The Shopify Plus Certified App Program (2023)

As merchants scale and grow with Shopify Plus, their needs become more complex and specific. This creates an opportunity for Shopify app developers to step up and help address those advanced needs.

But standing out to these brands can be challenging. Plus merchants need to know that your app can handle their specific requirements, and you need a way to prove that your product can manage their complex needs. This is why we’ve introduced the Shopify Plus Certified App Program—a program for developers who provide a level of product quality that meets the advanced requirements of Shopify Plus merchants.

Let’s jump into what this means for you.

What is the Shopify Plus Certified App Program?

The Shopify Plus Certified App Program is for best-in-class technology solutions chosen for their quality and alignment with Plus merchant needs. Each app is formally reviewed by the Shopify App Review and Quality Assurance Team, to ensure it meets advanced requirements in the areas of  proven usefulness, infrastructure + performance, merchant support, security, and privacy.

Apps that meet the application requirements are then added to the Shopify Plus Certified App Partner Directory and a dedicated collection within the Shopify App Store. This lets Shopify Plus merchants easily identify which apps are best suited to solving their specific needs.

The benefits for Shopify app developers

Being a Shopify Plus Certified App Partner comes with a number of benefits for developers. In addition to being included in exclusive Shopify Plus directories, you’ll also gain access to special channels to help support you on your business journey. These include:

• Strategic partnership managers: Every Shopify Plus Certified App Partner will be connected with a strategic partnership manager at Shopify. This person will act as your day-to-day contact and will help you identify, nurture, and realize opportunities.

• Technical consultations: Certified app partners will gain exclusive access to our developer success team, who will share updates on our roadmap, help with technical enablements, and guide you through enhancements to our API and platform capabilities.

• Greater visibility: Certified app partners will be provided with an exclusive program badge to be used across their online and offline assets. These badges give partners heightened visibility to Plus merchants.

• More referrals: Being a part of the Shopify Plus Certified App Program means that your app will be recommended more often to merchants by internal Shopify teams.

You might also like: How to Get More App Downloads in the Shopify App Store.

What we’re looking for and how to apply

To apply to the Shopify Plus Certified App Program, please review the criteria and submit your application online.

This program will require that all partners provide the following:

• Support: 24/7 access to app partner support
• Security and privacy: Trusted and secure information and data handling
• Performance: Advanced app performance and integration standards
• Innovation: Leading edge adoption of our latest product developments

In particular, we’re looking for partners who have a record of success with Shopify Plus merchants, and who complement Shopify’s platform. Your app should introduce or enhance existing capabilities. We’re inspired by developers that focus on doing one thing very well, giving merchants new ways to start, sell, and scale together.

As an example of the kind of capabilities we’re looking for in applicants, take a look at our current certified app partners and the kind of solutions their apps provide.

• Accounting and Finance: Xero, QuickBooks
• Advertising technology: Criteo, Tatari
• Affiliate and influencer marketing: AspireIQ, Carro, GRIN, Impact, Refersion
• Business intelligence and reporting: 42 Technologies, Daasity, Segments Analytics
• Content management: Sanity, Shogun
• Conversion optimization: Justuno, Lucky Orange, Privy
• Customer support: Gladly, Gorgias, Reamaze, Zendesk
• ERP technology solutions: Acumatica, Brightpearl, Dynamic 365 Business Central, Infor, Oracle NetSuite
• Fraud and risk management: ClearSale, NoFraud, Riskified, Signifyd
• Fulfillment services: Shipbob, Shipfusion, ShipHero Fulfillment
• Inventory management: Katana MRP, Veeqo Shipping, ShipHero Inventory & Shipping
• Loyalty and rewards: Annex Cloud, Govalo, LoyaltyLion, Referral Candy, Rise.ai, Smile.io, Yotpo: Loyalty & Rewards
• Marketing automation: AdRoll, Bluecore, dotdigital, Emarsys, Klaviyo, Listrak, Mailchimp, Omnisend
• Messaging and notifications: Attentive, Emotive, Octane AI, Postscript, PushOwl, SMSBump
• Mobile apps: Plobal Apps, Tapcart
• Personalization: LimeSpot, Nosto
• Print-on-demand: Gooten, Printful, Printify
• Product information management (PIM): Jasper, Salsify
• Product warranty: Clyde, Extend
• Retail + POS: Endear, Marsello, Shopping Gives 
• Returns management: AfterShip Returns, Happy Returns, Loop Returns, Returnly, Narvar Returns 
• Reviews and user generated content: Judge.me, Loox, Okendo, Pixlee, Stamped.io, Yotpo
• Search: Algolia, Findify, Instant Search +, Klevu, Searchspring
• Shipping solutions: Easyship, ShipperHQ, Shippo, ShipStation
• Subscriptions: Bold Subscription, Ordergroove, Recharge
• Taxes: Avalara
• Trust and security: Rewind
• Upsell and checkout conversions: CartHook Post Purchase Offers, Disco for Brand Partnerships, One Click Upsell – Zipify OCU, Rebuy

You might also like: Ads on the Shopify App Store: A New Channel for App Growth.

Offer the best in technology solutions

We will be certifying new app partners in the most important and innovative technology categories in commerce. Designed with merchants and partners at the forefront, the Shopify Plus Certified App Program is a new approach that will continue to keep pushing the boundaries of commerce.

If you’re a Shopify Partner building technology solutions, join us in building for some of the biggest brands in the world.