Developer Changelog / Shopify AI Toolkit & CLI

shopify app security check
Catch common app vulnerabilities locally before you ship

Shopify AI Toolkit and Shopify CLI now have a new security check command. It scans your code, extension point configuration, and dependencies, then reports the affected location, severity, a suggested fix, and related documentation. It is open source.

On this page
  1. What was released (in 30 seconds)
  2. How it works: from asking the agent to applying the fix
  3. What gets scanned and what you get back
  4. Recommended workflow (4 steps)
  5. Why this is shipping now
  6. Caveats and unspecified details
  7. 5 key points for engineers
  8. 3 practical use cases
  9. One-line summary for proposals

1What was released

Shopify AI Toolkit and Shopify CLI now include shopify app security check .
It runs on your development machineand scans your app for the vulnerability patterns most often found in Shopify apps. It's meant to be run before app submission and with every release.

Background: Attackers are getting faster with AI too

AI is speeding up development, but attackers are using the same tools to find and exploit security gaps faster and more cheaply.

Response: Make pre-release checks standard

It scans for the kinds of issues common in Shopify apps, finds problems in your own code, and even provides guidance on how to fix them.

2How it works: from asking the agent to applying the fix

Developer Ask via /shopify Coding agent AI Toolkit installed Reads the code Shopify CLI shopify app security check Runs locally Findings 📄 File and line number ⚠ Severity and why it matters ✎ Code example for the fix 🔗 Related documentation Fix → Review → Re-check

Prompt to the agent (example from the article)

# To a coding agent with Shopify AI Toolkit installed
> /shopify Check my app for common security vulnerabilities
With this request, the agent uses Shopify CLI to shopify app security check to run it.
Running the command directly lets you see the prompt and context passed to the agent.

3What it scans and what it returns

Scan targets (3)

App codebase
Code you wrote yourself
Extension configuration
Configuration across your app's extensions
Dependencies
Packages your app depends on

What each finding includes (4)

WHERE

File and line

Points to exactly where the issue is.

SEVERITY

Severity and reason

How serious it is, and why it's a problem.

FIX

Example fix

Shows one way to fix it in code.

DOCS

Related docs

Links that explain the pattern and how to fix it.

Coverage

ItemWhat the article says
App typesPublic Custom : both are supported
FrameworksFramework-agnostic. Examples include React Router, Rails, Django, Laravel, and custom auth
Where it runsRuns locally on your development machine
DistributionOpen source (published in a GitHub repository)
PricingNot stated

4Recommended workflow (4 steps)

1

Run the check

Through your agent, or directly from the CLI.

2

Start with Critical / High

Fix the highest-severity findings first.

3

Fix and review the changes

Fix issues with your agent or on your own, and always review the diff.

4

Run the check again

Confirm the fix. Build it into every release.

Run it before submitting your app and with every release. It's recommended as part of your release process, not as a one-off audit.

5Why this is launching now

Merchant trust

Merchants trust apps with their orders, customer data, and revenue. Protecting that trust means keeping pace with evolving threats.

What Partners found in testing

They uncovered issues they didn't know about — specifically,authentication gapsand gaps inmerchant data isolation across stores.

Shared responsibility

It complements Shopify's existing platform protections and developers' own reviews. The goal is to catch more issues earlier in development.

By running the command and iterating with their coding agents, Partners reported they could,without changing their existing stack or frameworks,raise their security bar.

6Caveats and what isn't covered

Zero findings is not a guarantee of security.The article explicitly says to use it alongside your existing tools and reviews. It focuses mainly on common vulnerability patterns.
What you might want to knowWhat the article says
List of detection rulesNot in the article (it points to the "Shopify app security checks" guide)
Severity levelsCritical and High are mentioned. Definitions for all levels aren't given
How to add it to CINot stated (only a recommendation to run it with every release)
Required CLI versionNot stated
Relationship to App Store reviewIt only says you can run it before submitting; whether it's required for review isn't stated
PricingNot stated
Send feedback via the Forum. You can contribute improvements directly to the open-source GitHub repository. Shopify also encourages you to adopt its existing security measures ("Secure your Shopify app") now if you haven't already.

75 key points for developers

1. Runs locally

Runs on your development machine. From the article, it doesn't appear to be built around sending your code to an external SaaS scanner (the article gives no details on where data is sent).

ANY

2. Framework-agnostic

The agent reads your code and checks how the app actually behaves. It works outside the React Router template too (Rails / Django / Laravel / custom auth).

>_

3. Under the hood, it's a CLI command

/shopify ... is just the entry point. Under the hood, it runs shopify app security check. Run it directly to see the prompt and context passed to the agent, which makes its behavior easier to audit.

4. Focused on authentication and tenant isolation

The Partner examples highlighted "authentication gaps" and "gaps in data isolation between stores." If your app is multi-tenant, pay close attention to shop-scoped logic.

5. Open source, and zero findings isn't a guarantee

The rules are published on GitHub, so you can see exactly what's checked and contribute improvements. At the same time, the docs state plainly that "a clean report ≠ safe" . Rather than replacing SAST, dependency scanning, or human review, it's best used asa layer that covers Shopify-specific patternson top of them.

83 practical use cases

USE CASE 1

Make it the final gate in your pre-submission App Store checklist

Challenge
Security checks right before submitting a public app depend on whoever happens to be doing them, so things may slip through.
Approach
Add shopify app security check as a required pre-submission step. Fix and re-run until there are zero Critical / High findings.
Impact
Common vulnerability patterns in Shopify apps get checked systematically before you ship. Each finding includes the file, line, and a suggested fix, which makes handing off fixes easier.
Tech notes
Zero findings isn't a guarantee, so keep your existing reviews. The article doesn't say whether it's required for App Store review.
Store A Store B Store C
USE CASE 2

An "auth and tenant isolation" health check for client and inherited apps

Challenge
An inherited custom app, or a public app used across multiple stores, runs on its own stack such as Rails or Laravel, and nobody is sure its authentication and shop-level data isolation are correct.
Approach
Run the check on your existing stack. Fix the "authentication" and "cross-store data isolation" findings first, the same kinds surfaced in the Partner examples.
Impact
Lower the risk of incidents like one store's data being visible to another, without migrating frameworks. The health check results can also go into your client reports.
Tech notes
Framework-agnostic, and works for both public and custom apps. You can let the agent apply fixes, but always have a human review the diff.
release → check
USE CASE 3

A "check on every release" routine for teams building fast with AI

Challenge
Coding agents have sped up implementation, and manual security review can't keep up with how often you release.
Action
Run the check for every release and treat any new findings as fixes for that release. Dependencies are scanned too, so run it again after package updates.
Impact
Attackers are also moving faster with AI. This keeps a security baseline in place without slowing development.
Technical notes
There are no official steps for CI integration. A practical first step is to add a "run the check and review the results" step to your release checklist.

9One-line summary for proposals

"Run Shopify's official open-source security check locally before submission and for every release.
It works with your current stack and any framework, and each finding includes a suggested fix.
Zero findings doesn't mean the app is secure, so add it as an extra layer on top of your existing reviews."