Shopify Is Moving Partner Discussions from Slack to the Dev Community Forums

Shopify Is Moving Partner Discussions from Slack to the Dev Community Forums

Shopify has announced an important shift in how partners and developers will connect, collaborate, and get technical support. The Shopify Partner Slack workspace will officially shut down on December 15, with all community conversations and updates moving to the Shopify Dev Community Forums.

According to Eytan Seidman, a Shopify staff member, this decision reflects the need for a more scalable, moderated, and secure space as the partner ecosystem continues to grow.

“As our partner ecosystem grows, so do the complexities of maintaining communities that we can moderate and scale,” Seidman said. “That’s why we’re making the decision to shut down the Partner Slack workspace and move to the Shopify Dev Community Forums.”

Here's a screenshot of the official post from Shopify staff on the current Shopify Partners Slack channel:

Shopify Is Moving Partner Discussions from Slack to the Dev Community Forums

Why the Move Matters

Over the past year, Shopify has heavily invested in building a better Dev Community experience — complete with dedicated Shopify staff, improved moderation, and thousands of active developers contributing every week.

The Forums now host thousands of solved topics, developer-led discussions, and direct Shopify team input, creating a more transparent and sustainable ecosystem than Slack could support at scale.

While the Slack workspace offered speed and informal connection, it wasn’t built for long-term knowledge retention or discoverability. Conversations were fleeting. Questions were repeated. Valuable insights got buried.

The new Dev Community aims to fix that by offering a permanent, organized, and searchable hub for everything from app development troubleshooting to marketing strategy discussion.

Timeline for the Transition

  • Now: All public Slack channels have switched to announcement-only mode — giving partners time to save resources, notes, or important threads.
  • By December 15: The Shopify Partner Slack workspace will close permanently.
  • After December 15: All partner discussions, product updates, and technical support will happen on the Shopify Dev Community Forums

Shopify Dev Community Forums

What This Means for Different Types of Partners

1. App Developers

For developers, this shift brings structure and longevity.

Instead of scattered answers in Slack threads, developers will now have:

  • A permanent record of solved technical discussions and code examples.
  • Easier access to Shopify staff responses and changelogs.
  • A searchable archive of API updates, SDK issues, and integration discussions.

This move also means greater visibility for developer contributions — helping new and experienced builders alike establish credibility within the ecosystem.

2. App Owners and Product Teams

For app founders and product teams, the Forums create a more transparent way to stay updated on:

  • Platform changes that could impact app functionality or billing.
  • Common developer issues or feedback that might shape roadmap decisions.
  • Official Shopify communications, all in one verified channel.

In other words, instead of relying on scattered Slack threads or hearsay, app owners now have a single source of truth for technical and product updates.

3. Agencies and Development Partners

Agencies that build custom storefronts, apps, and integrations will benefit from:

  • Improved knowledge-sharing across client projects.
  • Centralized documentation and discussions that reduce redundant research.
  • A public forum presence to showcase expertise, build reputation, and connect with potential clients.

Many agencies had already been using Slack to network and support peers — now, the Dev Community provides a longer-term, discoverable platform to do the same, but with added moderation and Shopify staff engagement.

4. Marketing and Growth Consultants

For marketing experts, eCommerce strategists, and app growth consultants, this change offers:

  • Better insight into technical conversations and product directions, helping shape more informed marketing strategies.
  • Opportunities to participate in ecosystem discussions, building visibility as trusted contributors.
  • Easier access to Shopify’s official partner announcements and beta program news — crucial for staying ahead in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.

A More Scalable Future for Partner Collaboration

The Shopify Partner Slack workspace has been an important community space for years — a place where people built relationships, solved problems, and shared early wins.

But as the ecosystem expanded to tens of thousands of developers and partners, Slack’s informal format became harder to manage and moderate effectively.

The Shopify Dev Community Forums now take that same collaborative spirit and channel it into a structured, discoverable, and enduring format — ensuring that every solved problem or insight can benefit thousands more in the future.

As Seidman summarized:

“We’ve built relationships, solved problems together, and helped one another. We’re confident the Forums will offer a more secure and reliable space for partner discussion.”

Where to Go Next

Partners are encouraged to:

  • Bookmark the relevant product categories (APIs, Checkout, Hydrogen, etc.) for ongoing updates.

The bottom line:

This move signals a more mature and scalable phase for Shopify’s partner ecosystem — one where knowledge is shared openly, discussions are well-moderated, and collaboration continues to thrive in a more sustainable home.