Back in February, we posted about longer app review times and what was causing them. Submission volume had grown significantly, and our process wasn’t keeping up. A lot of you shared your frustrations, and we heard you.
We’ve spent the last few months rebuilding the submission pipeline to fix this. The new tools are live today, and I want to walk through exactly what’s changing, how the new process works, and what this means for you.
What’s new:
Pre-check with AI
An AI-powered self-review command now lives in your app submission page. Run this before you submit, it takes two minutes and catches the obvious stuff that would bounce you back weeks later. Copy the prompt, run it against your codebase, and you’ll get a compliance report showing exactly what’ll pass and what won’t. Fix the issues now instead of waiting in the queue to find out you missed something simple.
Manage your entire review from the Partner Dashboard
We moved the entire feedback process into the Partner Dashboard under App > Distribution. Every requirement now has its own status showing exactly what failed and why, and lets you respond to your reviewer on any specific issue without jumping to a separate email thread. And resubmission only opens up once all flagged issues are resolved. This is the biggest thing you can do to speed up your review. Addressing everything before you resubmit is what turns a multi-week back-and-forth into a single pass.
Best practices: Using Shopify’s AI Toolkit
The AI self-review runs through Shopify’s AI Toolkit, and the Toolkit does a lot more than pre-submission checks.
When you install it, your AI assistant gets direct access to Shopify’s docs, API schemas, and code validation. It also knows about your app type, category and the requirements that apply to you, so the answers you get are specific to what you’re building. That means you can use it throughout your entire dev workflow: while you’re building, testing, and when you’re ready to submit.
Install the Toolkit as a plugin. It auto-updates as we release new capabilities, so your agent is always working with the latest platform knowledge.
If you have questions or run into issues, drop them in this thread. And if you’ve already used these tools, let us know how they’re working for you.
FAQ
1. I already have an app in review and received feedback through email. Where should I address the feedback moving forward?
If your app is currently in the ‘Reviewed’ status with outstanding issues, your app continues through the existing email-based review process. The new dashboard flow does not apply to this submission.
If your app is currently in the ‘Submitted’ status and waiting for review, no action is needed. When a reviewer evaluates your app, feedback will appear in the new dashboard experience.
2. I already submitted my app for review before April 16. Can I still use the AI self-review tool?
Yes, the AI self-review tool can be used at any point in the submission process.
3. If I use the AI self-review tool while my app is already submitted for review, will it kick me out of the queue?
No, you can run AI self-review while your app is still in the queue. You will only be moved to the back of the queue if you resubmit your application.
4. If the AI self-review tool says my app has met all the criteria, will it get automatically approved and published?
No. The AI self-review tool is a self-review that helps you catch common issues before submission, but it doesn’t replace human review. Even if the tool says your app passes all checks, your app will still go through manual review by our team. The tool reduces the likelihood of rejection, but it doesn’t guarantee approval.
5. Can I run the AI self-review tool multiple times?
Yes. You can run it as many times as you need. We recommend running it, fixing any issues it flags, and then running it again to confirm everything passes before you submit your app.
Keep in mind there’s a token usage cost when you run the prompt in your AI assistant. How much depends on your model provider and which model you use.
6. What if the AI self-review tool flags something I disagree with?
You can still submit your app even if the AI self-review tool flags issues. The tool is a recommendation system, not a blocker. However, if the tool flags something as a potential failure, there’s a high likelihood a human reviewer will flag the same thing. We recommend addressing the issues before submitting to avoid delays in the review queue.
7. Will I still receive email notifications when my app review status changes?
Yes. You’ll still receive email notifications when your app moves to different review states (submitted, in review, changes requested, approved, rejected). However, the detailed requirement-level feedback will be in the Partner Dashboard instead of in the email body.
8. Can I reply to reviewers in the dashboard?
Yes. Each requirement has a notes section where you can add comments, ask clarification questions, or explain your fixes. Reviewers will see these notes when they re-review your app.
9. What if I only fix some of the requirements? Can I resubmit?
No. The dashboard blocks resubmission until all requirements are marked as resolved. This ensures that when your app re-enters the queue, it’s actually ready to pass. If you resubmit with unresolved issues, you’ll just get rejected again for the same things, which wastes your time and reviewer capacity.
10. Can I disagree with a requirement failure and request a second opinion?
Yes. Use the notes section on each requirement to explain why you believe the requirement should pass or to ask for clarification. Reviewers will see your notes when they re-review your app. If there’s a genuine misunderstanding or error, the reviewer can adjust the status.
11. What if I need help understanding a requirement?
Use the Shopify AI Toolkit as your built-in assistant for requirement questions. It can provide guidance before you submit. You can also post questions in the Developer Forums or contact Shopify Support.
