How do you test a public unlisted app in own development store?

[Jt19]

Hi, I'm just started playing around with developing Shopify apps but am having trouble figuring this out.

I can see my app in the admin pages but how can I preview this in the actual developer store and set the URL?

For example my app with a custom widget is visible to me at: "https://MyTestStore123.myshopify.com/admin/apps/koatest"
I want to view my app in the actual store with the theme at: "https://MyTestStore123.myshopify.com/koatest"

Is this possible? I've checked "Apps" > "About" but there is no option there for this - because it is unlisted?

[HunkyBill]

Your question is confusing. You state that you can see your App fine in the admin. But then you are puzzled why you cannot see your App at

    https://MyTestStore123.myshopify.com/koatest

That URL is impossible to achieve. You cannot insert a route like that as an App. Shopify has zero support for you interjecting a route like /koatest. You can inject an App Proxy of course, but that is a different URL where you pick a prefix like /a or /tools or /community for your App. Perhaps you can better explain your issue.

Note that a development store is an actual store, so if you can indeed install your App and click it in the Admin Apps list, and then your App is successfully loaded and its homepage renders, assuming you have a homepage, well, that is as good as it gets.

[Jt19]

Yes, thank you for wording it better than I did, what I want to do is inject an App Proxy.

Where I see other apps have three sections ['About this app', 'App proxy', 'App permissions'] mine is missing the App Proxy section.

Do I need to configure this somewhere in my NodeJs server code?

Will this be testable with localhost + ngrok? Or do I also need to deploy to somewhere like Heroku first?

[HunkyBill · Accepted solution]

In your App setup, in your Partner Account, you'll see Extensions as part of your App. You can add a proxy there.

You do not need Heroku. App Proxy is 100% testable using localhost and ngrok, I do it all the time. Since you set up the App Proxy in your App itself, and that App is installed in the shop, when you make your Ajax call to /a/koatest or whatever, Shopify knows to send it to your ngrok tunnel since that is how you setup the App in the main section. Nothing to do there other than setup the proxy then.

As for your App itself, the proxy callback comes to the endpoint you specified in the App Proxy setup. So if you expect the signal at /koatest, then that is your endpoint. And don't get confused on GET or POST as that is up to you in your Ajax call.

It is really quite simple, although there are some gotchas like the fact the merchant can change the endpoint and you'll never know. But falalala... other than that, you're good to go.

[Jt19]

Thank you worked perfectly

[mjmabato]

i do the testing also but encountering error during request. i always received password page as result