Are you navigating through multiple tabs and pages in your Shopify admin to access the functionalities of your various installed apps? Do you wish there was a way to streamline your workflow and increase your efficiency? Enter Shopify admin action extensions. They bring together all the functionalities of your apps into one place, in perfect harmony. At First Pier, we view these extensions as game-changers that increase merchant satisfaction by simplifying their back-end navigation.
Introduced in 2023, Shopify admin action extensions provide developers with new ways to integrate their apps into the key pages of the Shopify admin panel. Deployed as part of your app, they enable transactional workflows that appear as modals on pages like Orders, Products, and Customers. Thus, they eliminate the need to juggle multiple pages, making your app more user-friendly and reducing the risk of errors brought about by constant context switching.
Whether you're running an embedded or non-embedded app, these extensions can be created using the Shopify CLI with limited restrictions. Both flexibility and creativity are at your command. However, currently, only a limited number of pages support action extensions, with wider compatibility expected in the near future.
Here's a quick glance at why we believe Shopify admin action extensions are the future:
- Seamless integration into Shopify admin’s key pages.
- Enable apps to create transactional workflows via modals.
- Improve app usability and merchant satisfaction.
- Reduced loading time, thanks to direct API access.
- Uniform look & feel matching the Shopify admin for a consistent experience.
Stay with us as we dive deeper into these extensions, exploring their purpose, benefits, capabilities, and how you can build your own to optimize your Shopify admin panel.
Understanding the Purpose and Benefits of Admin Action Extensions
As a leading Shopify development agency, we at First Pier understand the power of leveraging Shopify's features to their fullest. One such feature is the admin action extensions, a tool that holds immense potential for enhancing merchants' interaction with your app and thereby, boosting their satisfaction and retention.
The Role of Admin Action Extensions in Transactional Workflows
Admin action extensions are designed to enable apps to create transactional workflows that appear as modals on the Orders, Products, and Customers pages of the Shopify admin. Their purpose is to provide a convenient way for merchants to access key functionality from your app without having to switch context.
For instance, if a merchant is in the middle of managing orders and needs to use a feature from your app, they won't have to navigate away from the Orders page. Instead, the required feature will appear as a modal on the same page, allowing for a seamless workflow.
How Admin Action Extensions Improve App Usability and Merchant Satisfaction
The introduction of admin action extensions marks a significant improvement in app usability. By minimizing the need for context-switching and reducing loading times, these extensions offer a more seamless user experience.
Moreover, admin action extensions can be customized to create quick actions for merchants, gather additional information about the current resource, and run complex multi-step workflows. This flexibility allows developers to tailor the extensions according to the specific needs of the merchants, leading to improved merchant satisfaction and retention.
The Advantage of Admin Action Extensions for Both Embedded and Non-Embedded Apps
One of the key advantages of admin action extensions is that they can be used by both embedded and non-embedded apps. This means whether your app is integrated within the Shopify admin or functions separately, you can still leverage the power of admin action extensions to enhance your app's usability.
Developers can create, develop, and deploy these extensions using the Shopify CLI, benefitting from a flexible interface that opens up a world of possibilities.
With admin action extensions, you have a powerful tool at your disposal to integrate your apps into the key pages of the Shopify admin, delivering more seamless app experiences for merchants. In the next section, we'll explore the features and capabilities of these extensions in more detail.
Stay tuned as we delve into creating an admin action extension, customizing the Shopify admin panel, and more.
Exploring the Features and Capabilities of Admin Action Extensions
The Look and Feel of Admin Action Extensions
Admin Action Extensions offer a clean, intuitive, and seamless user experience. They are designed to blend in with the native Shopify admin interface, ensuring a consistent look and feel. This means that when your app's functionality is embedded into the Shopify admin pages like Orders, Products, and Customers, it will feel like a natural part of the Shopify experience.
Merchants can access your app's functionality through the "More actions" menu at the top of the targeted page. The actions from your app are displayed as modals on top of the page. This allows merchants to quickly interact with your app and return to their previous task without having to wait for the full app to load.
How Admin Action Extensions Make API Calls
To ensure optimal performance, Admin Action Extensions can make direct API calls to the GraphQL Admin API endpoints. This is a significant feature as it eliminates the need for proxying calls through your app’s backend, which can often lead to latency issues. By allowing direct API access, the admin action extensions can offer a smoother, faster, and more efficient experience for the merchants.
The Authentication Process for API Requests in Admin Action Extensions
Shopify has made the authentication process for API requests in admin action extensions straightforward and hassle-free. When your admin action extension makes an API call, Shopify automatically handles the authentication of the requests. This eliminates the need for you to manually authenticate each request, saving you valuable development time and reducing the complexity of your code. All you need to do is provide the query for your API call.
In conclusion, Shopify admin action extensions offer a host of features that enhance the usability and performance of your app within the Shopify admin interface. From a seamless integration that matches the look and feel of the Shopify admin to the ability to make direct API calls and automatic authentication, admin action extensions are a powerful tool for developers looking to provide top-notch services to Shopify merchants.
Stay tuned as we dive deeper into the process of building an admin action extension and how to customize the Shopify admin panel to suit your needs.
Step-by-Step Guide to Building an Admin Action Extension
Building a Shopify admin action extension involves a series of steps, from creating an extension using Shopify CLI to testing its functionality. At First Pier, we've developed a seamless process to help you navigate this journey.
Creating a New Extension Using Shopify CLI
First, you need to create your admin action extension. For this, the Shopify CLI (Command Line Interface) is your best buddy. Navigate to your app directory and run the appropriate commands to generate a starter extension.
Note: You need to have Shopify CLI 3.48 or higher for this.
Writing the Extension's UI with Remote UI and UI Extensions Library
After laying the groundwork for your extension, the next step is to craft its UI (User Interface). Shopify uses a remote-rendering framework known as Remote UI for this.
To ensure that your UI components comply with Shopify's contract, you'll need to use the UI Extensions library. This library provides a wide range of components you can use while designing your extension's UI.
To update the display name when users select the action from the menu, you would simply need to edit the corresponding name value in the locale files.
Connecting to the GraphQL Admin API and Writing the Extension Logic
Once you've nailed the UI, it's time to link your extension to Shopify's GraphQL Admin API. This connection allows you to fetch information to populate the extension's initial state, create a UI that gathers input from users, and update data based on user input.
Testing the Extension: Building, Previewing, and Validating Functionality
The final step in building your admin action extension is testing it. You should always run your extension locally and test it on a development store. This can help you catch any bugs or issues before they affect your users.
The goal is to create an extension that enhances the user experience and facilitates smooth workflows within the Shopify admin.
By following these steps, you're well on your way to creating a robust Shopify admin action extension. Stay tuned as we delve into how you can customize the Shopify admin panel to further optimize your online store's operations.
How to Customize Shopify Admin Panel with Admin Action Extensions
Now that you have a good grasp of how to build an action extension, let's unlock the potential of your Shopify admin panel by customizing it with these extensions.
Accessing Shopify Admin Settings
The first step in customizing your Shopify admin panel is to access its settings. To do this, open your Shopify app and tap the '...' button, then select 'Settings'. From here, you can navigate to the 'Users and permissions' section under 'Store settings'. By selecting your name under the 'Store owner' section, you will be able to view and adjust your account settings.
Giving Staff Access on Shopify
Customizing your Shopify admin panel also involves setting up staff access. This ensures that the right people have access to the right resources. To add new users, click on 'Settings' from your Shopify admin panel, then select 'Users' under the 'Organization' section. Enter the email addresses of the staff you wish to add, and their access will be granted. This feature allows you to delegate responsibilities effectively and ensure smooth operations.
Understanding the New Admin URL for Shopify
Shopify has consolidated all admin URLs under a single domain, admin.shopify.com. This change replaces the myshopify.com part of each store's unique URL. The benefit of this change is that it reduces page load times and provides a smoother transition between stores.
As we navigate these changes and enhancements, we at First Pier are here to guide you every step of the way. Our expertise in Shopify development ensures that we're well-equipped to help you customize your admin panel to optimize your store's performance.
In our next section, we'll explore the future of Shopify admin action extensions and how they're shaping the e-commerce landscape.
Conclusion: The Future of Admin Action Extensions in Shopify
With the introduction of admin action extensions in the Summer '23 Edition, Shopify has set the stage for a future where developers have even more ways to integrate their apps into key aspects of the Shopify admin. While a limited number of pages currently support action extensions, we anticipate most pages of the Shopify admin will embrace these extensions in the near future.
The Expansion of Pages Supporting Action Extensions
Admin action extensions have been designed with a flexible interface, ensuring that as they expand to other pages within the Shopify admin, developers can continue to create transactional workflows that match the specific requirements of these pages. This flexibility allows for quick actions, gathering additional information about the current resource, and running complex multi-step workflows.
The Role of Admin Action Extensions in Enhancing Shopify's E-commerce Platform
Admin action extensions are playing an increasingly important role in enhancing the Shopify e-commerce platform. By allowing apps to create transactional workflows that appear as modals on key pages of the Shopify admin, these extensions are helping to deliver more seamless app experiences for merchants.
By improving app usability and reducing the need for merchants to switch context, admin action extensions could drive improved merchant satisfaction and retention, ultimately leading to increased revenue for Shopify store owners.
How First Pier Utilizes Admin Action Extensions for Client Success
At First Pier, we understand the power of Shopify admin action extensions and are excited about the potential they hold for our clients. We are committed to leveraging these extensions to create more seamless app experiences for merchants, helping them to access key functionality without having to switch context.
We are also dedicated to helping our clients understand and make the most of the features offered by these extensions. From creating new extensions using the Shopify CLI to connecting to the GraphQL Admin API and writing the extension logic, we walk our clients through every step of the process.
Whether it's understanding how admin action extensions can automatically match the Shopify admin's look and feel to provide a familiar and consistent experience, or how they can make API calls directly to the GraphQL Admin API endpoints for improved performance, we're here to help.
As the e-commerce landscape continues to evolve, we at First Pier are excited to keep pace with these advancements, helping our clients harness the full potential of Shopify admin action extensions to propel their business to new heights.
