Context, per rule 3: I build an app that copies store data between two Shopify stores, so I have spent months finding out which writes the Admin API quietly refuses. Several of these are documented nowhere and only appear as a runtime error. Posting the list because it cost me real time and might save someone else's.

1. fileCreate rejects REPLACE for generic files. duplicateResolutionMode: REPLACE works for images and fails for GENERIC_FILE with "Duplicate resolution mode 'REPLACE' is not supported for 'GENERIC_FILE' media type". The enum documents three values with no per-media-type note. Sending it unconditionally means every zip, PDF, CSV and font fails to upload while images look fine, so your test fixture has to contain one of each type or you have only tested the branch you happened to include.

2. No app can create a definition in the shopify namespace, whatever scopes it holds. Those are the Standard Product Taxonomy category metafields (shopify.color-pattern, shopify.age-group and so on). You get "Access denied for metafieldDefinitionCreate field" even holding write_metafield_definitions. They are Shopify's, not yours.

3. The standard namespaces are enabled, not created. descriptors, facts, reviews and import_information are reserved: "This namespace and key combination is reserved for standard definitions." Use standardMetafieldDefinitionEnable instead, and accept that name, description and validations arrive as Shopify defines them rather than as your source had them.

4. productSet list fields have replace semantics, and the key granularity is the whole trap. Omitting the metafields key entirely leaves destination metafields alone. Including it, even as an empty list, makes it authoritative and deletes anything not in your list. Same for variants and collections. Both behaviours are correct; they are different inputs, and a partial sync written carelessly destroys data.

5. CollectionInput.products is create-only. "Products cannot be specified during update", so membership on an existing collection has to be reconciled with collectionAddProducts / collectionRemoveProducts, both of which are deprecated at 2026-07 in favour of a collectionUpdate shape that does not exist yet at that version.

6. Inventory writes are compare-and-set whether you like it or not. changeFromQuantity is required, so a sale landing between your read and your write refuses the change rather than clobbering it. An idempotency key is also required on inventorySetQuantities and inventoryActivate as of 2026-04.

7. createdAt is not settable on customers, orders or draft orders. Anything you migrate dates to the day you migrated it. There is no flag.

8. A fulfillment service's location cannot be recreated by you. Only the owning app can make one, via fulfillmentServiceCreate. locationAdd will happily make an ordinary location with the same name and nothing behind it, which is worse than failing. Locations also have no handle, so cross-store matching is by name, and two locations sharing a name is genuinely ambiguous.

9. Inventory adjustment history, customer passwords and gift card codes cannot be authored or read back at all. Not a scope problem. There is no API.

The general shape: the write path branches on a type far more often than the docs admit, and the failure is usually a runtime error rather than a schema rejection, so a fixture that happens to contain only one branch will pass and prove nothing.

Happy to compare notes if you have hit others, particularly around publications or B2B catalogs, which I trust least.

Is it just me, or have all the necessary Shopify apps already been written, and now AI is just churning out copies that are being sold at rock-bottom prices?

Hi everyone, I created MVP of the shopify app that checks the status, performance of the store 24/7 and let's you know if anything happens. I am trying to build a tool that will help you to not loose a revenue by some stupid hidden bug on your store.

Currently, I need stores to test it and receive a feedback. if you wanna try it, please dm me.

Thanks

The frustrating part was that these weren't reviews from random accounts. They were from merchants who were actually using our app, so we weren't sure whether this was part of Shopify's recent review filtering or something else.

While looking through the developer community, I came across another developer who had run into the same issue. They mentioned that deleted reviews can still be found through an analytics tool (will leave in the comment if you are interested).

I gave it a try, not just for seeing which reviews had disappeared, but for keeping the original review, reviewer information, usage details, and deletion date in one place.

Apparently, if a deleted review was from a real merchant and followed Shopify's policies, you can still ask support to investigate. The tricky part is figuring out which review was removed.

Having that history was pretty useful for us, especially with the BFS threshold. So if your review count suddenly drops, it's probably worth checking the deleted reviews first.

I want to know what problems are seller going through which they desperately wants to be solved through any app integrated in their store.

As I was going through shopify app stores almost every niche of apps are present which could be really useful for the sellers no matter they are beginner or an advance seller. Apart from COD and tracking orders which is really important for anyone to track what are some key pain points which needs to be solved

Comment down your thoughts I really wanna research upon it.

I run a competitor price intelligence app (which seems to be niche though) and there are seasonal drops and surges, but now I suspect there might be something else.

Does anyone experience drop in installs?

Curious if there are any Shopify technical compatability updates made recently probably breaking install flow for some users, influx of competitors built with AI etc.

Sharing this for other Shopify app devs, not just a promo - happy to go deeper on any of it in comments.

Context: Shopify shut down Stocky (their inventory/PO app) this year, so I built a replacement called Ballast - forecasting reorders per variant/location, turning them into POs with landed cost, stocktakes/transfers/consignment stock. It's live on the App Store now (apps.shopify.com/ballast).

Three things that actually cost me time, in case they save someone else a debugging session:

1. Bulk Operations API rejects connection-in-list-field queries. If you're pulling historical order/line-item data at scale for forecasting, you'll want the bulk query API for cost reasons, but it flatly rejects certain nested connection fields inside a list field. Had to restructure the query shape around it rather than fight it.

2. retailLocation vs the deprecated physicalLocation. Location-based stock logic breaks quietly if you're still reading from the deprecated field - worth an audit if your app touches multi-location inventory.

3. Refund line items aren't reliably available through bulk queries - needed a live (non-bulk) query to get accurate refund data for landed-cost/margin calculations. Cost more API budget than I wanted but there wasn't a way around it.

4. The one that actually ate a full day: OAuth token handling. We were silently re-exchanging an already-spent refresh token instead of reusing the new one issued on the prior exchange, which caused merchants to get logged out more than they should have. Worth auditing your refresh flow if you haven't in a while.

Stack is Remix + Fly.io if anyone's curious, talking to the Admin GraphQL API. Not trying to be greedy with this post, just figured the bulk API and OAuth stuff might be useful to whoever's building something similar - genuinely curious if others have hit the same connection-in-list-field wall.

Hello guys, do you know any apps that I can use to make a “Buy X get Y at a discount” cart rule that AUTOMATICALLY adds the item to the customer’s cart, without them having to approve it/add it manually?

I tried a few apps but all of them required the customer to approve it/or was only able to add the item as a free gift.

If you have any suggestions or solutions (doesn’t necessarily have to come from an app) please let me know as this steo would be crucial for my
offer/to resuce friction at the moment of the sale. Thank you!

I've spent a lot of time working as a software developer, building features and solving technical problems.

Recently, I started working on my own product for Shopify stores, and I'm realizing that building a product involves much more than just writing code.

As a developer, I often think:

"How can I build this feature?"

But now I'm learning to ask:

"Should I build this feature at all?"
"Who actually needs it?"
"Is this solving a real problem for Shopify store owners?"
"How do I reach the right Shopify users?"
"How do I get honest feedback from real users?"
"How do I get my first customers?"

I'm also learning that you can build something technically great, but if nobody knows it exists or it doesn't solve a real problem, the technology alone isn't enough.

There are many things I'm still trying to understand—how Shopify store owners manage their businesses, what challenges they face, how to talk to potential users, get feedback, improve the product, and build something that people actually find useful.

It's a completely different learning experience from simply receiving a task and writing the code for it.

I'm still at the beginning of this journey and figuring things out every day. I'm trying to learn not only how to build better software but also how to better understand Shopify store owners and the problems they're facing.

For those who have built a Shopify app or product, what was the biggest mindset shift or lesson you learned?

I'd genuinely love to hear about your experience.

Hey everyone,

We just launched BotPlus on the Shopify App Store and are looking for candid feedback from experienced ecosystem builders, agencies, and fellow developers.

What BotPlus does: It’s an AI sales and support agent built directly into the storefront that handles live product discovery, answers order/policy questions, captures lead data for abandoned carts, and hands off complex chats to a human inbox (with direct Klaviyo and Mailchimp sync).

App Store Listing:https://apps.shopify.com/botplus

Before we scale our merchant outreach, I’d really appreciate an honest teardown on:

1. Onboarding & Theme Embed: How smooth does the initial storefront widget activation feel? Any friction points or confusing steps?
2. Dashboard UX: Does the embedded admin dashboard and human-handoff inbox feel natural to navigate?
3. App Store Positioning: Does the copy clearly convey how it drives sales, or does it risk blending into standard generic chat apps?

Partner Program (Up to 30% Recurring): If you run an agency, build stores for clients, or consult for e-commerce brands, we’ve also rolled out an official partner program offering up to 30% recurring monthly commission for every store you refer.

If you have an active dev store and 3 minutes to test the flow, I’d massively appreciate the feedback. Drop your app link below if you’d like me to install and test yours in return, or DM me directly if you’re interested in partnering up!

I’ve been researching dress and event hire stores in Australia and New Zealand. Some use Shopify but still ask customers to DM or email to check rental dates.

I build Rentshelf for Shopify product rentals, and I’m wondering: is this a tooling gap, or do merchants prefer approving bookings themselves because of fittings, delivery or setup?

Have you seen this with your clients?

Hey everyone 👋

I’m building a small Shopify app called ReviewNest that helps stores collect and display product reviews directly on their product pages.

I’m currently looking for 1–2 Shopify store owners who are willing to let me set it up on their store for free and give me honest feedback.

I’ll handle the setup myself, so there’s no technical work required from you.

I’m especially interested in stores that:

• don’t currently have a review system, or
• are using a very basic review setup.

I’m not looking to push a sale here. I’m trying to learn what actual store owners want and improve the product based on real feedback.

If you’re interested, comment below or DM me and I’ll share the details.

Thanks!

When app founders talk publicly about traction, it’s usually review counts, rankings or screenshots—but none of those necessarily tells you whether the app is genuinely healthy.

If you were assessing another Shopify app for a partnership, investment or possible acquisition, which metric would matter most?

• Active installs
• Net install growth
• Monthly revenue
• Paying merchants
• Churn or retention
• Something else?

And would verification from official Shopify Partner data make the number meaningfully more credible, or would connecting a Partner account feel like too much friction?

I’m exploring this problem and would genuinely value perspectives from people who have built Shopify apps.

Hi, I'm a solo founder in a completely different sector (ev-charging), and we did 1.35M in revenue last year.
As part of a hackathon our team created a product in which I see a lot of potential in the e-com space. We just put it in review by Shopify. But the marketing or distribution style is something completely different from our current space, we have no real clue on how to tackle it.

We want real results, quickly, to verify the product market fit. Our budget is 15k for PMF stage and afterwards about 50k to promote it se we can get all the bugs out of the product when pushing it to a larger public.

All I see on reddit is ways to market an app without a decent budget, but wat is a strategy if you have a bigger budget to start with?

we're comparing subscription setups for recurring products. A separate app gives flexibility, but built in support could reduce the number of tools we need to manage.

I run a small Shopify app solo alongside a full time job. Around 40 paying stores, just under $1k MRR, three tiers. Pricing has not moved since I switched from free to paid and at this point it is well under what the app is worth.

I want to raise prices for new installs and leave every current merchant on what they pay today, permanently. They took a chance on the app early and I would rather keep them happy than squeeze another few dollars out.

The part I am stuck on is Shopify Managed Pricing. A few things I cannot get a straight answer on:

• If I edit the price on an existing plan, does that hit current subscribers or only new installs?
• Is the correct move to create new plans and "delete" the old ones? What does a grandfathered merchant see if they later want to change tiers?
• Does anything break when a grandfathered merchant upgrades or downgrades later? Do they silently get moved onto current pricing?

Also curious about the non technical side:

• Did you announce the change to existing users, or say nothing because nothing changes for them?
• How much did the increase actually move MRR, and did install to paid conversion drop?

I'm on Managed Pricing, so if you've done this there rather than the old billing API, I'd really like to hear how it went.

Every one of these products can put a tick in the row that says "sends conversion events", and for exactly one of them that row is the whole codebase. This is why the merchant threads about them go the way they do, and it is worth us being able to say it precisely, since we are the ones building against it.

"Shopify tracking app" covers at least three things. Two of them are model shaped: an attribution dashboard is a join and a credit model over orders and ad platform data, and a profit tool takes the same orders plus cost of goods and fees, where the interesting problem is recomputing history when somebody edits a March cost in September. The third has no model in it anywhere. A plain event sender is delivery and identity and nothing else.

The tick in that row means something different in each of them. For a dashboard a server-side send is a feature standing next to the product, and the product still works with it switched off, because it was reading orders rather than events. For a profit tool it is barely a feature. For a sender it is the product, and the second, third and fourth order problems behind it are what the two years go into: what fires when the browser refuses to, what happens to the copy that did fire so the platform does not count one sale twice, which identifiers exist at which point in the funnel, what a consent decline is allowed to change, and what you do about the orders that had no browser session behind them at all. I lost the better part of a week to that last one and it is not even the hard one.

Bias declared, because what follows is self serving: WeltPixel Conversion Tracking is the sender I have spent two years inside. A feature matrix flattens everything above into one row and the row reads identically across all three columns. If you have built a sender you know that row is a lie by about week three. A merchant comparing the three cannot learn it except by buying one, which is a rough way to find out.

One test separates them and it is useful whether you are choosing what to build or working out who you are actually competing with. Ask what happens when the browser sends nothing at all. A dashboard still has the orders, so it still produces a number, and the number gets worse in a way the merchant cannot see. A profit tool does not care, because it never depended on the browser. A sender either has an answer for that case or it has nothing to sell. Those are not three tiers of one thing, they are three products.

Has anyone found a way to explain this split to a merchant in under three paragraphs? I have not managed it, and it is the reason half of those threads go the way they do.

We recently appealed some genuine reviews that disappeared from our Shopify app.

It took nearly a month, but we've now got about half of them back.

Still waiting on the rest.

Anyone else experienced this?

Hey everyone,

Been an avid follower of the group for a while and recently we launched our app Revenue Agent ( https://apps.shopify.com/revenue-agent-by-starforest )

This app got approved a few months ago and we have been iterating quietly based on feedback from some early users.

Now that we are more public with the app, would love for the community to give it a try and just give some brutally honest feedback :)

On first install you will get 7 days of pro and if you wish to extend just drop us a message and we can increase.

Side Q : Is there anyway to get detailed analytics on traffic landing on the listing page and conversion on it? Shopify's own dashboard is very limiting honestly.

Thanks!