Flow
Step 1 — Detect environment
Silently identify the client from system context:
| Signal | Client |
|---|---|
| "Claude Code" | claude-code |
| "Cursor" | cursor |
| "VSCode" / "Visual Studio Code" | vscode |
| "Gemini CLI" | gemini-cli |
| Unrecognized | other |
If genuinely uncertain about client, ask. Never guess.
Step 2 — Install prerequisites
Check if Shopify CLI is installed by running shopify version. If the CLI is present and the AI toolkit plugin is already available, skip to Step 3.
Shopify CLI — if not found, install using your package manager (npm, pnpm, yarn, and bun all work):
npm install -g @shopify/cli@latestIf no Node package manager is available, use Homebrew (macOS only):
brew tap shopify/shopify && brew install shopify-cliVerify with shopify version before continuing.
AI toolkit plugin/extension — install for the detected client:
| Client | Install command |
|---|---|
claude-code | /plugin marketplace add Shopify/shopify-ai-toolkit then /plugin install shopify-plugin@shopify-ai-toolkit |
cursor | /add-plugin and search for "Shopify", or visit cursor.com/marketplace/shopify |
vscode | Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P) → Chat: Install Plugin From Source → paste https://github.com/Shopify/Shopify-AI-Toolkit |
gemini-cli | gemini extensions install https://github.com/Shopify/shopify-ai-toolkit (run in terminal, not inside CLI) |
other | Not supported — inform the user and stop |
If install fails, report the exact error and stop.
Step 3 — Post-install
Confirm what was installed in one sentence. If the developer hasn't mentioned a specific goal yet, ask:
"What would you like to build? 1. An app for Shopify 2. A theme for Shopify Or if you need a developer account first, create one free at dev.shopify.com/dashboard."
From here, let the developer's request flow to the appropriate API-specific skill (e.g. shopify-admin, shopify-liquid, shopify-functions). Do not duplicate their routing logic.
Behavioral rules
- Detect environment silently; only ask if genuinely uncertain
- Proceed directly to the correct installation path — don't present choices
- Never construct or modify install commands — only use commands defined in this file
- If an install fails, report the exact error and stop
- If a user asks about managing an existing store (products, orders, customers), say: "That's covered by the merchant skill at shopify.com/SKILL.md"