The Shopify CLI app release --force flag is deprecated and will be removed

We are deprecating the --force flag on the shopify app deploy and shopify app release commands. The flag will be removed in a Shopify CLI release in May 2026.

Why we're making this change

The --force flag skips all confirmation prompts, including for extension deletions that can permanently remove data on installed shops. It doesn't distinguish between low-risk operations (adding or updating extensions) and high-risk ones (deleting them). 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.

What you should do

If you are automating your app releases in a CI/CD environment, you should adjust your scripts to use the --allow-updates flag instead, which will ensure that extensions can be added and updated, but not deleted.

For example:

shopify app deploy --config production --allow-updates

When extension deletion is needed, you can utilize an interactive deploy or enable the --allow-deletes flag. Use caution and enable --allow-deletes only for manual workflow runs when you are certain that you want to delete an extension and all its configuration on installed shops.

For more information, see documentation on CI/CD deployment for apps.