---
title: Storefront MCP server
description: >-
  Use the Storefront MCP server to help shoppers browse products, manage carts,
  and checkout from a specific Shopify store.
source_url:
  html: 'https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/catalog/storefront-mcp'
  md: 'https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/catalog/storefront-mcp.md'
---

# Storefront MCP for agents

While [Catalog MCP](https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/catalog/catalog-mcp) provides discovery capabilities across Shopify's entire ecosystem of stores, Storefront MCP connects to an individual merchant's catalog and store policies. You can then connect [Checkout MCP](https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/checkout/mcp) and [Embedded checkout](https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/checkout/ecp) to make a purchase.

Storefront MCP discovery tasks for single merchants include:

* [Searching](#search_shop_catalog) the store's product catalog and finding items that match customer needs.
* Answering questions about [store policies, FAQs, and services](#search_shop_policies_and_faqs).

[See the expanded Storefront MCP reference for more details](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/storefront-mcp).

## When to use Storefront MCP

For most Universal Commerce Protocol use cases, we recommend [Catalog MCP](https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/catalog/catalog-mcp) over Storefront MCP or even the [Catalog REST API](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/catalog-api).

There are cases where it makes more sense to use Storefront MCP when building agents:

* You are building agents like a [Storefront AI agent](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/storefront-mcp/build-storefront-ai-agent) that is only meant to help buyers interact with a single merchant.
* You are prototyping agentic commerce capabilities and want to perform discovery tasks without authenticating through Dev Dashboard.
* Storefront MCP is not restricted by the same kind of rate-limiting found in Catalog MCP that can prevent some Partners from building what they'd like.

## Connect to the server

Each Shopify store has its own MCP server endpoint that exposes storefront features. This endpoint handles all server calls for product search, cart operations, and policy questions.

Replace `storedomain` with the store's actual domain. No authentication is required.

POST

## https://{storedomain}/api/mcp

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "id": 1,
  "params": {
    "name": "tool_name",
    "arguments": {
      // tool-specific arguments
    }
  }
}
```

## Available tools

Storefront MCP provides tools for browsing and answering policy questions:

* [`search_shop_catalog`](#search_shop_catalog): Search the store's product catalog to find items matching customer needs.
* [`search_shop_policies_and_faqs`](#search_shop_policies_and_faqs): Answer questions about store policies, products, and services.

Storefront MCP and discovery

The tools listed here are relevant for discovery in the context of Universal Commerce Protocol. [See the expanded reference](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/storefront-mcp) for all non-discovery tools available with Storefront MCP.

### `search_shop_catalog`

Searches the store's product catalog to find items that match your customer's needs.

When to use:

* A customer asks "Do you have any organic coffee?"
* You need to find products matching specific criteria.
* A customer wants to browse items in a category.

#### Parameters

query•stringRequired (critical)

The search query to find related products. For example, "organic coffee beans", "winter jacket".

context•stringRequired (critical)

Additional information to help tailor results, such as customer preferences or shopping context.

POST

## https://{storedomain}/api/mcp

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "id": 1,
  "params": {
    "name": "search_shop_catalog",
    "arguments": {
      "query": "organic coffee beans",
      "context": "Customer prefers fair trade products"
    }
  }
}
```

Response includes:

* Product name, price, and currency.
* Variant ID for cart operations.
* Product URL and image URL.
* Product description.

### `search_shop_policies_and_faqs`

Answers questions about the store's policies, products, and services to build customer trust.

When to use:

* A customer asks "What's your return policy?"
* You need to clarify shipping or payment options.
* A customer has questions about product care or warranties.

#### Parameters

query•stringRequired (critical)

The question about policies or FAQs. For example, "What is your return policy for sale items?"

context•string

Additional context like the current product being viewed or the customer's situation.

POST

## https://{storedomain}/api/mcp

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "id": 1,
  "params": {
    "name": "search_shop_policies_and_faqs",
    "arguments": {
      "query": "What is your return policy for sale items?",
      "context": "Customer is looking at discounted winter jackets"
    }
  }
}
```