Shopify MCP Server Setup in Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code

Shopify MCP server setup in a coding tool takes one command or one JSON entry. You install Shopify's Dev MCP, a local server that runs on your computer through npx (a Node.js tool that downloads and runs packages) and needs no Shopify login. It gives Claude Code, Cursor or VS Code access to Shopify documentation and API schemas. It does not, by itself, connect to your live store.

This guide is for merchants, agencies and the developers they work with. MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open protocol that lets AI assistants connect to external tools and data. Here the "tool" is Shopify's documentation and validation. Steps and config below follow Shopify's official AI Toolkit page. Because Shopify updates these tools often, check shopify.dev before copying anything into a client project.

What are you installing when you add a Shopify MCP server?

Three different things share the Shopify MCP name. Mixing them up is the most common setup mistake.

• Shopify AI Toolkit: the umbrella product. It connects supported AI coding tools to Shopify docs, API schemas, code validation, store-management workflows and migration guidance. Shopify's docs list Claude Code, Codex, Antigravity CLI, Cursor and Visual Studio Code among supported tools.
• Dev MCP (@shopify/dev-mcp): the local server inside the toolkit. It runs over stdio (the assistant starts it as a local process) and needs no credentials.
• Storefront MCP endpoints: remote, per-store servers meant for shopping agents, not for coding assistants.

If you want an assistant to help build themes, apps or GraphQL queries, you want the Dev MCP. For background on the differences, see Shopify MCP Server: What Dev MCP and Storefront MCP Do.

What do you need before you start?

• Node.js 20 or higher. Shopify's pages disagree (one says 20+, another says 18+), so use 20 or newer to be safe.
• One of the supported clients: Claude Code, Cursor or VS Code.
• A terminal and internet access. The first run downloads the package, roughly 3 MB.
• No Shopify store, API token or app is required for the Dev MCP itself.

How to install Shopify MCP in Claude Code

Shopify recommends the plugin route where your client supports it. The plugin bundles the MCP server with agent skills and updates itself. The raw MCP route is the portable fallback.

Option A: plugin

1. Open a terminal.
2. Run: claude plugin install shopify-ai-toolkit@claude-plugins-official
3. Restart Claude Code.

Option B: raw MCP server

1. Run: claude mcp add --transport stdio shopify-dev-mcp -- npx -y @shopify/dev-mcp@latest
2. Restart Claude Code.
3. Verify with claude mcp list, or type /mcp inside a session to see the server and its tools.

On Windows, a 2025 community gist used the same command from CMD without the transport flag. If the command fails, check the official page for the current Windows variant.

One note on JSON: if you put the server in a project .mcp.json file, Claude Code treats an entry without a type as stdio. Remote servers need "type": "http". The Dev MCP is local, so you do not need that.

How to set up the Shopify MCP server in Cursor

1. Open Cursor Settings, then Tools and MCP, then New MCP server.
2. Paste this config:

{"mcpServers":{"shopify-dev-mcp":{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@shopify/dev-mcp@latest"]}}}

3. Save and restart Cursor.
4. Open the MCP panel and confirm the server shows as connected with a list of tools.

Cursor reads ~/.cursor/mcp.json for global servers and .cursor/mcp.json for a single project, according to community guides. Use the project file when you want the setup to travel with a client repository.

If you get a connection error on Windows, Shopify's page lists an alternative config. An older README used "command":"cmd" with "args":["/k","npx","-y","@shopify/dev-mcp@latest"]. Treat that as a fallback and compare it with the current docs.

How to add Shopify MCP to VS Code

The key difference: VS Code uses servers as the root key, not mcpServers. Pasting the Cursor config here is the usual reason nothing appears.

1. Open the command palette and choose MCP: Open User Configuration.
2. Paste this config:

{"servers":{"shopify-dev-mcp":{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@shopify/dev-mcp@latest"]}}}

3. Save and restart VS Code.

I could not verify the workspace-level file path (.vscode/mcp.json) or whether your Copilot setup needs a specific mode to call MCP tools. Check the VS Code documentation for both.

What is the difference between the three configs?

Client	Where it goes	Root key	Verify with
Claude Code	claude mcp add command or .mcp.json	mcpServers in JSON	claude mcp list or /mcp
Cursor	Settings, Tools and MCP, or mcp.json	mcpServers	MCP panel
VS Code	MCP: Open User Configuration	servers	MCP panel after restart

The command and arguments are identical everywhere: npx -y @shopify/dev-mcp@latest.

Is there a Shopify MCP server URL?

Not for the Dev MCP. It is local, so there is no URL to paste. If a guide tells you to enter a URL for it, it is describing something else.

Shopify's per-store servers do use URLs. Research for this article found the Storefront Catalog MCP (part of UCP, the Universal Commerce Protocol) at https://{store-domain}/api/ucp/mcp, where you replace the placeholder with the store's domain. It exposes catalog search and product lookup for shopping agents and expects a UCP agent profile in requests. Endpoints in this area change, so confirm the current path on shopify.dev before relying on it. Checkout-related endpoints are reportedly rate-limited more strictly than cart ones.

Is there a Shopify MCP connector for Claude (chat and Desktop)?

The Dev MCP is aimed at coding tools. Shopify's supported-client list does not include Claude Desktop or the Claude chat apps, so do not expect a one-click connector from this package. If your goal is asking Claude about orders, products or customers, read Connect Claude to Shopify: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide, which covers the options for store data.

Can the Dev MCP read or change my live store?

No. Shopify describes the toolkit as not a hosted Admin MCP. Live store work goes through Shopify CLI's store execute command, and it runs only when you choose to use it.

Third-party coverage says mutations (changes) require two deliberate steps: authenticating with shopify store auth and adding the --allow-mutations flag. Some blogs cite a different login command, so use the official Shopify CLI docs for the exact syntax.

Treat the mutation flag with caution:

• Start with read-only queries against a development store.
• One third-party review says changes run immediately on a live store with no draft or undo. That is an inference to verify, but plan as if it is true.
• Never allow mutations on a client store without a written scope and a backup of the data you will touch.

Unofficial servers such as GeLi2001/shopify-mcp offer full store management. They are not from Shopify, so evaluate them before connecting a real store.

What can go wrong?

• Nothing appears in the client. Check the root key (servers in VS Code, mcpServers in Cursor), then restart the app.
• npx not found or fails. Confirm Node.js is installed and on version 20 or higher.
• Windows connection errors. Try the cmd variant of the config from Shopify's page.
• Tool names differ from a tutorial. They have changed over time and guides disagree on counts. Read the live tool list in /mcp or the MCP panel rather than trusting a blog.
• Context usage. Tool definitions load up front and use part of the assistant's working memory. Claude Code's Tool Search can load them on demand.
• Unexpected behavior after an update. One independent changelog says the server ships almost weekly without release notes. Pin a version, for example @shopify/dev-mcp@1.16.0, instead of @latest when stability matters. npm listed 1.17.0 as latest when this was checked, so confirm the current number.

Is the Shopify Dev MCP safe to run?

It runs locally and needs no credentials, which limits exposure. Two points to know:

• Telemetry. According to the npm page, published release builds send usage events to shopify.dev, which can include tool inputs and results, version data, a random conversation ID and client or model identifiers. An opt-out exists through an empty user-level opt-out file. Look up the exact filename on the npm page. Avoid putting client secrets into prompts.
• Provenance. One third-party source reports the old github.com/Shopify/dev-mcp repository now returns 404, though other sites still link it. Rely on shopify.dev, npm and the Shopify plugins repository instead.

For a wider checklist, see the pages listed under the sources below and the modelcontextprotocol.io documentation.