Nearly every install starts in the Shopify App Store, so the work is in the listing, the review and the signals Shopify uses to rank and feature apps. This is what Shopify publishes about each, plus the few routes outside the store.
App Store listing: fields and limits
Shopify sets hard limits on the listing. The app name can be at most 30 characters and should lead with your own brand, not a platform's. The introduction is 100 characters, the app details 500, and each feature up to 80. Show 3 to 6 real desktop screenshots at 1600 × 900 and a 1200 × 1200 icon. Put pricing only in the pricing section, never in images, and leave out statistics, guarantees and words like "the best". Registration is a one-time $19 per Partner account; you keep 100% of the first $1,000,000 in gross app revenue and 85% above it, with a 2.9% processing fee on billing.
- Feature media: a 2 to 3 minute promotional video, or a 1600 × 900 feature image if you have no video.
- Up to five search terms, one idea each, and up to six integrations.
- Add a demo store link and a privacy policy; Shopify recommends offering a 14-day free trial.
Sources: Best practices for apps in the Shopify App Store · App Store requirements · Revenue share for Shopify App Store developers
App review: what to prepare
Shopify's review pages state no turnaround time. In April 2026 Shopify staff wrote on the developer forum that submission volume had outgrown the process, added an AI self-review, and moved reviewer feedback into the Partner Dashboard. Resubmitting sends you to the back of the queue, and the self-review does not replace human review. Developers in that thread reported waits of several weeks. Before you submit, test on a development store, run the automated checks, and include a screencast, working test credentials and an emergency developer contact.
- Add noreply@shopify.com to your allowed senders; Shopify emails you from that address during review.
- Repeatedly failing to fix reviewer feedback, or resubmitting with growing numbers of issues, can lead to a temporary suspension from submitting.
- Common reasons for resubmission: wrong pricing details, no way to switch plans, billing outside Shopify's system, install errors and missing test credentials.
Sources: Submit your app for review · Pass app review · App Store review updates (Shopify Developer Community)
Built for Shopify and the spotlight
Built for Shopify is a status you apply for, not a default. Among the criteria: at least 50 net installs from active shops on paid plans, at least five reviews, a minimum recent rating, and Web Vitals at the 75th percentile of 2.5 seconds or less for LCP, 0.1 or less for CLS and 200 milliseconds or less for INP. The benefits Shopify lists include a badge, a search filter, a search ranking boost and priority review for your future apps. Separately, the app review team picks apps for the In the spotlight section every week from those that meet its criteria; being eligible does not guarantee a place.
- Apps are re-reviewed every year, and if criteria fail you have 60 days to fix them.
- Fail the same criterion three times in a row and you can't apply again for three months.
- Story pages need a minimum number of installs, reviews and a minimum rating; none of this is a guaranteed placement.
Sources: About Built for Shopify · Built for Shopify requirements
Visibility, ranking and ads
Only fully visible apps appear in category pages, App Store search and third-party search results. A limited-visibility app can still be installed from its listing URL, so choose full visibility if you want to be found. Shopify says traffic from outside the store can improve your ranking and, if it is significant, can get you into Trending apps on the homepage. You can also buy ads: pay-per-click auctions for search, category and homepage placements, always labelled as ads. Don't create fake reviews or offer incentives for positive ones; Shopify says you will be removed from the App Store.
- Fill in every field in the listing form, including optional ones, and avoid overusing keywords; Shopify says that can hurt discoverability.
- Only apps published in the App Store can advertise, and search keywords are not always sold to the highest bidder: relevance counts.
Sources: About marketing your app · App listing visibility · About Shopify App Store ads
Roundups and press
Agency review sites are one outside route. Digismoothie's Best Shopify Apps hub has a short form for sending your App Store link to be considered for a list, and its pages cover pricing, pros and cons. For press, Shopify asks you to tell press@shopify.com before you distribute a release about your app, and reviews any release that mentions Shopify, which can take up to a week. Practical Ecommerce says it reads ecommerce-focused press releases sent to its updates address, and that it does not publish guest posts.
- Digismoothie sells its own apps, so you may be listed beside them.
- Send Shopify your final press release as early as you can, because of the review time.
Sources: Best Shopify Apps (Digismoothie) · Write a press release for your app (Shopify) · Editorial policy (Practical Ecommerce)
Communities
Shopify's marketing guide points to the Shopify Community forums, Shopify blogs and Reddit as places to talk with merchants, and warns that promoting your app in the Community forums can be treated as spam. Help first and mention your app only where it answers the question. The Shopify Community has an Ask & Offer board, described as the place to ask for app recommendations and showcase your skills and apps, which asks posters to follow the Community Guidelines. Each subreddit sets its own promotion rules, so read them before posting.
- Shopify's guide says being active in the forums and helping merchants solve issues builds trust, and that you can suggest your app where it fits.
- Beyond forums, the same guide suggests webinars, video tutorials and email to reach merchants after launch.
Sources: About marketing your app · About the Ask & Offer category (Shopify Community)
Facts checked Oct 9, 2026 against the sources linked in each section.
