How I Use Claude to Build Shopify Sections (My Exact Process)

How I Use Claude to Build Shopify Sections (My Exact Process)


Shopify Development — AI Workflows

Three ways to build Shopify sections with AI.
One of them changed how I work.

If you're building custom Shopify sections for clients, AI has genuinely changed what's possible — but there's a big gap between the three main approaches. Here's an honest breakdown of each one, where they break down, and what I actually use day-to-day.

Method 01

Shopify's Native AI Section Builder

Shopify has a built-in AI tool that can generate sections directly inside the theme editor. You describe what you want, it scaffolds the Liquid and schema — no external tools, no setup. For simple layouts it's genuinely fast.

To make it work, your theme needs a section file with a specific schema block that signals to Shopify's AI that the section is eligible for generation:

// In your section's schema:
{
  "type": "@theme"
}

// And in your section template:
{% content_for 'blocks' %}

Once that's in place, Shopify's AI can populate blocks and settings based on a natural language prompt. It works well for common patterns like feature rows, banners, and simple image-text layouts.

Where it falls short The moment you need metafield bindings, metaobject-driven content, or anything beyond a standard layout, it either guesses wrong or doesn't attempt it. It's a good prototyping tool, not a client delivery tool.
No setup required Works inside Shopify directly Fast for simple sections Limited schema control No metafield support Can't customise the output logic
Method 02

Generating Code in Claude and Copy-Pasting

The next step up is prompting Claude directly — either in claude.ai or a project you've set up with context about Shopify Liquid, schema structure, and your preferred code patterns. You write a prompt, Claude generates the section file, and you paste it into Shopify's code editor.

This gives you real control. You can specify exactly how the schema should be structured, which settings to expose to clients, how metafields should be referenced, and what the block structure should look like. The output quality is significantly higher than Shopify's native AI once you've built a good prompting system.

The honest trade-off Copy-pasting is friction. Not unbearable friction — but if you're iterating on a section (tweaking schema, adjusting settings, fixing edge cases), you're switching between two windows constantly. For one-off builds it's fine. Across a full client project it adds up.
Full schema and metafield control Works with any Shopify theme No extra tooling required Manual copy-paste on every iteration Context switching between tools Easy to paste to the wrong file
Method 03

Claude via GitHub and Claude Cowork

This is the setup that actually changed how I work. Instead of copy-pasting between Claude and Shopify, you connect Claude directly to your theme files through GitHub — so Claude can read and write to your theme without you leaving the chat.

The setup involves three things: connecting your Shopify theme to a GitHub repository, giving Claude access to that repo via a personal access token, and using Claude's Cowork feature (or an MCP server) to give it write access to your files. One-time setup, and then Claude can push changes directly to your theme.

In practice this means you can say "update the hero section schema to add a text alignment setting" and Claude finds the file, makes the change, and pushes it — without you touching a code editor. You still review the diff, but the mechanical part disappears.

Best for Freelancers and agency developers doing repeated section work across multiple client stores. The setup cost is real — maybe 30 minutes the first time — but it pays back quickly on any project where you're iterating more than a couple of times.
No copy-pasting Claude reads your actual theme files Version control built in via GitHub One-time setup required Requires Claude Pro or API access Overkill for a single simple section

Which method should you use?

Shopify's native AI is worth knowing about but it hits a ceiling fast. Copy-pasting from Claude is a solid everyday workflow and the right starting point for most freelancers. The GitHub + Cowork setup is worth the investment if you're building sections regularly for clients — which, if you're reading this, you probably are.

If you want the shortcut — a section library built specifically for freelancers, with metafield support, dev mode, and zero theme branding — that's what Flexi is for. And if you want to understand the section-building system behind it, the full video walkthrough is on the channel.

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