Agent skill

shopify-local-dev-loop

Configure Shopify local development with Shopify CLI, hot reload, and ngrok tunneling. Use when setting up a development environment, configuring test workflows, or establishing a fast iteration cycle with Shopify. Trigger with phrases like "shopify dev setup", "shopify local development", "shopify dev environment", "develop with shopify", "shopify CLI dev".

Stars 1,803
Forks 241

Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills/tree/main/plugins/saas-packs/shopify-pack/skills/shopify-local-dev-loop

SKILL.md

Shopify Local Dev Loop

Overview

Set up a fast, reproducible local development workflow using Shopify CLI, ngrok tunneling for webhooks, and Vitest for testing against the Shopify API.

Prerequisites

  • Completed shopify-install-auth setup
  • Node.js 18+ with npm/pnpm
  • Shopify CLI 3.x (npm install -g @shopify/cli)
  • A Shopify Partner account and development store

Instructions

Step 1: Scaffold with Shopify CLI

bash
# Create a new Remix-based Shopify app (recommended)
shopify app init

# Or scaffold manually
mkdir my-shopify-app && cd my-shopify-app
npm init -y
npm install @shopify/shopify-api @shopify/shopify-app-remix \
  @shopify/app-bridge-react @remix-run/node @remix-run/react

Step 2: Project Structure

my-shopify-app/
├── app/
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── app._index.tsx      # Main app page
│   │   ├── app.products.tsx    # Products management
│   │   ├── auth.$.tsx          # OAuth callback
│   │   └── webhooks.tsx        # Webhook handler
│   ├── shopify.server.ts       # Shopify API client setup
│   └── root.tsx
├── extensions/                  # Theme app extensions
├── shopify.app.toml             # App configuration
├── .env                         # Local secrets (git-ignored)
├── .env.example                 # Template for team
└── package.json

Step 3: Configure shopify.app.toml

toml
# shopify.app.toml — central app configuration
name = "My App"
client_id = "your_api_key_here"

[access_scopes]
scopes = "read_products,write_products,read_orders"

[auth]
redirect_urls = [
  "https://localhost/auth/callback",
  "https://localhost/auth/shopify/callback",
]

[webhooks]
api_version = "2024-10"

  [webhooks.subscriptions]
  # Mandatory GDPR webhooks
  [[webhooks.subscriptions]]
  topics = ["customers/data_request"]
  uri = "/webhooks"

  [[webhooks.subscriptions]]
  topics = ["customers/redact"]
  uri = "/webhooks"

  [[webhooks.subscriptions]]
  topics = ["shop/redact"]
  uri = "/webhooks"

Step 4: Start Dev Server with Tunnel

bash
# Shopify CLI handles ngrok tunnel + OAuth automatically
shopify app dev

# This will:
# 1. Start your app on localhost:3000
# 2. Create an ngrok tunnel
# 3. Update your app URLs in Partner Dashboard
# 4. Open your app in the dev store admin
# 5. Hot reload on file changes

Step 5: Set Up Testing

typescript
// tests/shopify-client.test.ts
import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";

// Mock the Shopify API client
vi.mock("@shopify/shopify-api", () => ({
  shopifyApi: vi.fn(() => ({
    clients: {
      Graphql: vi.fn().mockImplementation(() => ({
        request: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
          data: {
            products: {
              edges: [
                { node: { id: "gid://shopify/Product/1", title: "Test Product" } },
              ],
            },
          },
        }),
      })),
    },
    session: {
      customAppSession: vi.fn(() => ({ shop: "test.myshopify.com" })),
    },
  })),
}));

describe("Shopify Integration", () => {
  it("should fetch products", async () => {
    // Test your product-fetching logic here
  });

  it("should handle GraphQL errors", async () => {
    // Test error handling
  });
});
json
{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "shopify app dev",
    "build": "remix vite:build",
    "test": "vitest",
    "test:watch": "vitest --watch",
    "lint": "eslint app/",
    "shopify": "shopify",
    "deploy": "shopify app deploy"
  }
}

Step 6: GraphQL Explorer for Development

bash
# Open the Shopify GraphiQL explorer for your store
# Navigate to: https://your-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2024-10/graphql.json
# Use the Shopify Admin GraphiQL app (install from admin)

# Or use curl to test queries directly:
curl -X POST \
  "https://your-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2024-10/graphql.json" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-Shopify-Access-Token: shpat_xxx" \
  -d '{"query": "{ shop { name } }"}'

Output

  • Shopify CLI dev server running with hot reload
  • Ngrok tunnel forwarding to localhost
  • Test suite with mocked Shopify API calls
  • GraphQL explorer available for API exploration

Error Handling

Error Cause Solution
Could not find a Shopify partner organization CLI not logged in Run shopify auth login
Port 3000 already in use Another process on port Kill process or use --port 3001
Tunnel connection failed ngrok issues Check ngrok status or use --tunnel-url
App not installed on store First time setup Open the URL CLI provides, accept install
SHOPIFY_API_KEY not set Missing .env Copy from .env.example and fill in values

Examples

Debug with Request Logging

typescript
// Enable verbose request logging in development
import { LogSeverity } from "@shopify/shopify-api";

const shopify = shopifyApi({
  // ... other config
  logger: {
    level: LogSeverity.Debug, // Logs all requests/responses
    httpRequests: true,
    timestamps: true,
  },
});

Seed Test Data

typescript
// scripts/seed-dev-store.ts — create test products
async function seedStore(client: any) {
  const products = [
    { title: "Test Widget", productType: "Widget", vendor: "Dev" },
    { title: "Test Gadget", productType: "Gadget", vendor: "Dev" },
  ];

  for (const product of products) {
    await client.request(`
      mutation { productCreate(product: {
        title: "${product.title}",
        productType: "${product.productType}",
        vendor: "${product.vendor}"
      }) {
        product { id title }
        userErrors { field message }
      }}
    `);
  }
}

Resources

Next Steps

See shopify-sdk-patterns for production-ready code patterns.

Expand your agent's capabilities with these related and highly-rated skills.

Didn't find tool you were looking for?

Be as detailed as possible for better results