Shopify App Launch Checklist: Before and After You Submit

A Shopify app launch checklist has two halves. Before you submit, get the technical requirements, Shopify billing, the listing, pricing, onboarding and trigger emails right, because plans are set at submission and review takes weeks. After approval, start Shopify Ads from week one, keep the listing on niche keywords a new app can rank for, and hustle for the first installs and reviews. Use the checklist below for both.

Want this done for you? The Shopify app launch package gets your listing, visuals, funnel, emails and pricing ready before you submit.
See the Shopify app launch package →

This is a checklist for launching an app on the Shopify App Store. Most “Shopify launch checklists” you’ll find are for opening a store.

I’m Boaz Lantsman, founder of Convert2x. We’ve grown 100+ Shopify apps since 2018, and the Shopify app launch package is how we get new ones ready for day one.

Before you build: check the numbers

Before you write code, check whether the niche pays back: the competitors and their prices, installs and reviews; App Store and Google search demand; cost per install on Shopify App Store Ads and Google Ads; and the unit economics. More in is a Shopify app worth building?

Shopify app launch checklist: technical

From Shopify’s App Store requirements and compliance docs:

• ☐ OAuth first. The app starts OAuth immediately on install, before any other step, and never asks the merchant to type a myshopify.com URL.
• ☐ Embedded in the admin, using the latest App Bridge, with a consistent embedded experience.
• ☐ GraphQL Admin API. New public apps use the GraphQL Admin API.
• ☐ Expiring offline tokens and ID tokens (formerly session tokens) for authentication.
• ☐ The three compliance webhooks: customers/data_request, customers/redact and shop/redact. Respond with a 200-series code, return 401 on an invalid HMAC, and complete the action within 30 days.
• ☐ Protected customer data. If you need it, apply before you submit: Shopify doesn’t accept applications while the app is under review (Shopify).
• ☐ Theme app extensions for anything on the storefront.
• ☐ Re-install works after an uninstall.

Billing and pricing checklist

Plans are set at submission, so pricing is decided before launch, not after.

• ☐ Shopify billing only. App Store apps must use a Shopify-provided billing solution: Shopify App Pricing or the Billing API.
• ☐ Merchants change plans themselves, without contacting support.
• ☐ The Billing API test flag is off for review.
• ☐ Opt-out over opt-in. No real free plan: the merchant subscribes to a paid plan to start the trial. If usage-based, put the max fee in the subscription. Keep development stores free. More in free plan vs free trial.
• ☐ Tiers that map to your merchant segments, one pricing metric, simple copy.

Know the economics too: developers keep 100% of their first $1M in lifetime gross app revenue and 85% above that, after a one-time $19 registration (Shopify).

Shopify app submission: the listing checklist

• ☐ Niche keywords first. Rank keywords by revenue potential and put tier 1 into the app name (30 characters) and the introduction (100). The card subtitle (62) gives merchants a reason to click. The details (500) and feature list (5 × 80) carry the rest, plus up to 5 search terms (Shopify best practices).
• ☐ Copy that says what the app does, its value and what makes it unique. No stats or guarantees in the listing (requirement 4.3.3).
• ☐ Visuals: a 1200 × 1200 icon; 3 to 6 screenshots at 1600 × 900; a main image with a large value proposition, benefit bullets and a clear product shot.
• ☐ An English demo screencast and a test account without two-factor login that keeps working after you publish.
• ☐ An emergency contact email and phone, and no “Shopify” in your URLs or API contact email.

We deliver the listing as Shopify app store SEO and AEO: one listing, optimized for App Store search, Sidekick, Google and AI answers.

Funnel, onboarding and trigger emails checklist

• ☐ Subscribe right after install, onboard after. Apps that do this reach 50%+ install to subscribe.
• ☐ Onboarding with few steps: no sign-up (take details from Shopify), smart defaults, the max-fee approval handled, and the merchant taken to the point of value, ending in the dashboard.
• ☐ A dashboard with key metrics first and next actions.
• ☐ Trigger-based emails: a countdown of trial days, an email a couple of days before the trial ends with a pricing link, an urgent one on the last day, follow-ups after.
• ☐ Tracking from the first install: installs, subscriptions and payments by source, on Prys.

Launching soon? We do the listing, visuals, funnel, onboarding, emails and pricing with your team, so everything is right on launch day.
See the launch package →

How long does Shopify app review take in 2026?

Shopify states no review timeframe (review process). In February 2026, Shopify staff said reviews were taking longer than usual because submissions were at a record high, and advised against resubmitting (community.shopify.dev). Developers reported waits of about a month or more that spring. Plan your launch date around it.

Since April 2026, submission runs through a guided flow in the Partner Dashboard: progress is saved step by step, automated checks must pass before you can submit, and reviewer feedback is tracked per requirement under App > Distribution (Shopify changelog). Shopify also offers an AI self-review tool that, in its words, catches “the obvious stuff that would bounce you back weeks later”.

Cooldowns. Failing the same fixes after two or more exchanges, growing issue counts between submissions, or not answering review emails can put a submission on a cooldown, and later cooldowns run longer (Shopify).

Common rejection	How to avoid it
Billing outside Shopify, or no self-serve plan changes	Shopify App Pricing or the Billing API; plan changes in the app
No immediate OAuth, errors after install, re-install fails	Test install, uninstall and re-install on a clean development store
Switching between embedded and non-embedded versions	Keep the whole experience embedded
404, 500 or other UI errors	Test every screen the reviewer will open
Missing test credentials or screencast	A working test account and an English demo screencast
Storefront changes without theme app extensions	Theme app extensions for anything on the storefront

Source: Shopify, pass app review.

After approval: the first 30 days of a Shopify app launch

• ☐ Shopify Ads from week one. Any published app can advertise, with no review minimum, from $5 a day (Shopify).
• ☐ Hustle: do everything. Email and social outreach: it’s crowded, but do it anyway. Partnerships with Shopify agencies, affiliates, and forums.
• ☐ Installs first, then reviews. Ask after a support call or a real success, in neutral words, never for an incentive. See how to get Shopify app reviews.
• ☐ Fast support, and quick handling of every unhappy merchant.
• ☐ The Built for Shopify milestone: 50 net installs from active paying shops and 5 reviews (requirements).

For the months after launch, see new Shopify app marketing.

How Convert2x launches Shopify apps

We launch Shopify apps in three steps: a market assessment before you build, the Shopify app launch package before you submit (App Store SEO and AEO, visuals, funnel and onboarding, trigger emails and pricing), and Shopify Ads with growth support after launch.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Shopify app review take in 2026?

Shopify states no timeframe. In February 2026 Shopify staff said review times were longer than usual because submissions were at a record high, and developers reported waits of about a month or more in spring 2026. Don't resubmit while you wait: it doesn't speed things up.

What are the most common reasons Shopify rejects apps?

Billing that doesn't use Shopify's billing or doesn't let merchants change plans, installs that don't start OAuth immediately or fail, errors in the app UI, switching between embedded and non-embedded versions, missing test credentials or screencast, and storefront apps that don't use theme app extensions.

Can a Shopify app use Stripe instead of Shopify billing?

Not for merchants who install from the Shopify App Store. Apps there must use a Shopify-provided billing solution, and merchants must be able to change plans without contacting support.

Do I need GDPR webhooks if my app stores no customer data?

Yes. Every app needs the three mandatory compliance webhooks (customers/data_request, customers/redact and shop/redact). Apps without them are rejected.

When should I set my Shopify app's pricing?

Before you submit. Plans are set at submission, so pricing, onboarding and trigger emails are done before launch, together with the listing and the visuals. Usually go opt-out: the merchant subscribes to a paid plan to start the trial.

What should I do in the first 30 days after my Shopify app is approved?

Start Shopify Ads from week one, keep the listing on niche keywords a new app can rank for, and hustle: email and social outreach, partnerships with Shopify agencies, affiliates and forums. Get installs first, then ask for reviews the way Shopify allows.

What does Shopify take from app revenue?

Under the revenue share plan, developers keep 100% of their first $1,000,000 in lifetime gross app revenue (counted from January 1, 2025) and 85% above that, after a one-time $19 registration per Partner account.