How to Install and Use Shopify's CLI as a Beginner

If you're stepping into the world of Shopify theme or app development, you've probably come across Shopify CLI (Command Line Interface). But what exactly is it, why is it important, and how do you get started with it?

In this post, we’ll break it all down so you can set up and use the Shopify CLI in your next projects as a beginner. We’ll break things down into two main parts:

Why using Shopify CLI is important for development.
How to install and get started with it.

Let’s jump right in! 🔥

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Why Use Shopify CLI for Development?

Many beginners start by making changes directly in Shopify’s built-in code editor. While that works, it's pretty limited. More advanced developers prefer using their own local development environment—like Visual Studio Code (VS Code)—which offers some great advantages:

‍Better Code Editing – You get features like syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and snippets for Liquid, making coding faster and easier.‍
Auto Formatting & Hot Reloading – Your code is automatically formatted, and any changes you make can be previewed instantly without refreshing the page.‍
Powerful Search – VS Code lets you search across all theme files at once, helping you find what you need quickly.

So, if you're serious about Shopify development, using Shopify CLI with a proper code editor is the way to go!

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Installing Shopify CLI

Now that we know why Shopify CLI is useful, let's go through the installation process step by step.

‼️Shopify often makes updates to their tools, including the Shopify CLI. So, it would be wise to look up Shopify’s installation guide when installing the Shopify CLI.

1. Verify Your Setup

Before installing Shopify CLI, ensure you have the necessary tools installed:

Node.js (v18.20+, 20.10 or higher)
Git (v2.28.0 or higher)
Node package manager (eg. npm, yarn, or pnpm)
Homebrew (only for MacOS)

To check if these are installed, open your terminal (Windows Terminal, Mac Terminal, or VS Code Terminal) and run these commands:

node -v       # Check Node.js version
git --version # Check Git version
npm -v 	      # Check your node package manager version
pnpm --version
yarn --version

If any of these are missing, follow the official installation guides, linked above, to install them.

2. Install Shopify CLI

Now that the prerequisites are in place, install Shopify CLI using the command that corresponds to your operating system:

Mac (Using Homebrew):

# Only for macOS
brew tap shopify/shopify
brew install shopify-cli

Windows or Linux:

Use the command that matches your Node package manager. If you're on Windows, you might need to run your command prompt as an administrator.

npm install -g @shopify/cli@latest

pnpm install -g @shopify/cli@latest

yarn global add @shopify/cli@latest

3. Verify Installation

Once installed, check that it works by running:

shopify version

You should see a version greater than 3.0. If you see errors like "Shopify is not a recognized command," revisit the installation steps or Google the error message to troubleshoot.

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Using Shopify CLI

Now that Shopify CLI is installed, let's start using it! One of the most common commands you’ll use is shopify theme pull, which lets you download a theme from your Shopify store to your local machine.

1. Connect to Your Store

Navigate to your development folder and run:

shopify theme pull --store your-store.myshopify.com

This will prompt you to log in and authenticate your store.

2. Select a Theme to Download

Once logged in, you’ll see a list of available themes. Select the one you want to download by using the up and down arrows of your keyboard.

3. Start Editing

Your theme files will now be available in your local development environment. Open them in VS Code, make changes, and enjoy a smoother development workflow!

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Wrapping Up

And that’s it! You’ve successfully installed and started using Shopify CLI. From here, you can explore more Shopify CLI commands to streamline your theme or app development.

If you run into issues, remember:

Restart your terminal or computer if things don’t work immediately.
Double-check installations and dependencies.
Google error messages to find fixes.

I hope this guide was helpful and to find more tutorials like this, feel free to check out our blog. Happy coding everyone! 🚀