Apps
Apps are the extension mechanism designed for Shopware’s Cloud environment. Unlike plugins, they don't run code directly inside the shop system. Instead, they follow an event-driven, remote-extension model and communicate with external services through APIs. This makes them less intrusive while still highly flexible.
Apps are well-suited for use cases such as:
- Integrating with third-party services (e.g., ERP, CRM, marketing tools)
- Providing payment methods and forwarding to external payment providers
- Adding storefront customizations, including themes
- Handling data or processes outside the shop system (e.g., product synchronization, advanced shipping logic, analytics workflows)
- Extending or modifying core functionality such as checkout behavior, pricing and discount logic, payment flows, product catalog management, or search behavior
- Customizing the Storefront or Administration; creating custom themes, adding custom blocks or Storefront elements, or modifying the appearance and layout of the Administration panel
- Facilitating integration with external systems to allow seamless data synchronization, order and product management, and cross-platform workflows
You can develop apps using the Shopware App SDKs, App Scripts, and external services with the Shopware app system and its reference documentation. Apps offer a modular and scalable way to extend and customize the platform according to specific business requirements.
Some app extension points use a gateway pattern, where Shopware delegates a specific task to an external app service and continues processing based on the returned result. A prominent example is the checkout gateway.
For comparison, App Scripts cover synchronous, sandboxed logic inside the app system, but come with caveats.
INFO
Apps also provide theme support, so everything you can do with a theme plugin is also possible in an app. This makes them the preferred option for customizing design in Cloud shops.
To understand how apps differ from other extension types, see the Overview table.
Start here
If you are new to Shopware apps, begin with the App Base Guide. It covers the common foundation for all apps, including:
- creating an app in
custom/apps - adding a valid
manifest.xml - refreshing the app registry
- installing and activating the app
Build path by use case
After the base setup, continue with the path that fits your app:
Administration extensions: Use Build an Admin UI App Locally if you want to add a custom Administration UI module and develop it locally with the Meteor Admin SDK and Vite, without setting up an app backend first.
Apps with a backend: Use App Registration & Backend Setup if your app needs registration, authenticated server-to-server communication, webhooks, signing, Admin API credentials, payment methods, tax providers, or other backend-driven features.
Request signing and verification: See Signing & Verification in the App System for secure request validation and response signing.
Event-based integrations: See Webhook to react to Shopware events asynchronously.
Feature-specific integrations: Continue with the dedicated guides for Payment, Shipping methods, Tax provider, or Configuration, depending on your app’s capabilities.
