The latest articles on DEV Community by Sukhmeet Singh (@sukhmeet_singh). https://dev.to/sukhmeet_singh https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F1709008%2Ff136279e-81bc-4d52-ad35-1865b804eaf2.png https://dev.to/sukhmeet_singh en Sukhmeet Singh Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:01:54 +0000 https://dev.to/sukhmeet_singh/shopify-app-store-submission-14-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-my-first-submit-2oj6 https://dev.to/sukhmeet_singh/shopify-app-store-submission-14-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-my-first-submit-2oj6 <p>I just submitted multiple Shopify app .<br> Here's everything I learned that the docs don't clearly tell you.</p> <h2> 1. Screencast video is REQUIRED — not optional </h2> <p>I assumed the demo video was a "nice to have." It's not. You literally cannot submit without a screencast URL (YouTube, Vimeo, or Loom). Plan for this before you open the listing form.</p> <p>Keep it 60-90 seconds: install → enable → core feature working. Upload as unlisted on YouTube.</p> <h2> 2. Screenshots must be exactly 1600×900 </h2> <p>Not "at least 1600 wide." Not 2400×1350 (same aspect ratio). <strong>Exactly 1600×900 pixels.</strong> I had to re-render all my screenshots after discovering this the hard way.</p> <p>Pro tip: if you're using Chrome to capture, set <code>devicePixelRatio</code> to 1 — HiDPI screens will silently render at 2400×1350.</p> <h2> 3. No pricing language anywhere in images </h2> <p>Shopify's automated scanner catches text in screenshots too. I had "Free forever" as a badge in one screenshot — flagged immediately. <br> No "free", no "$0", no pricing references in any image. Pricing info belongs only in the pricing section.</p> <h2> 4. The subtitle is a sentence, not a keyword list </h2> <p>"GDPR, CCPA, Cookie Banner, Consent Mode" gets flagged as keyword stuffing. Write a value statement instead: "A consent banner that keeps your analytics working after consent."</p> <h2> 5. "Never breaks" = unsubstantiated claim </h2> <p>Any absolute or comparative claim gets rejected. "Never breaks your tracking", "the fastest", "guaranteed results" — all flagged. </p> <p>Describe the mechanism instead: "Consent is applied through Shopify's Customer Privacy API, so pixels continue working in a consent-aware way."</p> <h2> 6. Your app icon goes on the Dev Dashboard, not Partner Dashboard </h2> <p>Spent 20 minutes looking for the icon upload in the Partner Dashboard. It's not there. Go to <code>dev.shopify.com</code> → your app → settings. Must be exactly 1200×1200.</p> <h2> 7. Feature Media ≠ Screenshots </h2> <p>I originally uploaded the same image for both. They display adjacent in the listing — duplicating looks unprofessional. Feature Media (1 image) = hero benefit image that sells the value. Screenshots (3+) = product walkthrough showing how it works.</p> <h2> 8. Category cannot be changed after submission </h2> <p>Choose carefully. I almost picked the wrong one and would have had to create a new app to fix it.</p> <h2> 9. Embedded app checks run every 2 hours </h2> <p>Your submit button will be greyed out until these checks pass. They run automatically every ~2 hours. To trigger them faster: open your app on a dev store so it generates session data, then click "Run" on the checks page.</p> <h2> 10. There are hidden required fields </h2> <p>Category-specific tags (e.g., "Compliance types", "Accessibility tools"), Languages, and App Capabilities checkboxes are all required but don't appear until you've selected your category. I hit these at submit time and had to go back.</p> <h2> 11. "Embedded" + "Online store" capabilities </h2> <p>If your app has an admin page (App Bridge) AND a theme extension (storefront widget), you need to check BOTH "Embedded" and "Online store" in the capabilities dialog. Missed "Online store" on my first try.</p> <h2> 12. Testing instructions are gold — write them clearly </h2> <p>Reviewers follow your testing instructions step-by-step. A clear numbered list (install → enable → test → verify) reduces back-and-forth. <br> Include specific values to enter: "Enter phone number 1415555267100" — don't make the reviewer guess.</p> <h2> 13. Approval is faster than you think </h2> <p>Every post online says "3-5 weeks." My first app was approved in <strong>3 days</strong>. The second took 3 days too. Don't delay submission waiting for perfection — submit and iterate. You can update your listing after approval.</p> <h2> Bonus: My pre-submission checklist </h2> <p>I use this before every submission now:</p> <ul> <li>[ ] Icon: 1200×1200, uploaded to Dev Dashboard</li> <li>[ ] Screenshots: exactly 1600×900 (devicePixelRatio=1), no pricing text</li> <li>[ ] Feature Media: 1600×900, different from screenshot #1</li> <li>[ ] Screencast: uploaded to YouTube (unlisted), URL ready</li> <li>[ ] Listing copy: intro ≤100 chars, details ≤500 chars, features 3-5 × ≤80 chars</li> <li>[ ] No "free" in features/images, no absolute claims, subtitle is a sentence</li> <li>[ ] Category tags filled, languages selected, capabilities checked</li> <li>[ ] SEO fields: title tag (≤60), meta description (≤160)</li> <li>[ ] Privacy + Terms URLs returning 200</li> <li>[ ] App installed on dev store + working (triggers embedded checks)</li> <li>[ ] Testing instructions: clear numbered steps with specific test values</li> </ul> <p>Hope this saves someone a few hours of confusion. If you're building Shopify apps and have questions about the process, happy to share more in the comments.</p> shopify webdev beginners indie