skills/shopify-onboarding-dev/SKILL.md
Get started building on Shopify. Use when a developer asks to build an app, build a theme, create a dev store, set up a partner account, scaffold a project, or get started developing for Shopify. NOT for merchants managing stores.
npx skillsauth add Shopify/Shopify-AI-Toolkit shopify-onboarding-devInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
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Silently identify the client from system context:
| Signal | Client |
| ------------------------------- | ------------- |
| "Claude Code" | claude-code |
| "Cursor" | cursor |
| "VSCode" / "Visual Studio Code" | vscode |
| "Gemini CLI" | gemini-cli |
| Unrecognized | other |
If genuinely uncertain about client, ask. Never guess.
Check if Shopify CLI is installed by running shopify version.
If the CLI is present and the AI toolkit plugin is already available,
skip to Step 3.
Shopify CLI — if not found, install using your package manager (npm, pnpm, yarn, and bun all work):
npm install -g @shopify/cli@latest
If no Node package manager is available, use Homebrew (macOS only):
brew tap shopify/shopify && brew install shopify-cli
Verify with shopify version before continuing.
AI toolkit plugin/extension — install for the detected client:
| Client | Install command |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| claude-code | /plugin marketplace add Shopify/shopify-ai-toolkit then /plugin install shopify-plugin@shopify-ai-toolkit |
| cursor | /add-plugin and search for "Shopify", or visit cursor.com/marketplace/shopify |
| vscode | Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P) → Chat: Install Plugin From Source → paste https://github.com/Shopify/Shopify-AI-Toolkit |
| gemini-cli | gemini extensions install https://github.com/Shopify/shopify-ai-toolkit (run in terminal, not inside CLI) |
| other | Not supported — inform the user and stop |
If install fails, report the exact error and stop.
Confirm what was installed in one sentence. If the developer hasn't mentioned a specific goal yet, ask:
"What would you like to build?
- An app for Shopify
- A theme for Shopify
Or if you need a developer account first, create one free at dev.shopify.com/dashboard."
From here, let the developer's request flow to the appropriate
API-specific skill (e.g. shopify-admin, shopify-liquid,
shopify-functions). Do not duplicate their routing logic.
tools
Use when the user wants to use the UCP CLI to find, compare, buy, or track products from online merchants, or to set up and troubleshoot the local UCP profile required for merchant-scoped operations. Covers global catalog search ("find me X under $Y"), named-merchant transactions ("buy this from Z.com"), order tracking, `ucp profile init`, `ucp doctor`, carts, checkout, orders, and UCP setup/help. Falls back to merchant-hosted handoff when direct in-protocol checkout isn't available.
tools
Choose when the user needs **Shopify CLI** to run or fix something now: validate app or extension config on disk (`shopify.app.toml`, `shopify.app.<name>.toml`, `shopify.extension.toml`); run or troubleshoot store workflows (`shopify store auth`, `shopify store execute`); inventory or product changes by handle, SKU, or location name; or CLI setup, auth, upgrade issues. Emphasize **commands and operational steps**, not only authoring GraphQL. Skip for API-only understanding or codegen with no CLI execution. Examples: validate configuration before deploy; run an existing query via CLI; list products; missing `shopify store execute`.
development
Use for custom storefronts requiring direct GraphQL queries/mutations for data fetching and cart operations. Choose this when you need full control over data fetching and rendering your own UI. NOT for Web Components - if the prompt mentions HTML tags like <shopify-store>, <shopify-cart>, use storefront-web-components instead.
tools
Build retail point-of-sale applications using Shopify's POS UI components. These components provide a consistent and familiar interface for POS applications. POS UI Extensions also supports scaffolding new POS extensions using Shopify CLI commands. Keywords: POS, Retail, smart grid