What to Check in Your Admin Before Shopify's January 1 Custom App Change
Shopify has confirmed that from January 1, 2026, merchants can no longer create new custom apps directly in the Shopify admin. Existing custom apps keep working. The change is small on paper, but it's a good reason to find out which of your integrations depend on these apps and who looks after them.
Published Nov 5, 2025. Author: Ecomm Guys. 4 min read.
Key Points
- From January 1, 2026, new custom apps can no longer be created in the Shopify admin.
- Custom apps you already have aren't affected and keep working.
- New custom apps after that date are built in the Dev Dashboard and then installed on the store.
- Shopify says the change improves security and long-term support for custom apps.
- Use the next few weeks to list every custom app, what it connects to, and who owns it.
What Shopify Announced
On October 30, Shopify posted a changelog update that reads: "Starting January 1, 2026, you can no longer create new custom apps in the Shopify admin." That affects merchants and developers who set up custom apps directly from the admin, which has long been the quick way to get API access for a single store.
Custom apps you already have aren't affected and keep working. If you need a new custom app after January 1, you build it in the Dev Dashboard and then install it on your store. Shopify says the change improves security and long-term support for custom apps.
What a Custom App Actually Does in Your Store
Shopify describes a custom app as one that you or a developer builds only for your store, unlike a public app that many stores install from the Shopify App Store. Custom apps are used to add features to the admin, to read and write store data through Shopify's APIs, or to extend your store to other platforms through the Storefront API.
In practice, many stores have custom apps they have forgotten about. A developer set one up years ago to connect an ERP, push orders to a 3PL, feed a reporting tool, or sync stock with a marketplace. Each one holds API credentials with a set of permissions. When nobody knows what an app does, nobody can tell whether it's safe to change or remove.
What to Check in Your Admin This Month
Open the apps area of your Shopify admin and look at the custom apps listed there. For each one, write down a few details while it's still easy to see them.
- The app name and what it connects to, such as an ERP, a 3PL, a reporting tool, or a marketplace.
- Who created it and who looks after it now, including any agency or freelancer.
- The API access it has, and whether that access is still needed.
- Whether the integration is still in use, or whether it can be removed.
- Any work you have planned for 2026 that would need a new custom app.
Planning New Integrations for 2026
If you have an integration project planned for early next year, such as a new warehouse, an ERP change, or a custom reporting feed, factor the Dev Dashboard into the plan. Shopify's Help Center explains that the Dev Dashboard is where custom apps are created and managed, with logs and health metrics. It also lets you test on development stores before you deploy to the live store.
That's a better way to build, but it means whoever builds your next integration needs access to the Dev Dashboard. Shopify ties that access to roles, so check who on your team should have it before a project starts.
If you'd rather not maintain custom code at all, check whether a public app now covers what you need. Shopify's Help Center notes that apps with the Built for Shopify badge have passed its testing for performance, design, and integration standards.
Document Your Custom Apps Now
Nothing stops working on January 1. But the custom apps in most admins are the least documented part of the store, and they're often what breaks during a replatform, a redesign, or a staff change. We see this when we inherit stores: an order sync stops, and nobody knows which app was doing the work.
A one-page record of each custom app, what it does, and who owns it saves hours later. It also makes the move to the Dev Dashboard a planned step rather than a surprise when you next need a new integration.
Before the Holidays
Before the holidays, list every custom app in your admin with its purpose, owner, and access. Remove what you no longer use. If you have integration work planned for 2026, agree who will build it in the Dev Dashboard and who will maintain it.
Want help auditing your custom apps and integrations? Book a call with our team.
Sources
- Legacy custom apps can't be created after January 1, 2026 Shopify Changelog, October 2025
- About apps Shopify Help Center