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Shopify Public App Development

Shopify public app development means building an app that any merchant can install from the Shopify App Store. Ecomzier designs, builds and submits public apps that meet the App Store requirements, from Billing API pricing and the GraphQL Admin API to embedded App Bridge interfaces, then helps you work toward Built for Shopify status.

Plan Your App

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

What is a Shopify public app?

A public app is an app with public distribution: it can be installed on many Shopify stores, and it needs Shopify approval before it is listed in the Shopify App Store (Shopify developer docs). It is the route for software companies, agencies and brands that want to turn a solution into a product with recurring revenue.

Shopify takes a share of app revenue. Under the terms effective January 1, 2025, developers keep 100% of their first $1,000,000 USD in gross app revenue and 85% above that, App Store registration costs $19 USD per Partner account, and billing carries a 2.9% processing fee (Shopify revenue share). Larger developers have different terms, so check the current page before you build a business case.

What we build into a public Shopify app

A public app has to work for thousands of stores you have never seen. These are the parts we design and build.

Embedded admin interface

An app that opens inside the Shopify admin with the latest App Bridge, works without third party cookies and looks native to merchants on desktop and mobile.

Pricing and billing

Free, recurring, usage based or one time plans through the Shopify Billing API or Shopify App Pricing, with trials and plan changes that are easy to test.

Storefront features

App blocks and app embeds through theme app extensions, so merchants add your features in the theme editor and nothing breaks when they uninstall.

Checkout and Functions

Discount, delivery, payment and validation logic as Shopify Functions. In a public App Store app, Functions work on stores on any plan (Shopify developer docs).

Data, webhooks and scale

GraphQL Admin API queries, bulk operations, webhooks and background jobs designed around rate limits, so a store with a large catalog does not slow your app down.

Listing and review preparation

A clear listing, a demo screencast of the setup steps, working test credentials and an emergency developer contact, all of which Shopify asks for at submission.

Shopify App Store requirements we build for

Shopify reviews every public app against its published App Store requirements. These are the ones that most often shape the architecture, so we design for them from the first sprint rather than fixing them after a rejection.

RequirementWhat Shopify asksHow we handle it
BillingApps that use off platform billing cannot be distributed through the App Store. Charges go through the Billing API or Shopify App Pricing.Plans, trials and upgrades are built on Shopify billing and tested on development stores.
GraphQL Admin APISince April 1, 2025, new public apps must use the GraphQL Admin API exclusively. REST is legacy.All Admin API calls are GraphQL, with bulk operations for large data sets.
AuthenticationThe app authenticates with OAuth immediately on install, before the merchant sees the interface, and embedded apps work without third party cookies.Session tokens and token exchange through the Shopify app template.
Embedded experienceMost apps must be embedded in the Shopify admin and use the latest App Bridge.Every screen runs inside the admin; payment apps are the documented exception.
Theme changesIf an app modifies the theme, it must use theme app extensions. Editing theme code directly is not allowed.App blocks and app embeds only, with no code injected into theme files.
PrivacyApp Store apps must handle the mandatory compliance webhooks: customers/data_request, customers/redact and shop/redact.Webhook handlers that find, export and delete data on request.
Protected customer dataPublic apps request access to protected data and fields such as name, email, phone and address (Shopify developer docs).We request only the fields the app needs and document why.
Checkout behaviorApps cannot add or preselect optional charges without buyer consent.Upsells and add ons stay opt in.

Built for Shopify: the criteria we design toward

Built for Shopify is Shopify's badge for apps that meet its highest standards for performance, design and integration. The criteria below are from Shopify's Built for Shopify requirements. Some depend on adoption, so no developer can promise the badge at launch, but performance and design targets are ours to hit from version one.

CriterionShopify thresholdWhat it means for the build
Net installsAt least 50 net installs from active shops on paid plans.Depends on your marketing; the app must be ready to scale when installs arrive.
Reviews and ratingAt least five reviews and a minimum recent app rating.Good onboarding and fast support turn early users into reviewers.
Admin loading (LCP)2.5 seconds or less at the 75th percentile, with at least 100 calls over 28 days.Lean pages, cached data and no heavy scripts on the first screen.
Layout stability (CLS)0.1 or less at the 75th percentile.Fixed space for loading states and images.
Responsiveness (INP)200 milliseconds or less at the 75th percentile.Long jobs move to the background instead of blocking clicks.
Storefront impactThe app must not reduce the storefront Lighthouse performance score by more than ten points.Small, deferred theme app extension assets.
IntegrationEmbedded with the latest App Bridge, with primary functionality available inside the Shopify admin.No sending merchants to a separate website to do their main tasks.

We publish our own Shopify apps

We build public apps for clients because we build them for ourselves. Our EZ TikTok Shop Connector is live in the Shopify App Store with the Built for Shopify badge, and our Ecomzier Amazon Connector imports Amazon products into Shopify and keeps inventory and orders in sync. You can see both on our Shopify apps page. Living with review, billing, API upgrades and merchant support on our own listings is what we bring to your app.

Our public app development process

From idea to listing, with review requirements checked at every stage.

  1. Step 01

    Validate

    We define the merchant problem, the competing apps and the pricing model before anything is built.

  2. Step 02

    Specify

    Scopes, protected data, webhooks, extensions and Functions are written into a technical plan.

  3. Step 03

    Design

    Admin screens follow Shopify design guidelines and are tested with real merchant tasks.

  4. Step 04

    Build

    Development with Shopify CLI on development stores, with automated tests for billing and webhooks.

  5. Step 05

    Submit

    Listing copy, screencast, test credentials and contacts are prepared, and review feedback is handled with you.

  6. Step 06

    Grow

    Performance monitoring, API version upgrades and features driven by merchant reviews and support requests.

Shopify public app development FAQ

How do I get my app listed in the Shopify App Store?

Build it with public distribution, meet the App Store requirements and submit it for review with a demo screencast, test credentials and an emergency developer contact. Shopify approves the app before it appears in the App Store.

How much of my app revenue does Shopify keep?

Under the terms effective January 1, 2025, you keep 100% of your first $1,000,000 USD in gross app revenue and 85% above that, plus a 2.9% processing fee on billing and a one time $19 USD registration fee (Shopify revenue share). Different terms apply to the largest developers.

Can a public app charge merchants outside Shopify?

No. Apps that use off platform billing cannot be distributed through the Shopify App Store. Charges must go through the Shopify Billing API or Shopify App Pricing (App Store requirements).

What is Built for Shopify and can you guarantee it?

It is a badge for apps that meet Shopify's highest standards for performance, design and integration. Criteria include at least 50 net installs from paid shops, at least five reviews and admin Web Vitals targets (Shopify developer docs). Installs and reviews depend on adoption, so we design for the criteria but cannot guarantee the badge.

Can my public app use the REST Admin API?

Not for a new app. As of April 1, 2025, all new public apps must use the GraphQL Admin API exclusively, and REST is legacy (App Store requirements). We build on GraphQL from the start.

Will Shopify Functions in my app work for merchants who are not on Shopify Plus?

Yes. Stores on any plan can use public apps from the Shopify App Store that contain Functions (Shopify developer docs). The Plus requirement applies to custom apps with Functions, not public ones.

Can you take over or rebuild an existing public app?

Yes. We start with a code and listing audit against the current App Store requirements, such as GraphQL only APIs, theme app extensions and compliance webhooks, then propose either targeted fixes or a staged rebuild.

Plan your Shopify public app

Ecomzier has built 1,100+ Shopify stores that have generated $500M+ in client revenue, backed by 11 eCommerce awards and 400+ five star reviews. Bring your idea or your existing app and we will map it against the App Store requirements, the right pricing model and a realistic first release.
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