Shopify app development introduction! For beginners

Since 2020, the construction of e-commerce sites using Shopify has spread rapidly.

This has led to an increased demand for app development. We are also actively recruiting engineers.

However, app development requires a high level of expertise and is subject to its own unique guidelines and rate restrictions, making it a high hurdle for beginners.

So, this time we will introduce an introductory guide for beginners to Shopify app development.

What is a Shopify app?

Shopify apps are software plugins that extend the functionality and capabilities of a Shopify store. These apps are available in the Shopify App Store, making it easy for store owners to add them to their stores.

There are also custom apps that add your own apps to specific stores.

Apps are used for a variety of purposes, and common extensions include:

Main Functional Categories

• Inventory management : Track stock levels, automate ordering, and more.
• Marketing : SEO improvements, email marketing, social media advertising, etc.
• Sales : Upselling, cross-selling, dynamic pricing, etc.
• Customer service : Chat support, creating a FAQ section, collecting customer feedback, etc.
• Analytics and Reporting : Data analysis of sales, traffic, customer behavior, etc.
• Payment and Shipping : Integrate with different payment gateways and expand your shipping options.

Technical aspects

• API integration : Designed to allow your store and app to communicate using Shopify APIs.
• Languages ​​and Frameworks : Develop in a variety of programming languages ​​and frameworks, including Ruby on Rails, Node.js, and PHP.
• Security : It also has excellent security, with OAuth authentication and HTTPS communication.

Advantages and disadvantages

advantage

Easy to expand functions

Highly customizable

Great community and support

Cons

Using multiple apps can get costly.

There may be conflicts and compatibility issues between apps.

As you can see, Shopify apps are tools that can bring great benefits to your store operations, but you need to carefully consider their selection and implementation.

Shopify App Store registration

If you are an app developer, please click here for more information on the registration process.

To get started

Use our Getting Started guide to create your first Shopify app. It will show you how to get an API key, create a test store, and work with the API.

Submit your app for approval

If your app meets Shopify's requirements , then you can start selling on the Shopify App Store. After your app is approved, follow these tips to help you succeed with your new app.

How to earn money

Shopify's Billing API makes it easy to charge your customers for recurring monthly charges or one-time purchases. View detailed revenue and install metrics for each of your apps on the Apps page in your Partner Dashboard.

Steps for developing a Shopify app

Developing a Shopify app has its own process and guidelines. Below is a brief summary of the general development flow:

1. Idea and Plan

• Needs analysis : Analyze the needs of your target Shopify store owners.
• Competitive analysis : Research the competition with existing similar apps.
• Functionality definition : Identify the key features and use cases your app provides.

2. Setting up your development environment

• Shopify Developer Account : Create a Shopify developer account.
• Development store : Set up a test Shopify store.
• Development tools : Set up the development tools you need (e.g. text editor, version control system).

3. Technology Selection

• Programming Language : Choose from Ruby on Rails, Node.js, PHP, etc.
• Framework : Select an appropriate web framework.
• Database : Select the database you want to use, such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.

4. Building the app

• API Integration : Establish integration with Shopify API.
• Authentication : Set up the authentication flow using OAuth.
• Core Functionality : Develop the functionality you have defined.

5. Testing

• Unit Testing : Perform unit testing for each feature.
• Integration testing : Check that the entire app works together properly.
• User testing : Test with real users.

6. Deploy

• App Store Ready : Prepare metadata and screenshots for publishing to the Shopify App Store.
• Review and Approval : Your offer must go through review by Shopify.

7. Maintenance and Updates

• Monitoring : Monitor your app's performance and errors.
• Feedback collection : Collect feedback from users and find areas for improvement.
• Updates : We regularly add new features and fix bugs.

Each of these steps is likely to be iterative and agile development methodologies are common, but it's important to keep an eye on Shopify's guidelines and API restrictions to ensure your app complies with them.

Now, let's explain the specific process of app development.

Setting up a development environment for Shopify app development

1. Create a Shopify developer account
   • Visit the official Shopify Developer Portal and create a developer account.
2. Setting up a development store
   • From your developer account, create a test Shopify store.
   • This store is free and is used to test how your app works.
3. Installing development tools
   • A code editor (e.g. Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text)
   • A version control system (e.g. Git)
   • Dependency management tools (e.g. npm, Node.js 16 and above, Bundler for Ruby)
4. Setting up your local environment
   • Set up a local development environment suitable for your programming language and framework of choice.
5. Obtaining an API key and secret
   • Create a new app in your Shopify Partner Dashboard and get your API key and secret key.

Steps to build the app

1. API integration
   • Implement OAuth authentication to establish communication with the Shopify API.
2. Data Modeling
   • Design the structure of the data your app needs (e.g. database schema).
3. Routing and Controllers
   • Routes user requests to the appropriate action (e.g. get, display, or save data).
4. Create a view
   • Create the user interface (UI), typically done using Shopify's official design module, Polaris.
5. Implementing business logic
   • Implement the main features of your app (e.g. inventory management, marketing automation, etc.) with code. For example, the following logic might be considered:
   1. API Calls
      • Use the Shopify API to retrieve, update, and delete your store data.
   2. Webhooks
      • Set up webhooks to automatically receive notifications when certain events occur in your Shopify store (for example, when a new order is created).
6. Error Handling
   • Implement logic to handle errors that your app may encounter.

Shopify App Core Features

Some of the most popular features of the Shopify app include:

1. App Bridge

• Purpose : App Bridge is a JavaScript library that enables Shopify apps to provide a unified user experience.
• Key Features :
  • In-app navigation
  • Displaying modal dialogs and notifications
  • Sending and receiving data
• advantage :
  • Unified UI/UX
  • Works on both the client and server side
  • Advanced security features

2. Webhooks

• Purpose : A mechanism for reacting to certain events in your Shopify store in real-time (e.g. new orders, product removals, etc.).
• Key Features :
  • Event triggers (e.g. order created, customer updated)
  • Sending Data Asynchronously
• advantage :
  • Real-time event processing
  • Server resource saving
  • Highly customizable

3. OAuth Authentication

• Purpose : To provide secure authentication between Shopify stores and apps.
• Key Features :
  • Obtaining an Access Token
  • Scope-based permission management
• advantage :
  • High security
  • Flexible Access Control

4. REST API and GraphQL API

• Purpose : An interface for programmatically manipulating Shopify store data.
• Key Features :
  • Retrieving, updating, and deleting data
  • Query flexibility (especially GraphQL)
• advantage :
  • Easy access to data
  • Advanced Query Options

5. Polaris

• Goal : To provide a consistent user experience with Shopify's design system.
• Key Features :
  • UI Components
  • Design Guidelines
• advantage :
  • A unified UI
  • High usability

These features are commonly used in app development, each catering to specific challenges and needs, and by combining them appropriately, you can develop an efficient and effective Shopify app.

Points to note when developing a Shopify app

There are a few things to keep in mind when developing a Shopify app. The main ones are listed below.

1. Follow guidelines and policies

• Shopify has set certain guidelines and policies, violation of which may result in your app being removed from the App Store.

2. Security

• User data and authentication (OAuth) require careful handling.
• Transfer data securely using HTTPS.

3. Performance and Rate Limits

• The Shopify API has rate limits that, if exceeded, will temporarily lock you out.
• If your app will be used in many stores, you need to be careful about scalability.

4. User Experience

• Use Shopify Polaris or App Bridge where possible to provide a consistent UI/UX.
• Simplify the installation and setup process.

5. Error Handling

• Provide appropriate error messages and recovery procedures.
• Set up logging and monitoring to help catch problems early.

6. Testing

• Perform thorough unit testing, integration testing, and end-to-end testing.
• Testing should be thorough, especially for critical functions such as financial transactions and inventory management.

7. Versioning and Updates

• Please note that Shopify API versions are frequently updated and may not be backwards compatible.
• Make the update plan for the app itself clear and communicate that information to users.

8. Documentation and Support

• Provide sufficient documentation, including installation guides, FAQs, troubleshooting guides, etc.
• Establish user support (email, chat, etc.).

These are just examples, and there may be other considerations depending on your specific app and business model, but these points provide a general framework that often applies.

summary

Shopify app development is a powerful tool that caters to the diverse needs of your online business.

However, app development requires more than just programming skills.

What's more, you need practical knowledge, cutting-edge technologies like the Remix framework and GraphQL API, and the ability to address real business needs.

If you want to learn thoroughly, you may want to consider taking an online school for Shopify app development.