Shopify’s Jan 1, 2026 Custom‑App Shift: A Creator’s Tactical Monetization & Migration Playbook

What changed — short and sharp

• As of Jan 1, 2026 you can no longer create new legacy/custom apps from the Shopify Admin. New custom apps must be created in the Shopify Dev Dashboard. ^[2]
• New Dev Dashboard apps use the OAuth client‑credentials grant for server‑to‑server access (merchant‑created custom apps) — tokens are obtained by exchanging Client ID/Client Secret and the tokens are short‑lived (typically 24 hours) and must be refreshed programmatically. ^[3]
• Important nuance: the client‑credentials flow only works for apps created in the same org/account that owns the store. Partner/third‑party developer flows often still need token exchange or the auth code flow; collaborator access patterns changed. That matters if you hire outside developers or agencies. ^[4]

Who this affects (and how badly)

• Solo creators with simple Shopify stores who never used custom apps: low impact (but still check).
• Creators or small teams using a developer/agency to add private features or automations (webhooks, license servers, fulfillment, private checkout flows): medium to high impact — you’ll need a migration plan. ^[6]
• Agencies, developers and partners who created apps for many client stores: high impact — Partner account limitations mean new workflow adjustments and possible rework. ^[7]

Tactical Playbook: 7 steps to triage, migrate and protect revenue

Step 0 — Time box: do this in the next 72 hours

• Audit your store(s) now — don’t wait. The earlier you catch a dependency the cheaper the fix.
• If you plan a product launch in the next 30–90 days, put migrations ahead of new marketing spend.

Step 1 — Quick audit (10–30 minutes)

• Log into Shopify Admin → Settings → Apps and sales channels → Develop apps (or check your Partner/Dev Dashboard) and list any custom/legacy apps and what they do (digital delivery, subscription sync, webhook consumers, license servers, theme injectors, checkout customizations). ^[8]
• For each custom app, note: owner account, whether a Partner/Agency created it, and if it uses a non‑expiring token you copied into your services or server (very common).

Step 2 — Immediate temporary fixes (when you need an urgent launch)

• If an external developer or agency needs access immediately, ask the store owner to create the custom app in their Dev Dashboard and provide the Client ID & Client Secret (not the access token). Then the developer can use the Client Credentials Grant to request tokens programmatically. This avoids sharing long‑term tokens. (Short‑term only — rotate credentials after migration.) ^[9]
• If that’s impossible, consider pausing the launch or switch the purchase flow temporarily to a hosted checkout or third‑party storefront (see options below) until you finish a secure migration.

Step 3 — Migrate properly: Dev Dashboard + Client Credentials Grant

Step 4 — Security & ops changes (must do)

• Don’t store Client Secrets in plaintext. Use secrets manager (AWS Secrets Manager, GCP Secret Manager, 1Password secrets).
• Implement token refresh automation (cron or lambda) and monitor for 401 errors. Short‑lived tokens mean you must build refresh logic. ^[11]
• If you work with partners, switch to token exchange or auth code flows for partner apps; require them to document what they need and rotate keys after access is removed. ^[12]

Step 5 — Consider alternatives (if migration is expensive or you want to simplify)

For many creators the simplest long‑term choice is to move some product lines off Shopify to creator‑first platforms that handle digital delivery, taxes and checkout so you can avoid rebuilding custom apps. Here’s a practical comparison (pricing and notes current as of Jan 10, 2026):

Step 6 — Example revenue math (real numbers) 💸

Scenario: you sell a $20 digital course and you expect 1,000 students (gross revenue $20,000).

• Gumroad fees: 10% + $0.50 per sale → per sale fee = $2 + $0.50 = $2.50 → total fees ≈ $2,500 → net ≈ $17,500. ^[17]
• SendOwl + Stripe: $39/month (≈ $468/year) + Stripe processing 2.9% + $0.30 → per sale Stripe fee = $0.88 → total Stripe fees ≈ $880; total ≈ $1,348 (468 + 880) → net ≈ $18,652. ^[18]
• Sellfy Starter + Stripe: $29/month (≈ $348/year) + Stripe processing fees ($880) → total ≈ $1,228 → net ≈ $18,772. ^[19]

Takeaway: at higher volumes the monthly subscription players (SendOwl / Sellfy) usually beat 10% marketplace‑style fees — but they require setup and may lack Shopify’s storefront features. Run the math for your expected volume before moving. (Numbers checked Jan 10, 2026.)

Step 7 — Migration checklist (copy + paste)

• Inventory: list all custom apps and exactly what each does.
• Ownership: confirm which account created each app (Merchant vs Partner).
• Short‑term: ask merchant to create Dev Dashboard app and hand Client ID/Secret to developer if launch is urgent. Rotate secrets after migration. ^[20]
• Dev work: implement client credentials exchange + token refresh (24‑hour expiry) — estimate: $500–$3,000 for a simple server script, $3k+ for complex integrations.
• Test: staging store, test webhooks and delivery, run a pilot sale.
• Go live: rotate keys, revoke old access tokens, update documentation.

Verdict grid: recommended paths by revenue and technical capacity

Resources & links (sources I used today — Jan 10, 2026)

• Shopify Changelog — "Legacy custom apps can’t be created after January 1, 2026". ^[25]
• Shopify Dev docs — "Using the client credentials grant" (token exchange, example curl, 24‑hour expiry). ^[26]
• Shopify developer community threads explaining Partner vs Merchant limitations and token behaviors. ^[27]
• SendOwl pricing (Starter $39/mo etc.) — pricing page. ^[28]
• Gumroad pricing (10% + $0.50 transaction fee for direct sales). ^[29]
• Sellfy pricing (Starter $29/mo, Business $79/mo). ^[30]
• Stripe pricing page (standard online card rate & global context). ^[31]
• Context on Shopify app ecosystem / developer payouts. ^[32]

Actionable checklist (copy/paste)

• Audit custom apps — store name, app name, owner account, purpose, token location.
• If Partner‑created, confirm whether they can create an app in your Dev Dashboard or whether you must give them collaborator access.
• Create Dev Dashboard app if needed & generate Client ID/Secret. Store secrets in a vault.
• Implement client credentials token request & refresh (use example curl in Shopify docs). ^[36]
• Test on a development store and run 5–10 sample purchases to validate flows before marketing pushes.