Sidekick Can Now Invoke App Intents Without Tools

What Changed

Shopify has updated Sidekick, the Shopify admin AI assistant, to recognize app extensions that declare only intents, without requiring an accompanying tools file. Previously, Sidekick’s eligibility logic required an extension to declare tools in order to be surfaced to merchants. This meant that extensions using admin.app.intent.link or admin.app.intent.render that registered only an intent, with no corresponding tools declaration, were skipped entirely. Sidekick would never suggest these apps to merchants, regardless of relevance.

With this update, intent-only extensions are now eligible for Sidekick to invoke directly. The change applies automatically across all apps and all stores. There is no API version to target, no configuration flag, and no opt-in process required.

Why This Matters for Developers

Any app currently shipping an intent-only extension, one that registers admin.app.intent.link or admin.app.intent.render without a tools file, was previously invisible to Sidekick’s recommendation system. This update removes that gap, meaning these extensions can now be surfaced and invoked in Sidekick conversations without additional development work.

For developers building admin extensions, this expands the surface area through which Sidekick can route merchants to app functionality, potentially increasing app engagement without requiring new code.

Practical Implications

Developers should check their shopify.app.toml file for an extensions_summary field. If your app includes an intent-only extension and lacks this summary, review whether one should be added to ensure Sidekick has adequate context to invoke the extension appropriately. No migration steps are required to benefit from this change, but confirming your extension configuration is accurate will help ensure Sidekick surfaces your app correctly to merchants.

Read the full announcement →