Shopify apps can launch Sidekick—with strict limits

Embedded Shopify apps can now open Sidekick with a prompt supplied by the app. Shopify’s 28 October announcement gives an Ask Sidekick button beside a report as an example: clicking it starts a conversation and sends the supplied text as the merchant’s message.

For app teams, that creates a direct route from a confusing chart or setup step to an explanation. It also makes the wording of the handoff part of the product experience. A merchant should understand what the button will ask before pressing it.

Availability and prompt limits

The API reference limits this to embedded apps in the web admin using App Bridge; the Shopify mobile app is excluded. Check availability with isEnabled() before showing the entry point. The message must be non-empty and no longer than 5,500 characters.

Shopify screens each prompt and can reject it. Links, attempts to manipulate Sidekick, data harvesting and risky store changes are refused. Launches must follow a merchant action, rather than a page load or timer. A launched conversation can use the calling app’s extension tools, not other apps’ tools.

Start with an explanation users can check

Our suggested first use is a narrow question about the report already on screen. State the period and metric clearly, then compare the answer with the app’s own figures. Avoid a broad “optimise my store” button that promises more than the documented handoff can deliver.

Plan the error experience too. Shopify warns that errors without the sidekick.launch: prefix may occur after the prompt was sent, so those errors should not trigger automatic retries. A helpful failure message is preferable to opening duplicate conversations.

The extension guide explains the connection between app tools and launched conversations. For the merchant perspective, see our guide to Sidekick app support and approval. We have checked the documentation, not run this integration inside a merchant store.