SKILL.md
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?
- An app for Shopify
- A theme for Shopify
Or if you need a developer account first, create one free at
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"