Password Protected Shop Dev flows on Shopify Theme CLI v3.83.x and older to be deprecated
Shopify developer change
MerchantDiff detected this entry in Shopify's official developer changelog on August 27, 2026.
This Shopify update is categorized as Action Required, Themes, Deprecation announcement.
What changed
Older Shopify CLI versions use a legacy storefront authentication. After September 23, 2026, this legacy authentication implementation will no longer be supported for theme development flows. This impacts only password protected stores. Developers using these versions for developing password protected storefronts may need to upgrade before they can continue using commands such as shopify theme dev.
Who is affected
Developers who use Theme CLI commands on versions 3.83.x and earlier to develop password protected stores. The most likely affected workflows are: shopify theme dev shopify theme console shopify app dev if the app has theme app extensions Deprecation timeline September 23, 2026: Shopify will stop supporting storefront preview/session authentication from Shopify CLI versions 3.83.x and earlier.
What action may be needed
Upgrade Shopify CLI to the latest version: npm install -g @shopify/cli@latest Then confirm your version: shopify version You should be on version 3.84.0 or later. We recommend using the latest available version, 4.7.0. Please follow the documentation if you are not using npm.
Use the official Shopify entry below as the source of truth for technical implementation details, affected APIs, migration instructions and deadlines.
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