How to Create a Shopify App with Laravel: An In-Depth Guide

• By Devshi Bambhaniya
• 02-01-2025
• E-commerce

Developing a Shopify app can be enhanced by using the Laravel framework since it provides great flexibility and scalability. More so, it allows the use of the advanced capabilities of web development tools like Laravel to the already existing eCommerce features of a platform like Shopify. Since Shopify is among the most widely used platforms in e-commerce, developing a tailor-made application is a good idea to automate processes, add new features, or connect external applications with Shopify stores.

This is a comprehensive article aimed at educational purposes, on how to go about developing a Shopify app using Laravel step by step from installation of the required resources, to authentication purposes, and app deployment.

What Is a Shopify App?

A Shopify application is a type of software aimed at improving or altering the stand of functionality above that of the Shopify stores. It assists store proprietors in accomplishing tasks that are otherwise impractical with the out of the box provided features of Shopify. Be it stock control, improving search engine optimization or including personalization of shopping experiences, procuring third party tools and many more, all these tasks are made efficiently possible by the use of the Shopify applications that allows the merchants to customize their shops according to their specifications.

Key Benefits of Shopify Apps

When it comes to improving your e-commerce site, Shopify applications play a crucial role. If you are a retailer determined to boost productivity or a software engineer focused on innovating solutions, then Shopify apps simply cannot be ignored. Now let us consider the benefits they offer in greater detail:

1. Customization

Shopify apps allow businesses to tailor their online stores according to specific needs, ensuring a unique shopping experience for customers. Some examples include:

• Custom Checkout Pages: Tailor a checkout flow that suits your target audience by means of multi-step checkouts, integrated upselling options and the like.
• Bespoke Discount Systems: Encourage repeat purchases by instituting ever changing pricing mechanisms such as tiered discounting, loyalty rewards, flash sales among others.
• Tailored User Interfaces: Change the appearance and the general arrangement of your shop to fit the desired brand in question – in order to make the shopping experience smooth.

This kind of flexibility is advantageous to businesses in wellness since they can easily provide features that their audience would like even in this cutthroat eCommerce environment.

2. Efficiency in Operations

Coming in is one aspect. Operating an eBusiness has other features, managing lots of similar activities which wastes time and energy. However, such processes can be simplified and made possible by utilizing Shopify applications, which include:

Inventory Syncing: Make sure stock levels are updated across different sales channels in real-time in order to minimize the chances of overselling and stock outs.

Order Notifications: Provide timely notifications to customers for order processing, shipping and return, by configuring the ready made systems to these activities.

Shipping Management: Obtain applications that will get and manage the shipping label, tracking number and even the delivery scheduling all at the same time without lifting a finger.

It means the routine operations of the store are automated and thus the owners are able to direct their efforts on growth strategies instead of most of the time doing administrative work.

3. Better Customer Experience

Focusing on the experience of the end customer is imperative to keep customers loyal and boost sales. This is possible thanks to the use of Shopify apps, which help in improving the customer experience by:

Tailored Recommendations: Fit recommendation engines that use AI applications to recommend products to the customer based on what they have viewed or purchased before; helps cross-sell and upsell the customers.

Customer Retention Schemes: Offer loyalty rewards, discounts or referral bonuses so as to keep customers and encourage them to buy more.

Easy Navigation: Provide services such as predictive search, filters, quick view and other features so that the customers find it convenient and pleasant to make purchases.

All else being equal, A happy client has high chances of coming back and promoting the store, hence customer experience is one of the most important factors to allocate resources towards.

4. Analytics & Insights

Every aspect of your store’s operation, as well as its future strategies, can benefit from utilizing data to make smart decisions. There are many Shopify apps specifically designed for analytics and reporting of your shop’s performance. These include:

Monitor Sales Performance: Look at specific metrics such as the conversion rate, average order value ( AOV), and the costs incurred to acquire customers.

Analyze Customer Trends: Examining user behavior and the products viewed, include the point at which potential customers exit the sales funnel.

Refine Advertising Initiatives: Optimize the marketing strategy based on the results of email marketing, advertising, and promotions.’

These analytics assist the store owners in the growth of their ventures while maximizing profits at the same time.

Extended Benefits

While the majority of the advantages related to Shopify apps are centered on the primary benefits, there are some extended benefits offered such as:

Seamless Integration with Third-Party Tools:

Shopify apps can integrate the stores to other applications such as CRMs, email marketing applications, payment gateways among others, and therefore making sure that the interconnected operations work well.

Mobile Optimization:

As mobile commerce grows tremendously, most of the Shopify applications are built to ensure that a store has easy navigation even on a mobile phone and tablet.

Scalability:

With the growth of the business, so does the business expansion and development applications grow up to the level of increased resource inventories, complicated processes, and high traffic level with the efficiency remaining intact.

Cost Savings:

Mechanizing certain activities such as shipping, tax computation or stock control eliminates the need to involve people and cuts down reduction in errors which translates to effective usage of resources.

Types of Shopify Apps: A Comprehensive Overview

An essential element in improving and personalizing the efficiency of Shopify stores are the Shopify applications. It isn’t only about adding new elements; it can also be automating certain tasks or integrating the other tools. As such, Shopify applications provide a way for the owners of such stores to grow their business effectively. Awareness of the various categories of these applications further aids in the selection of the appropriate application by the merchants. In this context, we shall examine the different categories of applications for Shopify in more detail.

1. Public Apps

Definition:

Public applications are intentionally built for a wide range of Shopify storeowners and can be obtained from the Shopify app store. These applications serve the same purposes across a range of stores thus allowing merchants who seek off the shelf tools rather than customizing solutions to be in heaven.

Characteristics:

Epoch Coworking: It can be easily accessed by any Shopify Store owner via App Store.
Broad Spectrum of Applications: These include highly sophisticated systems that perform functions such as marketing, product reviews, shipping, inventory and many others.
Versatile: These applications suit all levels of business activities, from small shops to big corporations.

Examples:

Robots: Automated customer service components that aim to increase the level of customer service provided.

Email Marketing Tools- Examples include Klaviyo or Omnisend that allow shop proprietors to conduct email campaigns for advertising and for following up customers.

Payment Solutions- This comprises applications like Stripe or Paypal that offer payment processing services to enable store owners receive payments effortlessly.

Why Use Public Apps?

Public apps are perfect for store owners who need immediate solutions without spending time and resources on custom development. They are often supported by extensive documentation, making them easy to install and integrate with Shopify stores.

2. Custom Apps

Definition:

Custom apps are tailored to meet the specific requirements of a single Shopify store. Unlike public apps, these apps are not available on the Shopify App Store and are built to serve unique business needs, such as custom features, workflows, or integrations.

Characteristics:

Bespoke Solutions: Custom apps are built specifically for the business, allowing store owners to implement features that aren’t available in public apps.

Private Use: Only accessible by the store that the app was developed for, ensuring complete control over the app's functionalities.

No App Store Listing: These apps are not listed on the Shopify App Store but are hosted directly within the store’s environment.

Tailored Integrations: Store owners can integrate with external systems like ERPs, CRMs, or other APIs to enhance the app’s functionality.

Why Use Custom Apps?

Custom apps are ideal for businesses with specific needs that cannot be fulfilled by public apps. If a merchant requires highly personalized functionality or integrations, custom apps provide the flexibility to develop these features without any limitations.

3. Embedded Apps

Definition:

Embedded apps are a specific type of Shopify app that seamlessly integrate into Shopify’s Admin panel, POS (Point of Sale) system, or checkout pages. They provide an enhanced user experience by blending directly into the Shopify interface.

Characteristics:

Flawless Conjunction: As embedded applications provide a more out of the box solution, usage of these applications on the Shopify platform tends to more favorable as they effectively fulfill all the needs.

Great User Interface: The users of the applications do not have to worry about how new applications and program components will be integrated into the system since they are constructed to fit within Shopify s’ system perfectly.

App Integration: The app can be accessed and even controlled by the store owner via the Shopify Admin thus making it more user-friendly and simple to access.

POS Integration: Embedded applications can augment the POS system within Shopify enabling the proprietors of the store to optimize the efficiency of the store’s physical processes.

Why Use Embedded Apps?

Embedded apps are especially useful for merchants who need features integrated directly into their Shopify Admin or POS systems. These apps enhance functionality without disrupting the user experience, making them suitable for both online and physical retail environments.

4. Standalone Apps

Definition:

Standalone apps operate independently of Shopify’s user interface. While they interact with Shopify APIs in the background to perform specific functions, they do not require integration into the Shopify Admin or checkout pages
.
Characteristics:

Independent Operation: Standalone apps run as separate entities and do not require integration into the Shopify interface.

API Interactions: These apps rely on Shopify’s APIs to perform tasks like syncing data, updating inventory, or processing orders.

External Interfaces: Standalone apps often have their own user interface that allows merchants to manage and control the app’s settings and features.

Scalability: These apps are highly flexible and can be designed to handle a wide range of functions, including data analytics, custom reporting, or external system integrations.

Non-integrated commerce applications are perfect for those merchants who wish for some background processes to synchronize with Shopify but do not want to integrate a point-of-sale system to the Shopify Admin Interface These applications are particularly useful in streamlining processes or dealing with other systems without dirtying up the user interface of Shopify.

5. Private Apps (Legacy)

Definition:

Private apps were created for individual stores before Shopify transitioned to the concept of custom apps. These apps are now considered legacy and are still functional for specific Shopify stores but have been replaced by custom apps for better flexibility and scalability.

Characteristics:

Single Store Use: Private apps are built specifically for one store and cannot be shared with others.

Not Listed on the App Store: Like custom apps, private apps are not available through the Shopify App Store.

Limited Scope: These apps were often designed to perform very specific tasks or solve particular problems for a single store.

API-Based: Private apps interact with Shopify’s API to access store data and perform necessary operations.

Why Use Private Apps?

While Shopify has phased out private apps in favor of custom apps, some merchants may still use them if they were previously developed. They remain suitable for businesses that have legacy systems or require very specific functionalities that were not available in public apps at the time of creation.

Why Build a Shopify App Using Laravel?

Laravel development services is a One of the best PHP frameworks, appreciated for its ease of use, fast performance, and large community support. It makes a good base for building Shopify applications as it easily works with Shopify’s APIs and offers plenty of development tools.

Advantages of Using Laravel:

Ease of Integration:

Laravel supports Shopify’s REST and GraphQL APIs, simplifying app development and API interactions.

Built-in Tools:

• Eloquent ORM: Simplifies database operations.
• Artisan CLI: Speeds up common development tasks.
• Blade Templates: Streamlines UI development.

Scalability:

Laravel is highly scalable, making it an excellent choice for apps catering to growing Shopify stores.

Enhanced Security:

• Features like CSRF protection, secure authentication, and encryption safeguard sensitive data.
• Ensures compliance with Shopify’s security requirements.

Time Efficiency:

Laravel’s prebuilt libraries and resources reduce development time.
The osiset/laravel-shopify package specifically aids Shopify app creation.

Rich Ecosystem:

Laravel’s ecosystem includes packages, documentation, and community support, which help developers solve challenges efficiently.

Reasons to Use Laravel Shopify to Manage & Control Your Store

Laravel isn’t just a tool for developers; it’s also advantageous for Shopify store owners who want better control, automation, and customization.

Efficient Data Handling:

Laravel efficiently processes and organizes Shopify store data, such as products, orders, and customers.

Custom Automations:

Automate tasks like dynamic pricing updates or stock level alerts, freeing up time for strategic activities.

Personalized Dashboards:

Laravel allows the creation of custom admin panels tailored to the store owner’s specific requirements.

Real-Time Reporting:

Generate actionable insights and analytics for improved decision-making and enhanced store performance.

Cost Savings:

A Laravel-based app can consolidate multiple operations, reducing reliance on external tools and subscription fees.

How to Create a Shopify App With Laravel?

Creating a Shopify app with Laravel involves several structured steps. Here’s a comprehensive guide:

Step 1: Set Up a Shopify Partner Account

• Sign up at the Shopify Partner portal.
• Navigate to the “Apps” section and click “Create App.”
• Choose whether you want to develop a Public App or a Custom App.

Step 2: Install Laravel

• Ensure that PHP, Composer, and a database (e.g., MySQL) are installed.
• Create a new Laravel project using:
• composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel shopify-app

Step 3: Install the Shopify Package

Use the osiset/laravel-shopify package for seamless Shopify API integration:

• composer require osiset/laravel-shopify

Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

Update the .env file with Shopify API keys:

• SHOPIFY_API_KEY=your_api_key
• SHOPIFY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret
• SHOPIFY_APP_URL=https://your-app-url

Step 5: Implement Authentication

• Configure Shopify OAuth to authenticate Shopify merchants installing your app.
• Use the package’s predefined middleware for authentication.

Step 6: Add Features and Webhooks

• Develop functionalities such as product management, order tracking, or customer notifications.
• Register webhooks to respond to events like order creation or inventory updates.

Step 7: Test Locally

Use ngrok to create a secure tunnel for local testing.
Verify that the app responds to Shopify API requests and webhooks.

Step 8: Deploy Your App

Host your app on platforms like AWS, DigitalOcean, or Cloudways for better scalability and performance.

Integrate Shopify with Laravel on Cloudways

Cloudways simplifies the process of deploying Laravel-based Shopify apps.

Steps:

• Sign up for Cloudways and create a new Laravel application.
• Use Git or SSH to deploy your app.
• Update .env files with Shopify credentials.
• Utilize Cloudways’ monitoring tools to ensure performance.

Handling Errors & Exceptions When Integrating Laravel With Shopify

1. API Credential Errors:

Ensure Shopify API keys in your .env file are accurate. Misconfigured keys lead to failed API requests.

Rate Limiting:

Shopify imposes rate limits on API requests. Use Laravel’s retry mechanism to handle delays:

$response = retry(3, function () use ($client) {
return $client->get('https://api.shopify.com/orders');
});

Webhook Validation:

Verify webhook signatures to avoid unauthorized access.

Data Handling Errors:

Use Laravel’s database migrations to manage Shopify data effectively.
Apply validation rules to ensure the data’s accuracy.

Error Logging:

Leverage Laravel’s logging tools to debug issues effectively:
Log::error('Shopify API Error: ', ['message' => $exception->getMessage()]);

Conclusion

Laravel provides a robust framework for developing Shopify apps, offering scalability, efficiency, and customization. Whether you're building Shopify development services for seamless store management, automating tasks, or creating enhanced user experiences, Laravel simplifies the development process. By following structured steps and leveraging tools like Cloudways and the osiset/laravel-shopify package, you can ensure smooth integration and optimal performance for your Shopify app.