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Shopify Private App Development

Shopify private app development today means building a custom app: an app made for one store, or for the stores in one Shopify Plus organization, that never appears in the App Store. Shopify deprecated private apps in January 2022 and converted them to custom apps. Ecomzier builds, migrates and maintains these single store apps.

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1,100+ Shopify stores built, 11 eCommerce awards and 400+ five star reviews.

What happened to Shopify private apps?

Private apps were the original way to give one store API access for its own integrations. Shopify deprecated them in January 2022, and on January 20, 2023 every remaining private app was automatically migrated and converted to a custom app (Shopify developer docs). So when merchants search for Shopify private app development, what they need now is a custom app.

The tooling changed again since then. Custom apps are now created and managed in the Dev Dashboard. Custom apps that were created in the Shopify admin before January 1, 2026 still run and are managed from the admin as legacy custom apps (Shopify Help Center), but that admin route is no longer available for new apps, and legacy custom apps cannot use App Bridge or app extensions (Shopify developer docs).

From private apps to custom apps: the timeline

The names changed several times. Here is what each one means today.

Term or dateWhat it means now
Private appDeprecated in January 2022. All private apps were converted to custom apps on January 20, 2023 (Shopify developer docs).
Legacy custom appA custom app created in the Shopify admin before January 1, 2026. It keeps working and is managed from the admin (Shopify Help Center), but cannot use App Bridge or app extensions.
Custom app in the Dev DashboardThe current way to build a single store app, either created directly in the Dev Dashboard or scaffolded with Shopify CLI (Shopify developer docs).
Custom distributionInstalling an app on one store, or on stores in the same Plus organization, with a link you generate. No App Store review and no Billing API (Shopify developer docs).

Two ways to build a single store Shopify app today

Shopify documents two routes for new apps (Dev Dashboard, Shopify CLI). We choose the lighter one that still covers what you need.

RouteBest forWhat you get
App created in the Dev DashboardBackend automation, data sync and API only integrations that need no screen in the Shopify admin.API credentials, scopes and webhooks, with your code running on your own server.
App scaffolded with Shopify CLIApps that need an interface in the admin, checkout blocks, theme blocks or Shopify Functions.A full project with local development, extensions and deployment, installed through custom distribution.

Custom apps we build for single stores and Plus organizations

Custom apps make sense when the job is specific to your business and no App Store app does it well.

ERP, OMS and WMS sync

Products, prices, stock, orders, refunds and customers kept in sync with the systems that run your operations. See Shopify app integration.

Checkout logic for Shopify Plus

Discount, delivery, payment and validation rules as Shopify Functions. Only stores on Shopify Plus can use custom apps that contain Functions (Shopify developer docs).

Admin tools for your team

Screens and actions inside the Shopify admin for jobs your team does every day, such as approvals, bulk edits, reporting or order exceptions.

Brand group and multi store apps

One custom app installed on several stores in the same Plus organization, so every brand or region shares the same logic and data rules.

Legacy app rebuilds

Admin created legacy custom apps and old private app code moved to a Dev Dashboard app, so you can add extensions, App Bridge screens and current API versions.

Automation and reporting

Scheduled jobs, webhook driven workflows and exports to your data warehouse or BI tools, built on the GraphQL Admin API.

What a custom app can and cannot do

Custom distribution trades reach for freedom. These are the documented rules we plan around.

TopicCustom app rule
Where it installsOne store, several stores in the same Shopify Plus organization, or transfer disabled development stores (Shopify developer docs).
App StoreNot listed in the Shopify App Store and not reviewed by Shopify.
BillingCannot charge merchants through Shopify app billing.
Customer dataProtected customer data such as name, email, phone and address is always available to a custom app, while public apps must request it (Shopify developer docs).
Shopify FunctionsRequire the installing store to be on Shopify Plus (Shopify developer docs).
Checkout customizationChanges to the information, shipping and payment steps require Shopify Plus (Shopify Help Center).
MaintenanceYou are responsible for keeping the app current with API changes (Shopify Help Center). Each stable API version is supported for at least 12 months (Shopify developer docs).

How we build your custom Shopify app

Five steps, from the first call to an app your team relies on.

  1. Step 01

    Map the workflow

    We document the job the app replaces, the systems it touches and the data that has to move.

  2. Step 02

    Choose the route

    Dev Dashboard app or Shopify CLI app, with the minimum scopes, webhooks and extensions needed.

  3. Step 03

    Build and test

    Development on a development store with real sample data, then testing against your live systems.

  4. Step 04

    Install

    We generate the custom distribution link, install on your store or Plus organization and hand over access.

  5. Step 05

    Support

    Monitoring, API version upgrades and changes as your business and systems evolve.

Shopify private app development FAQ

Can I still create a private app in Shopify?

No. Private apps were deprecated in January 2022 and converted to custom apps on January 20, 2023 (Shopify developer docs). The equivalent today is a custom app created in the Dev Dashboard or with Shopify CLI and installed with custom distribution.

Do my old private apps still work?

Yes, as custom apps. Shopify converted them automatically. If they were created in the Shopify admin, they are now legacy custom apps that you manage from the admin (Shopify Help Center). They keep working, but cannot use App Bridge or app extensions.

Can I still create a custom app in the Shopify admin?

Not a new one. Shopify says custom apps are created and managed in the Dev Dashboard, and apps created in the admin before January 1, 2026 are managed there as legacy custom apps (Shopify Help Center).

Do I need Shopify Plus for a custom app?

Not for a basic custom app. You need Shopify Plus when the custom app contains Shopify Functions (Shopify developer docs), when it customizes the information, shipping or payment steps of checkout, or when you want to install it across several stores in one Plus organization.

Can one custom app run on several of our stores?

Yes, if the stores belong to the same Shopify Plus organization. Custom distribution covers a single store or multiple stores in one Plus organization (Shopify developer docs). Stores outside that organization would need a separate app or a public app.

Is a custom app the same as a custom Shopify app built by an agency?

The terms overlap. "Custom app" is Shopify's name for the distribution type. Our custom Shopify app development page covers the bespoke features we build; this page covers the move from private apps and how single store apps work now.

Who keeps a custom app working when Shopify changes its API?

The app's developer. Shopify releases a new API version every three months and supports each for at least 12 months (Shopify developer docs). We offer ongoing maintenance so upgrades happen before an old version is retired.

Replace your private app the right way

Ecomzier has built 1,100+ Shopify stores that have generated $500M+ in client revenue, backed by 11 eCommerce awards and 400+ five star reviews. Tell us what your private or legacy custom app does today, or what you need it to do, and we will recommend the simplest custom app that covers it.
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