Hone Your Shopify Apps With a Development Store

Testing your app before submitting it to Shopify is a best practice that can help you avoid potential headaches down the road. By testing your app on Shopify's development platform, you can ensure that it is functioning properly and meets all the requirements outlined in the Shopify Developer Guidelines.

Additionally, testing your app on Shopify's development platform allows you to collect valuable feedback from other developers who are using the same platform. This feedback can help you improve the functionality and usability of your app.

How to Create a Development Store to Test Your App

Before launching a development store, you'll need to create a Shopify Partner account. After your account is set up, simply:

1. Log in to your Shopify Partner dashboard.
2. Navigate to Stores > Add store.
3. Within the Store type panel, select Development store.
4. From the Login information panel, enter your new store's name and password.
5. If you'd like, check the Create a non-transferrable store that uses developer preview if you'd like to enable developer preview.
6. From the Store address panel, enter your business address.
7. If you'd prefer, from the Store purpose panel, nominate a reason you are creating a development store.
8. Finish up by clicking Save.

How to Test Shopify Apps in a Developmental Store

Now that your development store is all set up and configured to your liking, let's go ahead and test your budding Shopify app. To do this, simply:

1. Log back in to your Shopify Partner dashboard.
2. From the dashboard, navigate to Apps.
3. Select the name of your app to head to the App overview page.
4. From this page, in the Test your app panel, navigate to Select store.
5. Select the newly created development store that you wish to test your app in.
6. To finish up, click Install app.

Once Install app is clicked, the platform should take you to the OAuth screen. If it does not, you'll need to check if your app has integrated correctly. To do this, check your app's coding, URLs, and redirects. If you are seeing this problem, head to Shopify's Getting started with OAuth page for more information.

To learn more about Shopify, head over to our multi-store inventory apps guide or check out our how to manage Shopify inventory article.

Tips for Testing Your Shopify App

When you're testing your app, there are a few key things to keep in mind, such as the following:

1. First, be sure to test on different devices and browsers. This will give you a good idea of how your app looks and performs on different platforms.
2. Next, pay attention to the user experience. Make sure that everything works smoothly and that the user interface is easy to navigate.
3. To finish, note any errors or glitches. These can be anything from small typos to major glitches that cause the app to crash. Be sure to rectify any issues before launching your app.

Does Shopify Have a Test Environment?

Shopify.dev is the official test environment for Shopify merchants that allows developers to test their themes and apps before they are submitted to the Shopify App Store. The environment is also helpful for troubleshooting issues with live stores.

Shopify.dev is a replica of the Shopify platform that includes all the features and functionality of the live store. This way, developers can create test stores, add products, and configure settings just as they would in a live setting.

The environment also includes a built-in theme editor and app editor, allowing developers to preview their changes in real time before submitting them for approval.

The Shopify team regularly updates Shopify.dev with the latest features and changes to the platform. This ensures that developers have access to the most up-to-date information when building their themes and apps.