into seamless Shopify solutions.