Shopify App Review Times Got You Down? Here's What Developers Are Saying

Decoding the Mystery of Shopify App Review Times

So, you've poured your heart and soul into creating the perfect Shopify app, and now you're staring at the app submission screen, wondering how long you'll be waiting. You're not alone! I recently came across a thread in the Shopify Community from @trackgenie, who was concerned about the review time for their app. Turns out, a 3-week wait (or even longer) is, unfortunately, pretty common these days.

The Waiting Game: What's "Normal"?

The original poster, trackgenie, submitted their app and hadn't heard back after 3 weeks, despite the guideline suggesting a 2-week timeframe. As @Bundler-Manuel pointed out, and others confirmed, a 3-week review period is actually quite normal. One helpful community member, @shopify-dev, even shared their experience of waiting 3-4 weeks! They received an email from Shopify support with some corrections needed, so it seems like the wait time doesn't necessarily indicate a problem.

Why the Hold-Up? The App Store Bottleneck

So why the delays? The consensus seems to be that the Shopify app review team is simply swamped with submissions. @Laza_Binaery shared an interesting perspective, pointing out that the rise of AI tools is likely leading to a surge in new app submissions. It's easier than ever to create apps, which means more apps are entering the review pipeline. This increased volume naturally leads to longer wait times.

Laza_Binaery even shared an old tweet (from 2026!) from Atlee Clark acknowledging the slowdown and emphasizing Shopify's commitment to maintaining high standards for apps in the store:

Managing Expectations (and Your Sanity)

So, what can you do while you're waiting? Trackgenie expressed frustration about the lack of an ETA, which is understandable. Unfortunately, there's no magic bullet to speed up the process. However, here are a few things you can do:

• Double-check your app against the guidelines: Make sure you've thoroughly reviewed and adhered to all of Shopify's app store guidelines. This can help prevent delays caused by required revisions.
• Contact Shopify Support: While they may not be able to expedite the review, you can provide your submission details and check in with Shopify support for any updates.
• Focus on other tasks: Use this time to work on marketing your app, improving your documentation, or planning future updates.
• Consider AI-powered review tools (future): Trackgenie suggested that Shopify should leverage AI to expedite reviews. While that's not a reality yet, it's an interesting idea for the future!

Ultimately, patience is key. While the wait can be frustrating, remember that Shopify is committed to ensuring the quality and security of the apps in their store. A thorough review process is essential for maintaining a trustworthy ecosystem for both developers and merchants.

So, while you're waiting, take a deep breath, focus on what you can control, and trust that your app will eventually make its way through the review process. And who knows, maybe one day Shopify will use AI to speed things up! Until then, we're all in this waiting game together.