Shopify CLI 4.8 Adds Commands to Create and Delete Dev Stores

What Changed

Shopify CLI 4.8 introduces new shopify store commands that let developers create and manage development stores directly from the terminal or through a coding agent. The update adds two primary commands:

• shopify store create dev creates a new dev store within the developer’s Dev Dashboard organization, intended for building and testing apps, themes, and Shopify features.
• shopify store delete removes a dev store, though this command can only be executed by the store owner.

These commands are available immediately after updating to Shopify CLI 4.8 and integrate with the existing Dev Dashboard organization structure, meaning stores created via CLI appear alongside those created through the web interface.

Why This Matters for App Developers

Prior to this update, creating and deleting dev stores required navigating to the Partner Dashboard or Dev Dashboard through a browser. For developers who manage multiple stores for testing across different app versions, themes, or Shopify API features, this added friction to workflows that are otherwise fully scriptable or automatable.

By moving store lifecycle management into the CLI, Shopify enables developers to incorporate dev store provisioning into automated testing pipelines, CI/CD workflows, and scripts used by coding agents. This is particularly relevant for teams running automated end-to-end tests that require fresh store environments or for agencies managing dev stores across multiple client projects.

Practical Implications

Developers should confirm they have updated to Shopify CLI 4.8 or later to access these commands. Because shopify store delete requires store owner permissions, teams should review their organization’s role assignments in the Dev Dashboard to ensure the correct team members can execute cleanup operations. Organizations that rely on temporary or disposable dev stores for testing may want to evaluate how these commands fit into existing store management or cleanup scripts to avoid accumulating unused stores.

Read the full announcement →