Shopify Platform Updates October 2025 Developer Roundup

Major Highlights

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1. ACH Support for Deferred Payments

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The 2026-01 Admin GraphQL API introduces ACH payment support by adding BankAccount to the PaymentInstrument and CustomerPaymentInstrument unions. This enhancement streamlines B2B payment management and expands the available payment options for deferred transactions.

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2. Increased Metafield and Metaobject Limits

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Developers now have far more room for complex data models and app-specific metadata. Shopify increased metafield and metaobject definition limits to:

• 128 app definitions
• 256 merchant definitions
• 1 million entries per definition

This update unlocks new flexibility for building apps that rely on extensive structured data.

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3. Product Variant Limit Doubled

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The product variant limit has been raised to 2,048 variants per product across all merchants. Supporting updates in the Admin and Storefront GraphQL APIs ensure validation and performance consistency across bulk operations like productVariantsBulkCreate and productSet.

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4. New “Unlisted” Product Status

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A new “Unlisted” status in the 2025-10 Admin APIs allows products to be accessible only via direct URLs. This is perfect for limited releases, hidden product pages, or exclusive campaigns.

API & Developer Platform Enhancements

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Shop Minis SDK (Early Access)

The new Shop Minis SDK (available via npm init @shopify/shop-mini@latest) lets developers build immersive experiences inside the Shop app using React. This early-access release opens up a new surface for creative buyer interactions.

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ShopifyQL Comes to GraphQL

Developers can now query store data directly within the Admin API using the new shopifyqlQuery field. This integration brings the power of ShopifyQL into existing workflows, reducing the need for separate analytics APIs.

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Function Handles Simplify Deployments

Shopify Functions now support user-defined functionHandle values in GraphQL mutations. This simplifies deployments by removing the need to fetch functionId values before updates.

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Dynamic Complexity Costing

Several GraphQL mutations, productCreate, productUpdate, productSet, and bulk variant operations now use dynamic complexity costing that better reflects real computational cost, ensuring more predictable API usage limits.

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Storefront, Cart, and Checkout Updates

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Improved Concurrency in Carts

The Cart AJAX API and Storefront Cart GraphQL API now handle simultaneous requests more gracefully, preventing race conditions during high-volume or multi-tab checkouts.

Gift Cards in the Storefront Cart API

As of 2025-10, developers can add gift cards to the cart via the Storefront API without replacing existing applied cards, for a smoother checkout experience in gift-heavy seasons.

Accelerated Checkout Buttons for Mobile Apps

Developers can now integrate Shop Pay and Apple Pay buttons into native mobile storefronts, making fast, secure checkout experiences available on product and cart pages.

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Payments and Fulfilment Improvements

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• ACH support (detailed above) enables more payment flexibility.
• Fulfilment callback URLs are now optional in fulfillmentServiceCreate and fulfillmentServiceUpdate, simplifying service setup.
• Fulfilment orders can now be rerouted via API for improved order management.
• InventoryShipmentReceive now supports idempotency, ensuring consistent data during repeated requests.

Additionally, the Admin API now exposes usdcRebateCreditAmount in the ShopifyPaymentsPayoutSummary, helping merchants reconcile USDC rebates in payout reports.

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Metaobjects, Data, and Access Control

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Shopify has streamlined how data definitions and access permissions work:

• The visible_to_storefront_api field on metaobject field definitions has been removed.
• Developers should now use the access input field to control storefront availability.

Legacy delivery mode profiles have also been deprecated.

POS & Subscription Enhancements

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Shopify made major improvements to the POS UI Extensions developer experience:

• Hot reload and quick preview improvements
• Better error reporting
• Auto developer console
• App persistence and in-app reset tools

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In addition, POS Extensions now support Subscription Selling Plans, allowing merchants to manage recurring products directly from Shopify POS.

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Themes and App Store Updates

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• Theme duplication via API is now possible with the new themeDuplicate mutation, handy for testing or creating staging copies.
• Themes now use one industry tag instead of two, improving Theme Store search results.
• App branding in theme extensions is restricted: apps may use branding only if it enhances the buying experience or avoids confusion. Promotions and review requests remain prohibited.

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Tools & Polaris

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• Polaris Unified Web Components are now stable and available via Shopify’s CDN, working across Admin, Checkout, Customer Accounts, and POS.
• Shopify.dev MCP now supports Polaris, Liquid, and all GraphQL APIs, making it easier to explore and test API capabilities.
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Deprecations and Required Actions

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Two key removals are worth noting:

• The visible_to_storefront_api field has been deprecated and removed.
• Legacy delivery mode fields are no longer supported.
  
  

Ensure your integrations are updated to use the latest configuration fields and delivery profile APIs.

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