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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Shopify Expert agent skill

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The shopify-expert skill is a set of instructions and reference notes that teaches an AI agent to work like a Shopify specialist. It covers Liquid themes, custom Shopify apps and Storefront API code for headless storefronts. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it with plain requests, and what to check before you deploy anything it writes.

Shopify ExpertJeffallan/claude-skills · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Download the ZIP. Download the shopify-expert ZIP from this page. The skill is licensed under MIT.
  2. 2Unzip into the skills folder. Extract the shopify-expert folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
  3. 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, open Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill.
  4. 4Confirm the files are in place. Check that SKILL.md sits directly inside the shopify-expert folder alongside the references folder.
  5. 5Ask a Shopify question in plain language. Describe the theme, app or storefront task, naming the files and the goal, and mention Shopify, Liquid or the Storefront API.
  6. 6Validate before deploying. Run shopify theme check for themes and shopify app dev for apps, fix all reported issues, and test checkout extensions in a sandbox before deploying.

What is an agent skill and what does shopify-expert do?

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file and optional reference documents. When it is installed, an AI agent can load these instructions when a task matches the skill's description, so it follows a specific workflow instead of working from general knowledge alone.

The shopify-expert skill is aimed at three kinds of work: writing and debugging Liquid theme templates and sections, building custom Shopify apps with OAuth and webhooks, and writing GraphQL queries for headless storefronts. It also points the agent to reference notes on checkout extensions, Liquid templating, app development and performance optimization.

  • Themes: .liquid files, theme.json, sections and Online Store 2.0 structure
  • Apps: shopify.app.toml configuration, OAuth and webhooks, App Bridge and Polaris
  • Headless: Storefront API queries for custom React storefronts or Hydrogen
  • Checkout: UI extensions and Shopify Functions, with notes on what cannot be changed
  • Workflow: Shopify CLI commands such as shopify theme check before deploying

Install the shopify-expert skill from a ZIP file

Download the ZIP for shopify-expert from this page. The skill is MIT licensed. Unzip it so that the shopify-expert folder, containing SKILL.md and the references folder, ends up in one of the following locations.

For a personal setup available across your projects, place it in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder. Either way, the SKILL.md file should sit directly inside the shopify-expert folder.

  • Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/shopify-expert/
  • Project install: .claude/skills/shopify-expert/ inside your project folder
  • Or in the Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the skill
~/.claude/skills/shopify-expert/SKILL.md

How to trigger the skill with natural requests

You do not need a special command. The skill's description lists the kinds of task it applies to, so ask for Shopify work in plain language and mention Shopify, Liquid, the Storefront API, Hydrogen, checkout extensions or the Shopify CLI. The more specific the request, the easier it is for the agent to match the right reference.

Good requests name the goal, the files involved and the environment. For example, say which section you want changed, or which product fields the storefront needs to display.

  • "Fix the error in sections/main-product.liquid and check the theme for issues."
  • "Write a Storefront API query that returns a product by handle with its variants and a care instructions metafield."
  • "Scaffold a custom Shopify app with OAuth and a webhook for orders/create."
  • "Add a checkout UI extension that shows a delivery note below the cart line items."
  • "Review this theme for performance problems before we push it."

Examples of what the agent produces

The skill includes example patterns for Liquid product templates with metafield access, Online Store 2.0 collection filters, a Storefront API product-by-handle GraphQL query, a Shopify CLI command list and a TypeScript Admin API fetch inside an app. The agent adapts these patterns to your files and asks for the context it needs.

The skill's output guidance asks the agent to provide a complete file structure, the code with types, configuration files such as shopify.app.toml and schema settings, the API scopes needed, and a testing and deployment approach.

  • Liquid product template reading a metafield and looping over variants
  • Collection filter section for Online Store 2.0 themes
  • GraphQL query for a single product's title, images, variants and prices
  • CLI commands for theme dev, theme check, theme push and app dev
shopify theme check

What you need before you start

The skill assumes you already work with Shopify. It expects the Shopify CLI (version 3.x), Node.js and TypeScript for app development, and a Shopify store or Partner account to test against. For app work you also need Shopify API credentials.

Credentials should stay out of code. The skill's rules say not to hardcode API credentials in theme code, so keep them in your environment or your app configuration, not in files you might share.

  • Shopify CLI 3.x
  • Node.js and TypeScript for app development
  • A Shopify store or Partner account for testing
  • Shopify API credentials for app work, kept out of code

Safety notes: scripts, network and live stores

According to the skill's listing, it does not run scripts and does not use the network itself. The commands it suggests, such as shopify theme push and shopify app deploy, are run by you through the Shopify CLI, and those can change a real shop.

Treat every generated change as untested until you have reviewed it. The skill recommends testing checkout extensions in a sandbox and resolving all validation issues before deployment. Do not edit a live production store without a staging copy.

  • Review all generated Liquid, GraphQL and TypeScript before running it
  • Run shopify theme check and fix reported issues before every theme deployment
  • Test checkout extensions in a sandbox before deploying them
  • Use a staging theme or development store, not your live shop, for experiments

Tips for better results

Tell the agent which Shopify approach you are using, theme, app or headless, because the skill's reference notes are organised around those choices. Share the relevant file, such as a section or shopify.app.toml, so the agent works from your actual code rather than a generic example.

The skill pins some versions, including Storefront API 2024-10. Check the current Shopify documentation before relying on any version or API detail, because Shopify changes over time and the skill may fall behind.

  • Name the file or section you are working on
  • State whether you are building a theme, an app or a headless storefront
  • Ask the agent to run through the validation steps before deploying
  • Confirm API versions and scopes against current Shopify docs

What people use it for

  • Repairing a Liquid section or template in an Online Store 2.0 theme after a broken render
  • Building a custom Shopify app with OAuth and webhooks using the Shopify CLI
  • Writing a Storefront API GraphQL query for a headless React or Hydrogen storefront
  • Adding a checkout UI extension or reviewing a Shopify Function before testing in a sandbox
  • Reviewing a theme for performance problems before pushing changes

Frequently asked questions

Is the shopify-expert skill free to use?

The skill is published under the MIT licence, as stated in its listing and SKILL.md. The licence covers the skill files themselves; you still need your own Shopify store or Partner account and any agent software you use to run it.

How do I install the shopify-expert skill?

Download the ZIP from this page and unzip the shopify-expert folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. You can also upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

What do I need to use shopify-expert?

You need the Shopify CLI version 3.x, Node.js and TypeScript for app development, and a Shopify store or Partner account to test against. App work also requires Shopify API credentials, which should be kept out of your code.

Does the skill run scripts or access the network?

According to its listing, the skill does not run scripts and does not use the network. The Shopify CLI commands it suggests, such as deploy and push, are run by you and can affect a live shop.

Can shopify-expert build a Shopify store with no coding?

No. The skill is for developers who already understand Liquid, GraphQL and the Shopify CLI, and its output needs to be reviewed and tested. Non-developers who want a store set up without code should look for a different tool.

Is the skill's code always up to date with Shopify?

Not guaranteed. The skill pins versions such as Storefront API 2024-10 and may fall behind as Shopify changes, so check current Shopify documentation for API details before relying on them.

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Our verdict

Choose shopify-expert if you are a developer who builds or repairs Shopify themes, creates custom apps with the Shopify CLI, or runs a headless storefront with the Storefront API. It speeds up the work and follows Shopify's own validation steps, but you must review and test everything it generates. If you want a store set up without writing code, or you need guaranteed current API details, pick a different resource.

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