How I Built a Shopify App in 7 Days with AI and Got It Approved on the First Try
Evgenii VolkovShare
I’ve been working with Shopify for a long time — using it for stores, content, and infrastructure around VecomLab.
At some point, I ran into a simple problem.
Problem
I actively use referral and partner links:
- on the website
- in the blog
- in documentation
These need to be consistent links that I can update in one place.
Shopify handles this with redirects.
That part works well.
But there is a limitation:
there is no clear visibility into clicks
I couldn’t see:
- how many clicks a link gets
- which links actually perform
- where traffic is being lost
For me, this is critical.
Links are part of infrastructure, not just navigation.
Solution
Instead of adapting to existing tools, I built my own.
That’s how Redira came out — a Shopify app that manages redirects and provides simple click tracking.
At first, it was just an internal tool.
Then I pushed it further and prepared it for release.
It is now live in the Shopify App Store:
https://apps.shopify.com/redira
Why I Built It Myself
Initially, I planned to find a developer
More broadly, I wanted someone for VecomLab to build internal tools.
At some point, I realized:
it’s faster to build it myself than to explain it
So I decided to see how far I could go solo.
Context
I haven’t written projects myself in a while.
Recent projects:
- involved developers
- required teams
- included processes
One of them cost over $100,000 in development alone.
This time, I deliberately went in the opposite direction:
minimal people, minimal process, maximum speed.
The Role of AI
During development, I actively used:
- Cursor (Pro plan ~$20)
- ChatGPT
This is important.
Both are monthly subscriptions.
The product was built in 1 week.
What AI Actually Did
AI does not replace development.
But it:
- accelerates coding
- supports architectural decisions
- reduces debugging time
- removes repetitive work
It reduces the cost of mistakes and speeds up iteration.
Timeline
- development: ~1 week
- Shopify review: March 19 → May 1
This was my first Shopify app.
It passed review on the first submission.
Most of the time was spent waiting, not building.
What I Built Around the Product
I didn’t just build the app.
I built the system around it.
Landing Page
Simple purpose: explain the product and prepare for traffic.
Monitoring
Using Sentry
- real-time error tracking
- alerts sent to Discord
This allows detecting issues even if merchants don’t report them.
Support
Using Crisp
Support is embedded directly inside the Shopify app.
Merchants don’t leave the interface.
On my side, I see:
- the store
- number of redirects
- the page where the issue happened
This reduces response time and removes unnecessary back-and-forth.
Admin Panel
Built with Retool
I track:
- merchant activity
- core metrics
- funnel
This gives visibility without guessing.
Issues
Not everything was technical.
While setting up social accounts, I ran into:
- Twitter restrictions
- Facebook restrictions
Twitter took over a month to restore.
I could have created a new account.
I chose not to.
I didn’t want to lose the username or bypass restrictions.
Current Status
The app is live and running.
It is used in my own stores, and I’m observing how merchants use it through the App Store.
I continue to:
- test
- iterate
- collect feedback
What’s Next
Next step is adding AI functionality.
Focus areas:
- preparing stores for AI-driven search
- improving link structure
- adapting to new commerce flows
Still in exploration.
Conclusion
This project confirmed a simple idea:
it’s now possible to build products much faster than before
If you:
- avoid unnecessary complexity
- think in systems
- use AI as a tool
Final Notes
Redira started as an internal tool.
Now it’s a product available to other merchants inside the Shopify ecosystem.
Next step is refinement and real usage.
