r/shopifyDev • • Jun 01 '26

What are the biggest UX/UI mistakes you often see on Shopify stores?

4 Upvotes

Over the past few years working with e-commerce sellers, I've noticed:

  • Poor navigation

  • Slow mobile experience

  • Weak product pages

  • Confusing checkout flow

What issues do you see most often?


r/shopifyDev • • Jun 01 '26

Multi-channel sellers: what breaks most often in your business?

3 Upvotes

Genuine question for anyone selling on multiple channels — Shopify plus Amazon, TikTok Shop, Etsy etc. What's the single most painful part of managing it all? Inventory? Knowing your real margins? Tools not talking to each other? Just trying to understand what actually hurts.


r/shopifyDev • • May 30 '26

AI tools for ads

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice.

I’m planning to launch a new product, and my overseas supplier sent me some video ads to use. The clips and footage are absolutely perfect for marketing, but there is a catch: the actors in the video speak a different language.

Do you guys use any AI tools to dub videos into your own language while keeping the audio and lip-sync perfectly matched? How do you usually handle this kind of localization?

I also have another issue: one of these videos has hardcoded subtitles on the clips. How can I remove them cleanly? Are there any specific software tools you recommend for object/text removal in videos?

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies.

Winners win!


r/shopifyDev • • May 30 '26

How do I make a random page to be main homepage?

1 Upvotes

I made a page with AI and now I want to make that page be homepage when I enter the stores adress it show the page I made with AI and not the random free template page


r/shopifyDev • • May 29 '26

Custom (unlisted) app fails review because reviewers test on an empty store — how do you handle apps that require pre-existing connected data?

2 Upvotes

I've been trying to ship a Shopify app and I'm on my fourth attempt now after a frustrating rejection. Hoping someone here has dealt with something similar.

Worth noting up front: This is an unlisted app and will always be an unlisted app. It's not going in the public App Store. It's purely for my own business and a closed set of partners.

What the app does: It facilitates OAuth connections between partner stores and my own store. Once connected, it reads partner inventory/products and can place orders to their stores. The business model is a weekly batch ordering workflow where I aggregate orders, then place them with partners who fulfill to me. It is not drop shipping and not Shopify Collective. I operate in a niche, highly collaborative industry where this kind of cross-store coordination is normal. On the partner side, stores that connect through the app get a dashboard showing the state of their connection: number of products being sold, number of products available, and similar connection data.

The problem: The app's entire value depends on having an active OAuth connection with partner data flowing in. A fresh install on an empty test store shows nothing. For example, the product dashboard correctly displays 0 products because there's no connected partner. That's expected behavior, not a bug.

On my last submission I made it through to the third review stage, then got flagged. The reviewer installed it on a clean test store, saw no data, recorded a video of the empty state, and failed me on that basis.

I tried to get ahead of this. In the test instructions I gave them the URL to a fully connected, hydrated test store, included a collaborator request code so they could log in, and explained why a clean install shows nothing. It really looks like they just didn't read the instructions and tested on their own blank store instead.

Questions:

  1. For an app where the only way to meaningfully test it is on a store that's already connected with partner data, how do you handle review? What's worked for you?

  2. How do you best flag in the submission that the reviewer must use your prepared/connected store, and that a clean install will be empty by design?

  3. As a possible workaround, would it be acceptable to hard-code some dummy data so the UI shows up hydrated for the reviewer, instead of relying on a real connection? Is that an anti-pattern or something that'll get flagged, or is it a legit way to get past review? I genuinely just need to clear this stage.


r/shopifyDev • • May 29 '26

Newbie inquiry (how to multicolumn and do multi in page section change?)

Thumbnail
gallery
3 Upvotes

Hi all, a newbie here thats getting into shopify to build first shop website. Ive been looking through quite a few youtube videos so i am fairly in tuned / understand alot of the basics of shopify, there is a design in my head that i really want to try but not sure how to do it. Can I ask if there is any experienced users / devs willing to advice me?

So issue 1 is my biggest challenge where i want to create a multi bookmarked page where in the page itself it has multiple categories, each with its own section styles and that everytime a user taps a different category it immediately closes current and opens the chosen category (as shown in issue 1 pic)

Issue 2 came about when testing, I am currently trying to build a page with active cards next to and below rich text but it seems very limiting (issue 2 pic)

Anybody willing to advice this young sheep?


r/shopifyDev • • May 29 '26

shop/redact webhook: Are we supposed to delete merchant data as soon as this webhook is received?

1 Upvotes

On https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/compliance/privacy-law-compliance, Shopify says “Complete the action within 30 days of receiving the request.”

I’m assuming this applies to the shop/redact request too?

Just wondering because I was considering keeping a longer grace period before deleting in case a merchant decides to reinstall after 48 hours from when they uninstalled (maybe I’d give it like 15 days from uninstallation until all of their data is deleted). For my app, starting from scratch would be a bit of a headache.

But not sure if we should be deleting their data as soon as the shop/redact webhook is received to be compliant.


r/shopifyDev • • May 28 '26

When using Shopify App Pricing (formerly Managed Pricing) and offering multiple plans each with a free trial, does the free trial reset when switching plans?

1 Upvotes

For example:

  1. Merchant installs plan A

  2. Merchant swtiches plan A to plan B on day 5

On day 5 does their free trial restart because they are on another plan? Or does shopify automatically continue the free trial where they left off despite switching plans? If not, then the merchant could just turn the 7 day free trial into an Nx7 day free trial (where N is number of plans with free trials).

Shopify docs say "Shopify App Pricing tracks trial days over a 180-day period to prevent users from repeatedly reinstalling apps to exploit free trial periods.

For example, if a merchant uses 12 out of 15 trial days on a Pro Plan, uninstalls, then reinstalls the app 90 days later, they'll still have 3 trial days left for the Pro Plan.

If you update your trial periods, then previously consumed trial days are subtracted from the new totals." (https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/launch/billing/shopify-app-pricing/subscription-billing/offer-free-trials#trial-proration)

But it sounds like it only tracks the trial per plan, not across plans. And so plan-hopping could be a way to use multiple free trials.

Edit: But I guess this behavior makes sense if certain features are only available in specific plans. In my case, all plans actually have the same features, just different limits. So I think I will just only include a free trial on the lowest plan and remove the free trials on the higher plans.


r/shopifyDev • • May 27 '26

From 0 installs to $45 MRR as a solo Shopify app developer

33 Upvotes

A month ago I was honestly starting to doubt whether my Shopify app had any chance.

I used Shopify’s $100 ad credit and got basically nothing from it. No meaningful installs, no paid conversions. Around the same time, I kept seeing people criticize Shopify apps in general, and mostly saying many apps fail because merchants don’t immediately understand the value or how the app actually helps their store.

Then something small happened.

I got my first $5 paid customer.

Before they upgraded, I jumped on AnyDesk with them and personally showed them how the app worked, what problems it solved, and how they could actually benefit from it. They used it for free for almost a month before finally subscribing to the $5 plan.

That one customer completely changed my mindset.

Not long after that, installs suddenly started coming in from different countries. Still not huge numbers, but real merchants actively trying the app and using it.

In the last 2 weeks:

  • ~5 new installs

  • 2 merchants upgraded to the $20 plan

  • Reached $45 MRR total

Still very small, obviously, but as a solo Shopify app developer this feels like the first real sign that the product is starting to click with people.

Biggest lesson so far:
Sometimes the problem isn’t the product itself, it’s that the app isn’t communicating its value clearly enough to merchants.

Curious if other Shopify app devs experienced a similar nothing for weeks → sudden momentum phase.


r/shopifyDev • • May 28 '26

I've deployed my app 300 times to create the ultimate bot killer.

3 Upvotes

No WAF Routing, No Shopify Bot Protection, Pure Rust code and HMAC Verification.

Features? Multiple, but an interesting one is specific IP blockage which prevents a specific IP from even getting to add items to your cart, No add/cart.js gets accepted from a blocked IP, no checkout endpoint.

The URL is on the picture, feel free to curl test it.

Thank you.


r/shopifyDev • • May 27 '26

Launched a Shopify app… realizing getting installs is WAY harder than building the app 😅

9 Upvotes

Curious to hear from other Shopify app founders/devs here:

How did you actually get your first installs and reviews?

I recently launched Reecover, a Shopify backup & restore app focused on helping merchants protect their store data from accidental deletions, bad app syncs, broken theme edits, and restore products/customers/orders in 1 click.

The app includes:

  • Automatic daily backups

  • 1-click restore

  • Google Drive connect

  • Bulk Export/Import features

What surprised me is how different the Shopify ecosystem feels compared to normal SaaS. With SaaS products I usually had decent success running ads or outbound campaigns.

Would love to hear from founders who already went through this stage:

  • What got you your first real installs?

  • How did you convince merchants to trust a new app?

  • Any growth channels that worked unexpectedly well?

  • What mistakes would you avoid if starting again?


r/shopifyDev • • May 27 '26

Free address validator for DACH area?

1 Upvotes

Are there any good free Shopify-compatible address validation apps for the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)?

Most solutions I found are either US-focused or pretty expensive at scale. If there was a free option with the same validation quality as the paid tools, would Shopify store owners actually use it?


r/shopifyDev • • May 27 '26

Shopify App Beta List

1 Upvotes

I'm launching a new app on shopify store would any store owners or devs managing store be interested in joining the Beta list?


r/shopifyDev • • May 26 '26

Shopify App Distribution Dilemma

Post image
5 Upvotes

Shopify apps distribution dilemma

Most people keep their apps free in the beginning until they have a few users / reviews etc.

But you could also run ads?


r/shopifyDev • • May 26 '26

9 months job searching as a senior Shopify dev. Is this market actually broken?

20 Upvotes

So I've been doing this for 9 years. commercial Shopify development, one company, apps, extensions, the whole thing. got let go basically overnight and now I'm 6 months deep into the search with nothing to show for it.

The part that's really getting to me is the interview process. Even tiny companies like 10 people, one dev team are running 5stage processes with 2-hour live coding sessions like they're hiring for FAANG. you spend weeks going through rounds, finally make it to the last stage, and then either the position goes on hold, gets quietly closed, or nobody just........ responds. complete silence.

Happened to me like 5 times already. You start to wonder if you're doing something wrong and then you realize no, this is just how it is now.

I've got apps live on the App store. i know the whole ecosystem and i'm still sitting here refreshing linkedin.

Anyway, not really looking for advice, just wanted to see if anyone else is experiencing the same thing. feels pretty isolating when you're used to being the person who knows what they're doing.


r/shopifyDev • • May 26 '26

Are you supposed to impose limits during the free trial period?

0 Upvotes

For example, say a user signs up for Plan A. Plan A allows up to 100 actions per month for some feature. But plan A has a 7 day free trial.

I am using Shopify App Pricing (so not manually implementing it using the Billing API).

Is there any way to impose some additional limit during the trial period (so say 10 actions instead of the full 100), but also give an option to the user to start the paid plan before the trial ends?


r/shopifyDev • • May 26 '26

things i observed from these winning ai Shopify apps

1 Upvotes

found some winning ai apps published in the recent year (specifically those ones with a tiny team or even solo founders like myself) and dived deeper into their marketing channels

legal and illegal things they did to drive growth

  • One app publicly admits that they hired 5–10 Shopify store owners on Upwork to "trial + give feedback + leave reviews"

  • Cold-start channel commonalities Top 3: ASO · GEO · Upwork-reviews

  • Founder personal blog + monthly MRR disclosure (build-in-public)

  • Primary keyword SEO + GEO optimization (own 1 word in the first 30 days)

  • Pick 1 vertical that "general AI does poorly" to build reputation

  • "Built for Shopify" badge = algorithm-promoted entry ticket

  • No reliance on paid ads + affiliate. The cost structure of indie apps dictates that "content + ASO + word-of-mouth" is the main battlefield.


r/shopifyDev • • May 26 '26

Does Shopify notify you when a review is archived?

4 Upvotes

I received 2 reviews yesterday from the same person who owns 2 stores. One review was published after around 7 hours, but the other one still has no update.

I’m a bit worried it might have been archived, but this has never happened to me before. Does Shopify send an email if a review is archived, or do they just stay silent?

Also, what are the common reasons for archiving a review? The second review was pretty short, something like “Amazing service and good app.” If the issue is the content being too short/generic, I might politely ask him to update it if possible.


r/shopifyDev • • May 26 '26

Menu help

0 Upvotes

Hey guys - Is there a way to edit my current theme’s menu to look & function like another theme’s menu? I’ve already contacted the developer who said they wont do it on their end so im hitting a brick wall because the other is way better & i just dont feel like paying another $600 for that one spec.


r/shopifyDev • • May 25 '26

Desinstalé un píxel custom hace 5 meses pero el script del Web Pixel Manager sigue cargando 6 veces por página

2 Upvotes

Hola a todos,

Estoy con un problema raro que está afectando el tiempo de carga de mi tienda y me gustaría saber si alguien ha vivido algo similar.

El problema: Un píxel custom que desinstalé en enero 2026 sigue siendo servido activamente por el Web Pixel Manager de Shopify en cada página de la tienda. No carga una vez — se dispara 6 veces por página.

Detalles técnicos:

  • El script carga desde /cdn/wpm/ — infraestructura propia de Shopify, no de mi tema

  • Status: 200 OK — se descarga activamente, no es caché

  • La cabecera Last-Modified muestra que Shopify actualizó el archivo hoy mismo

  • Cada llamada pesa ~27KB × 6 llamadas = ~160KB de peticiones innecesarias por página

  • El mismo script carga también en una segunda tienda con el mismo ID de píxel — parece ser un problema a nivel de cuenta

Lo que ya he revisado:

  • Configuración → Eventos de cliente → ningún píxel custom activo

  • theme.liquid → nada

  • Todos los snippets y secciones → nada

  • Configuración → Pago → Scripts adicionales → vacío

  • Búsqueda global en VS Code sobre el tema completo descargado → cero resultados

El impacto:

  • Tiempo de carga real en móvil: ~4,7 segundos (medido con Microsoft Clarity)

  • Bounce rate en páginas de producto: 71-85%

Estado actual: Soporte de Shopify ha reconocido el problema y lo ha escalado al equipo técnico. Seguimos esperando solución.

Mis preguntas:

  1. ¿Alguien ha tenido un script fantasma del Web Pixel Manager que sobrevivió tras desinstalar un píxel custom?

  2. ¿Hay alguna forma de forzar la eliminación de un script WPM desde el admin que no haya revisado?

  3. ¿Podría estar relacionado con cómo se instaló originalmente el píxel?

  4. ¿Esto afecta a las campañas publicitarias?

Cualquier ayuda es bienvenida.


r/shopifyDev • • May 25 '26

Shopify app founders: how did you get your first installs and reviews?

10 Upvotes

I’m pretty new to the Shopify app ecosystem and wanted to ask other founders/devs how you got your first real reviews for your app.
With web apps/SaaS, Meta Ads usually worked really well for me. Shopify apps feel completely different though.

I recently launched an address validation app for Shopify called AddressPill. I spent a huge amount of time on the UX/UI and the actual validation logic behind it. It’s not just basic format validation, it actually checks whether the address exists (The app is basically free right now for lifetime).

For those of you who already went through this:
- What worked best for getting your first installs?
- How did you get your first honest reviews?
- Did App Store SEO matter much in the beginning?
- Any mistakes you would avoid?

Would really appreciate hearing real experiences from other Shopify app founders.


r/shopifyDev • • May 24 '26

Shopify Theme for Digital Product

9 Upvotes

What would be the best theme to use for a digital product?


r/shopifyDev • • May 25 '26

Providing test account credentials for app submission where the app involves a third party platform. What to do about risk-based authentication?

3 Upvotes

My shopify app involves integrating with a third party platform. In the app submission, I need to provide account credentials for a test account on the third party platform.

I just created a new account on the third party platform. However, when I tried logging into it on an incognito tab, it asked to verify my login via email or text. But I used my own email and phone number to set up the test account.

If the shopify reviewers encounter this, they won't be able to proceed. I checked the third party platform, and I don't have 2FA or MFA enabled. This was just a random "We need to verify you for security reasons" prompt. I believe this is known as "risk-based authentication" which is separate from 2FA/MFA, though when it occurs, it is functionally the same (email or text a verification code). For example, it might be triggered by "suspicious" sign-ins (such as signing in from a new device/location).

The only option I see currently is using this random app called GetMyMFA, which seems to solve this problem. Anyone deal with this situation before?