Developer Changelog / Partner Dashboard

Removing an app from the App Store
can now be done entirely in the Partner Dashboard

Developers can now start an app sunset (end of service) and remove their app from the App Store themselves, without contacting Shopify Support. The sunset date must be set at least 30 days in the future.

On this page
  1. What's changing (in 30 seconds)
  2. Timeline diagram: from removal to sunset
  3. How to do it (3 steps)
  4. Impact on existing merchants
  5. What Shopify does / doesn't do
  6. Developer responsibilities checklist
  7. 5 key points for developers
  8. 3 practical use cases
  9. One-line summary for proposals

1What's changing

Until now, removing an app from the Shopify App Store required contacting Shopify Support.
Now, developers can, on their own in the Partner Dashboard, start a sunset and remove the app from the App Store.

Before: Ask Support

To take an app down from the App Store, you had to contact Shopify Support.

Now: Self-service

Run "Remove from App Store" from the Distribution page in the Partner Dashboard, and choose the sunset date yourself.

2Timeline diagram: from removal to sunset

Grace period (30+ days): existing merchants can keep using the app D Remove from App Store Run in Partner Dashboard Removed from the App Store immediately No new searches or installs Cannot be undone Developer action window Notices and reminders Cancel billing / uninstall END Sunset date D + 30 days or more App is sunset from merchants' stores removed
The key point: delisting and sunsetting happen at different times. The app disappears from the App Store immediately, but stores that already installed it can keep using it until the sunset date.

3How to do it (3 steps)

1

Open Distribution

In the Partner Dashboard, go to Apps > your app > Distribution.

2

Remove from App Store

Click "Remove from App Store".

3
30+

Choose a sunset date

Pick a date at least 30 days from today. This gives merchants time to prepare and find alternatives.

This action can't be undone.To list the app on the App Store again,you'll need to resubmit it for review as a new app. The announcement doesn't say whether the sunset date can be changed later.

4Impact on existing merchants

Immediately

New users

They can no longer find the app on the App Store or install it from there.

No impact

Merchants with the app installed (until the sunset date)

Removal has no immediate effect. They can keep using the app as usual until the sunset date.

Sunset date

Merchants with the app installed (on the sunset date)

The app is sunset and removed from merchants' stores.

5What Shopify does and doesn't do

ItemShopifyDeveloper (you)
Removing the App Store listing Does Removes immediately Perform the action in the Partner Dashboard
Email notice to merchants Doesn't Responsible Announce the sunset and send reminders before the date
Stopping billing (subscriptions) Doesn't Responsible appSubscriptionCancel to cancel
Uninstalling the app Won't do it for you Responsible from remaining stores appUninstall removed via
Contacting Shopify Support — no longer required

6Developer responsibility checklist (until the sunset date)

  • Notify merchants about the sunset
    In addition to the announcement, send a reminder before the sunset date.
  • Cancel app subscriptions
    appSubscriptionCancel is the API to use.
  • Uninstall the app from remaining stores
    appUninstall is the API to use.
For detailed steps, the official documentation "Sunsetting your app" is referenced as related documentation. Prorated refunds and detailed API arguments or permission requirements are not covered in this article.

75 key points for engineers

1. Delisting is immediate; the sunset is at least 30 days out

The two events are separate. New installs drop to zero immediately, but the design guarantees at least 30 days to support existing users.

2. Irreversible action

This cannot be undone. Relisting requires going through review again as a "new app." To prevent mistakes, set operating rules for the Partner members who have permission to perform this action.

GraphQL

3. Cleanup must be implemented yourself with the Admin API

appSubscriptionCancel and appUninstall need to be called in a batch for every installation. Keeping track of installations is the app's responsibility.

4. Notifying merchants is also on the developer

Shopify does not email merchants. Prepare your announcement and reminder channels (email, in-app banners, etc.) in advance.

5. Forgetting to stop billing risks leaving charges in place

The article explicitly states that Shopify does not automatically cancel billing.Cancel billing, then uninstall, before the sunset date— this is the flow the article prescribes. It does not detail how billing is handled on the sunset date.

83 practical use cases

USE CASE 1

Pruning your app portfolio (retiring unprofitable apps)

Challenge
You publish multiple apps, but retiring ones that no longer justify their maintenance cost required contacting support, so it kept getting postponed.
Approach
Run Remove from App Store yourself from the Partner Dashboard and set a sunset date at least 30 days out.
Impact
Shorter lead time from deciding to retire an app to actually doing it. New installs stop immediately, so your support scope stops growing.
Technical note
Because this cannot be undone, route it through an internal approval flow before executing.
Old app New app
USE CASE 2

Migration campaign from an old app to its successor app

Challenge
After an architecture overhaul, you shipped a successor app, but the old app stays listed on the App Store and new users keep installing the old version.
Approach
Remove the old app from the App Store to stop new installs immediately. During the grace period (30+ days), guide existing merchants to migrate to the successor app.
Impact
Route all new installs to the successor while giving existing users time to prepare.
Tech notes
Notifying users is the developer's responsibility. Plan in-app notifications and emails for the announcement, plus reminders before the sunset.
USE CASE 3

Standardize the sunset process (turn it into an operational runbook)

Challenge
When shutting down an app, it's easy to miss announcements, billing cancellations, or uninstalls.
Approach
Package "Remove in the Dashboard → Announce → Remind → appSubscriptionCancel → appUninstall" into a runbook and a batch script.
Impact
Reliably complete the tasks Shopify doesn't handle for you, preventing post-sunset issues such as unwanted charges.
Tech notes
Assumes you keep a list of installed stores and their access tokens. Log the results so you can rerun unprocessed stores.

9One-line summary for proposals

"You can now remove your app from the App Store entirely through the Partner Dashboard.
The listing is taken down immediately, existing users get a grace period of 30+ days, and the action can't be undone.
Announcements, billing cancellations, and uninstalls are the developer's responsibility, so prepare a runbook before you proceed."