Shopify app rejected for not using Polaris components

[bhaag]

Our Sales Channel Application was rejected for not using Polaris components, see below response from reviews team:

"Use the required Polaris components and style guide to build your sales channel. Review how to build a sales channel."

Using Polaris components would require us to break away from our internal designs system within our own application which is completely separate from Shopify. This would provide a terrible experience for our users. I've seen several articles (some attached below) from Shopify team members stating that using Polaris components isn't a requirement. Please clarify what the requirements are. 

• https://community.shopify.com/c/shopify-apis-and-sdks/is-it-necessary-to-use-shopify-s-polaris-compo...
• https://community.shopify.com/c/shopify-apis-and-sdks/polaris/m-p/603014

[Shay]

Hi @bhaag 

I can definitely understand your concern about getting your app approved. I can see from the threads you shared that previously Polaris was not a requirement. As Shopify has grown, our procedures for app submissions has changed. To ensure a cohesive merchant experience, apps that are launched through the admin as an iframe require Polaris as it's framework. 

You can review the specific requirements for submitting an app for approval within the dev doc you linked and you can find that section specifically by clicking HERE. I will also be updating those older threads you noted since the information contained in them is outdated at this time. Thank you for referencing those so we can review them!

While I am not part of the team that reviews app submissions, I'll do my best to assist with any other questions on this topic if I can. 

[bhaag]

Hi @Shay 

Which aspects of the application need to use Polaris components? For instance, we allow Shopify users to import products onto our site, presumably these UI components do not have to be Polaris as this would break our design system? 

Also to clarify, we only use the Iframe to allow users to login to their Shopify store and connect their sales channel. If we instead routed the user to a new window to login to their Shopify store and connect their sales channel would we then not need to use Polaris? It seems the use of Polaris hinges for some reason on our use of an Iframe which is non-essential to our application 

[Shay]

Great question! 

The Polaris requirements are specifically for the "onboarding and account connection" portion of the workflow. Anything that comes after that does not require Polaris. 

[bhaag]

I see, sorry if I'm missing something but your screenshot above isn't completely clear to me. Where does Shopify consider "onboarding and account connection" to start and end? For instance, if we had a button that said "Connect your Shopify store", would that require Polaris? Or for instance, once a store is connected, would we require Polaris to show a confirmation message that their store had been connected? If this isn't the case, I'm confused as to why we where rejected because the pop up itself contains just screens built by Shopify which are presumable built using Polaris. 

[Shay]

In this situation I would recommend reaching out to partner support directly for further clarification. You can contact them through your priority partner support options from within your Partner Dash. 

You can also reply back to the email communication you received to discuss these questions with the advisor that reviewed your app. 

[bhaag]

Hey,

Support have not been willing to reply for clarifications on requirements and our reviewer responded from a noreply email so we have been unable to clarify. Could you possible answer my question regarding where Shopify considers "onboarding and account connection" to start and end? 

[bhaag]

To clarify my concern a bit @Shay. The onboarding and account creation step presumably includes pages within our application (which is a website builder). I am confused because I presume Shopify doesn't want partners to break their design system and use Polaris as this would provide a worse experience for merchants vs using Polaris. 

[Shay]

Thank you for that additional information. While I am not part of the development team myself, I was able to review the Developer Docs and there is a section specifically on the onboarding process along with an example of it: Merchant onboarding overview.

The process shown in the embedded gif is what is considered the onboarding process.  

[bhaag]

Hi @Shay 

Thanks for your reply. The article you've shared doesn't really elaborate on exactly where we'd need to use Polaris components within our application. I know it's a lot to ask but you've been super helpful so far, is there any possibility that you could setup a call with someone who could review our case and help to clarify what we need to add? Failing that, is there an email we can use to contact a member of the reviews team? Partner support have been unwilling to help with our case so running out of avenues to find a solution. 

[bhaag]

Hi @Shay 

Just wanted to check whether the above was possible? We're really stuck here on what to do. 

[Shay]

Hi @bhaag 

I've been looking to see if we have any clearer resources but at this time the dev doc with the outline of the workflow is the best method we have to delineate where the onboarding process stops.

I would continue to work with Partner Support through your partner dash for further clarifications on this.  

[yuwen]

Hi,

I've seen this document talking about the onboarding flow and the requirements. However, my question is: since this is a sales channel app, if I were to build a marketing app, are there any requirements related to Polaris? or maybe I just misunderstood the category about apps?