What Is Shopify Dev MCP? Setup, Whether It Accesses Your Store, and Telemetry

When you write code for Shopify, you ask your assistant about an API or a Liquid tag; Shopify Dev MCP has it search the developer docs and API schemas, and validates GraphQL, Liquid, theme and UI extension code against the schema. It is Shopify's official MCP server; it is not a tool that reads or writes your store data, it does not connect to an account or require authentication, and it runs locally on your computer (Node.js 18+). The package is free (ISC license). Note: published releases send usage events to shopify.dev by default; these events can include tool inputs and results, and this can be turned off.

What it does: Has your assistant search Shopify docs and validate code against the schema
Type: MCP server (local, stdio)
Maker: Shopify
Store access: None; doesn't connect to an account
Telemetry: On by default, can be turned off
Source code: No public repository
Price: Free, ISC

What does Shopify Dev MCP do?

MCP is the standard that lets AI programs connect to outside tools. Shopify Dev MCP feeds your coding assistant accurate Shopify information: it searches the developer docs and API schemas, validates the GraphQL, Liquid or UI code your assistant writes against the schema, and, for theme validation, reads the files in the local theme folder you provide.

YouAsk about Shopify code

AssistantAn assistant that supports MCP

Shopify Dev MCPRuns on your computer

Shopify developer docsAPI schemas; GraphQL, Liquid, theme validation

It doesn't connect to your store; usage events go to shopify.dev by default and can be turned off.

Have your assistant search Shopify docsWhat you get: Docs results, validationNeeds a separate setup

This tool does not manage your store. Shopify offers store management (the CLI's store execute feature) as a separate "AI Toolkit plugin"; the Dev MCP package has no store tool. Don't mix the two up: this page covers only the Dev MCP package.

No official tool list is published; the package code contains five tools: learn_shopify_api, search_docs_chunks, validate, validate_theme and feedback. This comes from the package code, not from official documentation.

Who it's for: developers building Shopify apps, themes or extensions who are tired of their assistant giving outdated or made-up API information.

How do you install Shopify Dev MCP?

Requirement: Node.js 18 or later. No account or store needed. The commands are taken verbatim from Shopify's AI Toolkit documentation; all of them use @latest.

Add› claude mcp add --transport stdio shopify-dev-mcp -- npx -y @shopify/dev-mcp@latest

Then restart Claude Code.

Add to ~/.codex/config.toml: [mcp_servers.shopify-dev-mcp], with command = "npx" and args = ["-y", "@shopify/dev-mcp@latest"] below it. Restart Codex.

In Cursor Settings then Tools and MCP › New MCP server, add {"mcpServers":{"shopify-dev-mcp":{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@shopify/dev-mcp@latest"]}}}.

If you get a connection error on Windows, set the command to cmd and the arguments to ["/k","npx","-y","@shopify/dev-mcp@latest"] (Shopify documentation).

In VS Code, use Command Palette › MCP: Open User Configuration and add the same command under servers in your user mcp.json file. For Antigravity CLI, add an mcpServers entry to ~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json.

For most clients, Shopify recommends the AI Toolkit plugin over MCP; Dev MCP is listed as the "if you prefer MCP" option. To pin a version, you can write @1.16.1 in the command; Shopify does not recommend this.

How do you use Shopify Dev MCP?

After installation, you write requests as usual; when the assistant sees a Shopify question, it uses the docs search.

API question"Which mutation should I use to update a product's inventory quantity with the Shopify Admin GraphQL API? Check the docs, write the query and validate it against the schema."

Theme validation"Check the Liquid files in this theme folder with the Shopify validator and list the errors. Don't change the files."

Where does Shopify Dev MCP work?

Claude CodeYes	One command.
Codex CLIYes	config.toml.
Antigravity CLIYes	Listed in the official documentation.
Cursor, VS CodeYes	Via a configuration file.
Claude.ai web, ChatGPTNo	The server runs locally (stdio); the documentation lists no remote connector.

What does Shopify Dev MCP access, and what data does it send?

Reads

Shopify developer docs and API schemas; code the assistant passes in for validation; for theme validation, the files in the local theme folder you provide.

Writes

Writes nothing to your store and doesn't connect to it. The only thing it sends out is usage events (see Data below).

Deletes

There is no delete tool.

Data

Official README: published releases send usage events to shopify.dev/mcp/usage; events can include tool inputs and results, the API and package version, a random conversation ID and the client/model identifiers the client provides. Versions run from source do not send them.

To turn off telemetry, set OPT_OUT_INSTRUMENTATION=true or DO_NOT_TRACK=1 in the environment. Some clients don't pass environment variables to child processes; in that case Shopify recommends creating an empty opt-out file (macOS/Linux: ~/.config/shopify-ai-toolkit/opt-out, Windows: %APPDATA%\shopify-ai-toolkit\opt-out) and states that the file method works everywhere.

From the package code (not in the official README): the tool description asks the model to add the user's last message (up to 2000 characters) to the usage event, the docs search query text goes to shopify.dev, and the feedback tool sends a rating event at the end of a turn. There is no written statement on how long the data is kept, what it is for, or whether it is used for model training.

The source code is not in a public repository (the Shopify/dev-mcp repository URL returns 404; the npm record has no repository field). This information is based on the package's published files. GitHub Security Advisories is empty; no advisories are listed. This does not mean it is "safe."

Is Shopify Dev MCP free?

The package is free (ISC license); running it requires no Shopify account, store or key. Requirements for becoming a Shopify developer, such as a Partners account, are outside this tool. The agent tool you use has its own separate plan. There is no local-currency pricing.

Common problems and fixes

What happens	What to do
Cursor gives a connection error on Windows	Use the alternative configuration with cmd /k (Shopify documentation).
The telemetry setting has no effect	The environment variable may not be reaching the MCP process; create the empty opt-out file.
The version changes every time it starts	The command in the docs uses @latest; to pin it, write a version such as @1.16.1.

How do you uninstall Shopify Dev MCP?

In the client: Delete the shopify-dev-mcp entry from the MCP configuration and restart the client.
Claude Code: claude mcp remove shopify-dev-mcp (a general Claude Code command; not in the Shopify documentation).
Telemetry: Turning off telemetry is not the same as removing the software; opting out is a separate step.

Since it isn't tied to an account, there is no permission to revoke.

Frequently asked questions

Does Shopify Dev MCP access my store data?

No. It doesn't connect to an account and doesn't read or write your store data; it searches Shopify docs and API schemas and validates code. Store management is a capability of Shopify's separate AI Toolkit plugin.

Does it require authentication?

No. It runs locally over stdio and requires Node.js 18 or later; it doesn't ask for an account, store or key.

Does it have telemetry, and how do I turn it off?

Yes: published releases send usage events to shopify.dev by default, and the events can include tool inputs and results. Turn it off with OPT_OUT_INSTRUMENTATION=true, DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or an empty opt-out file.

Is it free, and what is the license?

The package is free and ISC-licensed. The source code is not in a public repository.

What tools does it have?

There is no official list; the package code contains five tools: learn_shopify_api, search_docs_chunks, validate, validate_theme and feedback. This comes from the code itself.

Does the version differ from the one on the atlas card?

The catalog says 1.16.0, while the npm latest tag is 1.16.1 (October 14, 2026). Because the command in the docs uses @latest, every run pulls the newest version.

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Sources

Not clear in the official sources: Official tool list (none) · how long telemetry is kept, what it is for and whether it is used for model training · an explicit statement that validation happens entirely locally · access to the source code (the repository is not public) · Turkish language support and local-currency pricing. Each is covered in the relevant section.