Shopify Sidekick is a built\u2011in AI assistant inside your Shopify admin that you can chat with to set up, run, and grow your store using natural language prompts. It is powered by Shopify Magic, Shopify\u2019s commerce\u2011focused AI stack, and connects directly to your store data so it can take context\u2011aware actions and answer questions about your specific business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nInstead of jumping between docs, spreadsheets, and apps, you ask Sidekick things like \u201cWhy did my sales drop last week?\u201d or \u201cSet up a 20% discount for my Summer Collection,\u201d and it will either execute or guide you step by step. This makes Sidekick feel less like a chatbot and more like an embedded operations consultant sitting inside your admin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also Read: Best AI Search Visibility Checkers in 2026<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sidekick can help you set up the core structure of your store faster by understanding high\u2011level instructions. Examples of what it can do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You still remain in control: Sidekick shows previews and asks for confirmation before applying changes, reducing the risk of breaking your live store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sidekick uses Shopify Magic to generate on\u2011brand, commerce\u2011ready content directly in your admin.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use it for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pair this with FixMyStore.com<\/a> free AI tools to refine tone and SEO: for instance, you can paste Sidekick\u2019s draft into a AI copy optimizer<\/a> to align keyword strategy! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sidekick is particularly strong at turning raw analytics into plain\u2011language insights and suggested actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Useful prompt patterns:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Plus and larger teams, this can replace basic reporting workflows where you\u2019d previously export data into Sheets or BI tools just to understand trends. \u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sidekick can execute many admin tasks that used to require multiple clicks or manual setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Common examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sidekick surfaces these actions in a guided flow and lets you confirm before anything goes live, which cuts down errors while still keeping you in control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From inside the theme editor, Sidekick can help you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For merchants who are not comfortable editing Liquid, this is a big productivity unlock; for developers, it becomes a way to scaffold and then refactor into cleaner custom code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest updates is Sidekick\u2019s ability to generate simple custom admin apps for your store. This is a major shift in how small, internal tools get built on Shopify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For eligible plans (Grow, Plus, Enterprise), you can now prompt Sidekick with something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sidekick then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are limits: these generated apps focus on admin\u2011side workflows and are constrained to the Admin API, not storefront customization or public app store releases. But for operational tools that you\u2019d otherwise hack together in spreadsheets or pay a dev to prototype, this is a huge upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you build Shopify apps, Sidekick isn\u2019t just a merchant tool \u2013 it\u2019s a new interface layer that your app can plug into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shopify\u2019s dev docs<\/a> introduce Sidekick\u2011aware app extensions that let merchants trigger your app\u2019s actions via natural language prompts.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n In practice, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a merchant prompts Sidekick:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sidekick is only as accurate as the data in your store and the prompt it receives. If your tagging, analytics setup, or product data is messy, its suggestions will be limited or skewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sidekick\u2019s early rollouts have been English\u2011first and desktop\u2011only, with staged availability and plan\u2011based restrictions for some advanced features like app generation. Merchants working in other languages or primarily on mobile may not yet get the full experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep check admin for current availability and rollout notes, as Shopify updates this frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like any AI system, Sidekick can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best practices to emphasize:<\/p>\n\n\n\nKey Features Merchants Should Actually Use<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Store setup and configuration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n2. Content creation (products, emails, blogs)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fixmystore.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/11-1024x683.jpg\" "\\"11\\"")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n3. Analytics and decision\u2011making support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fixmystore.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/15-2-1024x683.jpg\" "\\"15\\"")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n4. Operations, automation, and discounts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n5. Theme and UX changes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fixmystore.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/12-1-1024x683.jpg\" "\\"12\\"")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nNew Power: Generate Custom Apps With Sidekick<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fixmystore.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/16-1-1024x683.jpg\" "\\"16\\"")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat app generation looks like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How Developers Can Integrate With Sidekick<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fixmystore.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/15-1-1024x683.jpg\" "\\"15\\"")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nSidekick app extensions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Why this matters for app developers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fixmystore.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/15-1024x683.jpg\" "\\"15\\"")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nLimitations, Risks, and How to Stay in Control<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Data understanding and context<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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2. Language and availability constraints<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Over\u2011reliance on AI output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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