Thinking about getting your app on Shopify App Store listed? There’s some homework that you need to do. Before jumping into the Shopify waters, there are some requirements every app developer needs to know.
In this blog, spdigest will walk you through the entire process from branding to installation, all the way to quality, to ensure that the review process for enlisting your app on Shopify App Store is quick and hiccup-free. As it is said; prepare and prevent, don’t repair and repent.
Introduction: Shopify is a powerful e-commerce platform that has made it easier for entrepreneurs to start their own online stores. The best thing about Shopify is that it’s easy to use and has several features that will help you get started.
The benefits of being listed in the Shopify app store are two-fold – first and foremost, it puts your app directly in front of potential users browsing the app store. Secondly, getting listed also boosts your visibility on Google Play and the App Store, which can result in more downloads in the long run.
However, for developers to get their app listed on Shopify App Store, they need to fulfill specific requirements. Developers have to take care of the following requirements that the e-commerce giant uses to review all the apps distributed via its App Store.
If you’re a video guy who’d rather watch a video than read a detailed guide to get the job done, here’s a video that might help.
Let’s walk you through the Shopify App Requirements one by one.
First of all, as a Shopify developer, you must know the purpose of your app and how you’re going to market it in the store. Depending upon these parameters, Shopify apps are listed under 3 different categories: Public Apps, Custom Apps, and Private Apps.
Once you know which category your app belongs to, you can move ahead with the application.
General requirements for all apps
These requirements apply to both listed and unlisted applications. Shopify has strict guidelines for apps to get listed. No matter how good your marketing strategy is, you need to check the boxes one-by-one to get the green signal from Shopify.
1.1 Prohibited & Restricted App Configurations
Shopify doesn’t allow certain apps to get listed on their App Store while some are required to set their visibility to ‘unlisted’. Let’s discuss them in detail one by one.
1.1.1 Prohibited App Types
The following types of Apps are not allowed to get listed on Shopify App Store:
- Apps that are part of standalone software and need to be downloaded to a computer.
- Apps that require users to interact with app owners or merchants. Such apps need to register themselves as a Service under the ‘Experts Marketplace’ section.
- Apps that deploy little or no Shopify APIs.
- Apps that manipulate or falsify data to trick merchants or buyers.
- Apps that ask users to make payments outside Shopify’s checkout.
- Apps that run marketplace on Shopify.
- Apps offering loans.
- Apps that have enabled restricted beta API scopes.
- Apps that connect merchants to external developers.
- Embedded apps that don’t use session tokens.
- Apps that ask users to install a browser extension.
- Apps that offer refunds.
- Apps connecting to established payment gateways.
1.1.2 Unlisted App Types
- Apps that allow merchants with only Shopify Plus plans.
- Apps designed for and marketed to developers.
Installation & Setup
These requirements are to ensure that merchants can simply set up your app and start using it without any problem. This section describes the correct flow of authentication, app install charges, and any sign-up steps. These steps will ensure that merchants get any guidance they need while installing and setting up their app.
A. Authentication
When someone clicks on ‘Add App’ from your app’s listing, they should easily be able to authenticate using OAuth. The merchant should also be able to use your app on multiple stores, even if they share the same email address.
B. Permissions
Permissions are the levels of access your app requires to a merchant’s store through the API. The request should be shown to the merchant on the OAuth handshake page. The merchant can either grant or decline them.
C. Setup and Merchant Workflows
Your app must have clear in-app setup instructions explaining to merchants how to use your app. Your app shouldn’t request the merchant generate and provide a private API key. Any connection your app makes from its UI should either link to another shop or install any other app should go through the Shopify App Store listing first.
Your app must not use pop-ups like running OAuth or approving app charges. Avoid using pop-up windows.
Due to post-purchase upsells or cross-sells, you need to tell merchants that the order might have multiple payments associated with them.
Functionality and Quality
Even if your app is solving many problems of a merchant, the user experience remains the king. Your app should offer a positive and seamless experience to merchants who use it. To ensure this, Shopify App Store demands apps to have a certain quality and functionality requirements so that merchants registered on the store always get the best experience using apps from the store, in terms of interface, billing, and performance.
App Performance
For merchants to be able to utilize your Shopify app efficiently, it needs to be fast and user-friendly. Shopify requires the apps listed on its App Store to be quick, efficient, and developed keeping the merchants’ requirements as a priority. Therefore, developers need to fulfill the minimum requirements for performance and best practices before listing the app on Shopify App Store.
App Listing
App listing helps merchants find you and understand how your app can help them in their e-commerce business. It’s the calling card that displays your app on the app store. The card includes the features, user interface, and use cases. The App Listing should be clear, and concise and communicate your app’s functionality and pricing so that merchants can make a decision of whether to buy your app or not.
Example App Listing
Here’s an example of what an App Listing looks like on the Shopify App Store.
Security and Merchant Risk
While app efficiency and performance are the key markers of a good app, security is also a critical part that cannot be skipped. Online apps can expose businesses in unwanted ways therefore, security cannot be sidelined when you develop an app. Before, you submit your app to Shopify App Store, make sure that it is secure and doesn’t put any merchant or their information to risk.
Data and User Privacy
Your app might need to collect and manage the merchant’s data for its functions. But make sure that your app follows the best practices and legal requirements to protect customers’ data and privacy. Read the article below to understand what Shopify App Store requires the developers to follow before listing their app on the store. Here are some basic suggestions to give you an overview:
- Your app must hash salted passwords instead of actual passwords.
- Your app must be protected against cross-site forgery.
- Your app must be hosted over an HTTPS server using an SSL certificate. Those without an SSL certificate cannot get listed on Shopify.
Support
After the merchant installs your app, you need to provide support to them as they use it. There are many ways to support the merchant, including answering their queries promptly, uploading guides and help documentation, or giving an informative in-app context and support so that they can use your app efficiently.
Specific Requirements for Different Shopify App Categories
There are different kinds of apps listed on Shopify App Stores, depending on their use cases or how they solve merchants’ problems. Depending on the category your app serves, it needs to meet certain requirements laid out by Shopify before getting listed on the App Store. These are in addition to the General Requirements for Getting Your App Listed on Shopify Store as mentioned in the above sections. In many cases, an app belongs to different kinds of Shopify App Categories. For example, an app can be both third-party integration and a dropshipping app.
- Online Store: A Shopify App belonging to this category modifies a merchant’s storefront and them using Shopify APIs or any other technical resources. Such types of apps is required to follow specific requirements mentioned in the article linked below. If your app belongs to the Online Store category, follow the detailed guide below to get it listed faster.
- Embedded Apps: An embedded app uses certain app extensions and app libraries to let users access its features directly in the Shopify Admin or Shopify POS app. If your app uses the embedded app’s method, then it needs to fulfill the specific requirements for Embedded Apps on Shopify Store given in the detailed guide below.
- Product Sourcing: If your app lets merchants find and sell a range of products by providing product finding and sales features directly in the app, your app belongs to the Product Sourcing category. Under this category, apps need to follow the Specific Requirements for Product Sourcing Apps for Shopify App Store. You can find the detailed guide below.
- Mobile App Builders: If your app allows merchants to build a mobile app for their online store, it belongs to this category. While reviewing the app listing on App Store, Shopify asks developers to fulfill certain specific requirements for mobile app builders. You can find them in the detailed guide below.
- Sales Channels: This kind of Shopify App lets merchants publish their products from their Shopify Admin to your platform, whether they’re selling it online, through mobile apps, or on social media. Key features of such kinds of apps are Onboarding and account connection, product publishing, payment, and order management. There are specific requirements for each feature that a developer has to fulfill before submitting their app to Shopify Store. You can find them in the detailed guide below.
- Purchase Option Apps: These kinds of the app helps merchants and customers to sell, and buy products beyond the buy, pay, and ship journey. Merchants can allow customers to buy products as a one-time purchase, on a pre-order basis, or on a recurring subscription.
- Donation Distribution Apps: As the name suggests, these kinds of apps collect and distribute funds collected from merchants for a charity. Such apps should be compliant with Shopify guidelines while getting listed on Shopify App Store.
- Payment Apps: These kinds of apps allows merchants to integrate payment processing services to the Shopify Admin. These apps need to follow additional requirements in addition to the general requirements. You can find the details in the guide below.
- Post Purchase Apps: A Post Purchase App allows merchants to add a post-purchase page directly to the Shopify checkout in many ways. Merchants can customize their post-purchase page on the basis of their preferences, for example, they can create an upsell offer or even a feedback survey.
- Checkout UI Extension Apps: Using these apps, Shopify merchants can add custom UI or content to their checkout process for a more personalized experience. They can add custom fields, order notes, or make cross-sell offers based on the products ordered. Such kinds of apps need to follow the specific requirements laid out by Shopify before getting their app listed.
Next Steps
Now you know what you need to do before submitting your app to Shopify to get it listed on the Shopify App Store. The next step is even more crucial – Testing the app. Your app should function optimally for the merchants without any bugs. In our next detailed guide, we would walk you through the step and best practices to make sure that your app gets approved by Shopify App Store without any hiccups.
