Enable App Embed on installation of app

Retired Boards Appdev Authentication

Topic summary

Main issue: Automatically enabling a required App Embed for Online Store 2.0 upon app installation.

Latest guidance: App embed blocks are disabled by default. After install, use a ā€œdeep linkā€ to prompt merchants and automatically activate the embed. Reference: Shopify dev docs on simplified installation with deep linking.

Alternative method (with risks): Edit the themeā€™s config/settings_data.json via the Admin API (Asset resource) to set the app blockā€™s ā€œdisabledā€: false, ensuring you donā€™t overwrite other settings.

Important update: The Asset Resource will be deprecated in a few months, making the JSON edit approach inadvisable going forward.

Definitions:

  • App embed blocks: Theme app extensions that insert app functionality into Online Store 2.0 themes.
  • Deep link: A special URL that opens the theme editor and toggles app embeds on.
  • Asset Resource: API for manipulating theme files (e.g., settings_data.json), soon deprecated.
  • settings_data.json: Theme configuration file storing app block states.

Outcome: No formal resolution, but the recommended path is deep linking. Discussion remains open; one tangential blog link was shared.

Summarized with AI on January 2. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Hi,

We use an App Embed with Online Store 2.0. We are trying to figure out how to get an app embed which is required for app to work, to be enabled automatically in the theme on install.

Thanks,

Kontinuity

2

Hi @kontinuity

The app embed blocks are deactivated by default, but after installation you can have the app prompt merchants with a ā€˜deep linkā€™ which will automatically activate them. You can read more about how to do this here: https://shopify.dev/apps/online-store/theme-app-extensions/extensions-framework#simplified-installation-flow-with-deep-linking Hope this is helpful!

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3

It is possible, I have just made this work using a pretty weird, but logical technique. Not too sure if I should openly say how its done though, as I would hate the method to be disabled.

1 Like
4

Please do tell, facing a similar issue

5

By using the Asset resource from the Admin API.

Enable your app manually, click save, then go and Edit Code from the theme editor and look for config/settings_data.json.

You will find a block related to your app.

Obviously the step above is just to learn what the whole deep link method and manually switching the thing on, which is the ā€œnormalā€ process is, really does, and you do not need to do this after you have the json block you need for the next step, which is really how to automatically turn your app on when installed.

Now use the Asset API to GET the key=config/settings_data.json add in the same things you found when you looked at the code, but put ā€œdisabledā€ to false.

PUT that back into the API, and the App is turned on :wink:

While I did run this in production and it does work, be very mindful that there may be other plugins or things mixed in as well, so you will have to make sure you do not overwrite anything when pushing in the additional block.

3 Likes
6

Sadly, the Asset Resource will be deprecated in a few months. This doesnā€™t seem like a good approach at the moment.

7

Hey! I just wanted to drop by and say that your blog post was great! I found the content incredibly valuable and itā€™s got me excited! Also, big props on the blog ā€“ it was an easy read! Iā€™m pumped to try out these strategies in the future. Oh, and I stumbled upon another article on the same topic that youā€™ll find interesting https://expertguru.ai/blogs/insights/leveraging-react-and-liquid-for-enhanced-app-embed-block-in-shopify-apps