Your app's name is what merchants use to discover, identify, and remember your app. We've added requirement 4.1.2, "Use a unique name for your app," to reduce merchant confusion over identical and copycat app names in Shopify’s App Store.
We know that changing an app name isn't easy — it affects your brand, your discoverability, and your existing merchants. That's why this requirement establishes the standard now, while enforcement will roll out gradually. Affected apps will be audited in waves and given a designated timeframe to achieve compliance.
What's changing
This requirement gives Shopify the ability to act on app name violations. Non-compliant apps will be notified and given a defined timeframe to update their names where failure to comply may result in being delisted from the App Store. Enforcement actions will roll out gradually, so affected developers will have time to plan and make changes.
What this means for you
- If you believe your published app violates this policy: Start considering a plan to rename your app to get ahead of enforcement actions. Ensure that your app name starts with your distinctive brand identifier and does not mislead merchants in confusing it with another app, developer, brand, or Shopify product.
- If you're submitting a new app: Choose a distinct name that represents your own brand. Don't impersonate other apps or mislead merchants with your app name.
- If your app name is being copied: At this time, we can only accept reports with a valid registered trademark. If your app trademark is being copied, you can submit a report to Shopify.