Shopify CLI 4.0: SemVer, auto-updates, removing deprecated flags and commands

The release of Shopify CLI 4.0 today brings clarity to CLI versioning, the introduction of automatic updates, and the announced removal of the deprecated --force flag from shopify app deploy.

Semantic Versioning

Shopify CLI is now following semantic versioning practices. Releases with new features will be minor versions, and bug fixes will be patch versions. When required, major version releases will be used to communicate breaking changes to CLI command structure or behavior.

For more information, see our announcement of the move to SemVer.

Automatic Upgrades

Starting with Shopify CLI 4.0, Shopify CLI upgrades itself automatically using the package manager you installed it with. Auto-upgrade is skipped in CI, project-local installs, and for major version releases. Automatic upgrades can be disabled with the shopify config autoupgrade off command.

For more information, see Shopify CLI documentation.

Removal of the --force flag for app releases

The --force flag on the app deploy and app release commands didn’t distinguish between low-risk operations (adding or updating extensions) and high-risk ones (deleting them). This flag has been removed in Shopify CLI 4.0. The previously released --allow-updates and --allow-deletes flags give you granular control, so your CI/CD pipelines can run unattended without the risk of accidental, irreversible deletions.

For more information, see the March 2026 changelog.

Other removed commands and flags

The following deprecated commands and flags have also been removed in Shopify CLI 4.0:

• shopify webhook trigger (use shopify app webhook trigger)
• shopify theme serve (use shopify theme dev)
• shopify app generate schema (use shopify app function schema)
• shopify app webhook trigger --shared-secret (use --client-secret)
• shopify app generate extension --type (use --template)