The distance between having an idea and launching a business is shrinking. Your first step can be as simple as a conversation with an AI agent. And that conversation doesn't have to stop at your initial idea.
Agents that work directly with Shopify can help you create and launch your store, manage day-to-day operations, and find new ways to grow your business.
Wherever your ideas take shape, there's a way to build with Shopify: work in the admin with Sidekick, connect your store to chat tools like Claude or Muse, or bring a storefront to life with app builders like Lovable. Developers can also use Shopify's AI Toolkit to build directly in coding tools like Codex.
Think of these options as four doors into your business, with Shopify powering the commerce behind each one. Here's how to choose your starting point.
Which door is right for you?
Start with where you feel comfortable working and what you want to accomplish.
Here's a guide to choosing your door. The technical levels below describe the typical starting experience; individual tools and projects may require more setup.
| Your way in | Choose if | Where you'll work | Technical level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidekick | You want built-in help setting up, managing, and growing your store. | Shopify admin | Beginner. |
| AI Connectors | You want to work on your business from an AI agent you already use. | An AI agent connected to Shopify | Beginner. Just choose your AI chat tool and connect with your Shopify store. |
| AI app builders (vibe coding tools) | You want to describe a storefront and refine its design through conversation. | AI app builders | Beginner to technical, depending on the tool. |
| Shopify AI Toolkit | You want to build custom features, work with Shopify APIs, or manage supported store tasks through a coding agent. | Your coding agent or terminal | Technical. |
These options connect to Shopify in different ways, with capabilities and setup requirements specific to each tool. The best part? You have the flexibility to pick the option that fits the task in front of you.
Start and run your business with Sidekick
Sidekick is Shopify's built-in AI agent. Sidekick understands your store data, business context, and how Shopify works. From guiding your next setup steps to analyzing store performance and scaling your operations, Sidekick combines strategic advice and everyday tasks into a single conversation—right inside your admin.
Prompts to try:
- What's the next most important step in setting up my store?
- Review my product descriptions. How can I improve them for SEO?
- Which products are running low on inventory?
- Help me prepare a Black Friday Cyber Monday marketing plan, including a discount code.
Make repetitive tasks even easier with skills
Start with a shortcut for the task you have in mind. Use Sidekick's library of skills or create your own.
Here are some examples:
- /weekly-summary: Get a snapshot of your store's performance.
- /product-description: Turn product details into clear, compelling copy.
- /social-posts: Draft social content for your business.
- /pricing-strategy: Explore your product pricing strategy.
- /email-campaign: Get help planning and writing an email campaign.
Create and manage your store from an AI agent outside Shopify
Already use an AI agent to brainstorm ideas or work through business decisions? Shopify connectors let you bring your business into that conversation, by allowing you to analyze performance, manage products and inventory, review customer orders, or even create a brand-new storefront.
What can you do with an AI agent connector?
Connectors integrate Shopify into your day-to-day chat workflow. Supported tasks include:
- Analyzing performance: Ask real-time questions about your store's sales and overall performance.
- Managing your catalog: Easily add, update, or optimize product listings.
- Tracking operations: Monitor stock levels and review incoming orders on the fly.
- Launching new projects: Generate live storefront previews using supported store-creation tools.
Choose your Shopify Connector
| AI tool | What you can do with it | Prompt | Where to get started |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Create a storefront preview or work with an existing store's products, orders, and insights. | 'Add Shopify connector' | Set up the Shopify plugin for ChatGPT |
| Claude | Build a storefront preview or connect an existing store to work with its data and supported tasks. | 'Add Shopify connector' | Set up the Shopify connector for Claude |
| Perplexity | Manage an existing store, including supported product, inventory, order, and analytics tasks. | - | Set up the Shopify connector for Perplexity |
| Muse | Start a business or work on an existing store using a personal agent. | 'Add Shopify connector' | Set up the Shopify connector for Muse |
| Gemini | Start or manage your business alongside Google Workspace. | 'Add Shopify connector' | Set up the Shopify connector for Gemini |
| Grok | Set up, improve, or manage a Shopify store. | 'Add Shopify connector' | Set up the Shopify connector for Grok |
| Grok Bot | Start or manage an existing store using a team of specialized agents. | 'Add Shopify connector' | Set up the Shopify connector for Grok Bot |
| Copilot | Connect and manage your business alongside your Microsoft 365 Outlook, Word, and Excel. | 'Add Shopify connector' | Set up the Shopify connector for Copilot |
Your Shopify admin remains the place to finish essential setup and handle actions a connector doesn't support. For example, connected tools can't change payment or tax settings, publish a theme, or issue refunds. Review permissions before connecting a tool.
Prompts to try:
- @Shopify help me add this product to my store
- @Shopify tell me how my store performed this week and provide suggestions on how to increase growth
- @Shopify pull up my best selling products. Let's create a collection and apply a discount
- @Shopify how did buyers find my store last month?
Build a storefront with an AI app builder
AI app builders (or vibe-coding tools) let you describe what you want and turn those conversations into a live storefront. Depending on the tool, you can refine layout, copy, and design through chat or edit the code directly, with Shopify powering your products, inventory, checkout, and orders behind the scenes.
Describe the store you want to build
Try a prompt that explains what you sell, who you want to sell to, and how the shopping experience should feel:
I want to sell [oversized t-shirts] for [those looking for a quality shirt made with organic fabrics]. The style of the store is [utilitarian, large product photos, and simple layout] including collections for [heavy weight fabrics, breathable fabrics, unisex]. The shopping experience should feel [calm and easy to navigate].
Describe what you want to build using tools like v0, Lovable, Replit, or Manus. The vibe coding tool will construct your store, allowing you to claim and launch your Shopify store whenever you're ready.
Build with Shopify's AI Toolkit
Prefer to work from your code editor or Shopify CLI? The Shopify AI Toolkit gives supported coding agents access to Shopify developer documentation, API schemas, code validation, and supported store management workflows. It's designed for developers and builders comfortable with a more technical setup.
Get started
- Install Node.js 18 or higher.
- Choose a supported tool, such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or Visual Studio Code.
- Follow the tool-specific installation steps in the Shopify AI Toolkit developer documentation.
Running the plugin connects your agent directly to Shopify docs, API schemas, and the CLI. From there, you can build and preview a new store, manage an existing business, or extend functionality with custom themes, apps, and integrations—all without leaving your terminal.
Pick a door. Take the next step
Start with one focused task: explore an idea, refine a product description, improve your SEO, or sketch out your first store.
Choose the tool that fits how you like to work—or start with an AI assistant you already use. Whether you're building from scratch, making everyday tasks easier, or finding your next opportunity to grow, there's a door into Shopify for you.
