"i only speak liquid" #83: Shopify’s Next-Gen Dev Platform & Polaris Updates: What Developers Should Know

Hey everyone,

This is Vitalii’s 3rd edit of “i_only_speak_liquid”!

—

Vitalii is a full-stack JavaScript and Shopify developer who’s worked with brands like CDLP and Represent.

He specializes in building high-performance Next.js and Remix storefronts, along with custom Shopify solutions that drive revenue and customer satisfaction.

Ofc: He’s an expert on Storetasker 😉 apply here.

Let’s dive in 🤿

What I’ve been thinking about:

Shopify’s Next-Gen Dev Platform & Polaris Updates: What Developers Should Know

Hey Shopify friends, I’ve been following Shopify’s ecosystem closely, and the past couple of weeks have brought some exciting changes. The big headline is the Next-Gen Dev Platform, which is starting to reshape how we build apps and manage stores. Here’s a breakdown from a dev perspective.

Next-Gen Dev Platform

Shopify has overhauled the developer experience, unifying app building, testing, and management into one streamlined workflow:

• Dev Dashboard: Replaces the old Partner Dashboard, centralizing app management, dev stores, and extensions in one hub.
  

• Shopify CLI (3.84+): Handles local coding, data modeling with TOML files (like for metaobjects), and one-command deploys.
  

• App Dev Preview: Test app and extension changes in isolated dev stores without full deploys.
  

• Unlimited Dev Stores: Create dev stores on any plan (including Plus) with generated test data mimicking real merchant setups.
  

• Collaboration Tools: Share access with partners or merchants easily.
  

Thoughts: The App Dev Preview and CLI improvements make iterating locally and testing in production-like environments much smoother. If you’ve been avoiding the CLI, now’s the time to dive in  -  this is clearly Shopify’s core workflow going forward.

Polaris Design System Updates

Shopify has also introduced significant updates to Polaris, enhancing the development experience for building apps:

New Components
Eight new unified components are now available for Shopify Admin

Migration to Web Components
Polaris is now based on web components, unifying the design system across Admin, Checkout, and Customer Accounts. This ensures a consistent UI across the Shopify ecosystem.

Version 12 Enhancements

• New Admin Design Language – Refined visual language
  

• Refined Tokens – Updated design tokens for better customization
  

• Aligned Component APIs – Standardized APIs for easier integration
  

• Updated Figma UI Kit – Enhanced resources for designers
  

Other Updates Worth Knowing

• Shopify Plus Multi-Account Management – Manage multiple stores from one hub using tools like Unify for inventory and order sync.
  

• POS v10.2+ – Supports store credits for payments/returns and syncs with Facebook orders.
  

• Flow Data Hashing – Secure sensitive data (PII, API keys) with new hashing support.
  

• Announcement Bar Extensions – Add promos or updates to Customer Accounts and Thank You pages.
  

• “Shop” Feature on X – Upload photos to get shareable captions for customer engagement.
  

Thoughts: Multi-store management is a pain point for many Plus clients, so having one hub and sync tools baked in is a huge time-saver. Flow hashing shows Shopify tightening up data security, which becomes more important as merchants scale.

3 links you can’t miss:

• Shopify Dev Platform Docs – Full guides for the Next-Gen Dev Platform

• Codia AI – Figma to code, highly recommend

• Signeasy – Quick way to manage contracts and agreements digitally

1 app I like:

Launch Check App – Checks your store setup in under two minutes and catches issues before launch. Super helpful for testing Next-Gen Platform migrations from older systems like WooCommerce.

One learning as a freelancer:

I suggest everyone hop into a dev store and test the new Dev Platform for themselves. The CLI flow, App Dev Preview, and unlimited dev stores are big shifts  -  and the sooner you get hands-on, the easier it’ll be to adapt your current and future projects. Even if you’re not actively migrating, it’s worth exploring now so you’re not caught off guard later.

-Vitalii