---
title: Feature previews
description: >-
  Shopify's feature previews provide early access to new features. Learn about
  the feature previews available and how to test your apps.
api_name: feature-previews
source_url:
  html: 'https://shopify.dev/docs/api/feature-previews'
  md: 'https://shopify.dev/docs/api/feature-previews.md'
---

# Feature previews

Shopify's feature previews give you early access to changes to Shopify so that you can build on the platform with confidence. You can test features that'll be available to users in the upcoming months, but that haven't yet been rolled out. With feature previews, you can test your apps for compatibility, build new capabilities, and adapt your business strategies to maximize your apps' value to users.

Visit our [developer changelog](https://shopify.dev/changelog?filter=feature_preview) to see all available feature previews.

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## Previewing new features

When a new feature is accompanied by a backwards-incompatible change to our APIs, or a significant change to the online store or the Shopify admin, it's included in a feature preview.

You can test the feature by creating a new development store and enabling the feature preview from your Partner Dashboard.

### Enable a feature preview

Each feature preview can include several changes. When you enable a feature preview, you select the preview that includes the features that you want to access.

A development store with a feature preview enabled includes all of the features that are available on the Advanced Shopify plan, but the store can't be transferred to another owner or transitioned to a paid plan. To learn more about development stores and their features and limitations, refer to [Development stores](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/development-stores).

#### Steps

1. From your Partner Dashboard, click [**Stores**](https://partners.shopify.com/current/stores).

2. Click **Add store** > **Create development store**.

3. In the **Development store use** section, select **Create a store to test and build**.

4. In the **Store details** section, enter a name for your store.

   The store name is used to create the store's myshopify.com URL. This URL can't be changed.

5. Choose the build that you want to use.

   If you select a **Developer preview**, then you can select a developer preview version from the drop-down list. Development stores that use a developer preview can't be transferred to a merchant.

6. Under **Data and configurations**, choose whether to start with an empty store, or with a store that's populated with test data generated by Shopify. Stores that start with generated test data can't be transferred to a merchant.

7. Click **Create development store**.

When you're done working on a development store, you can [archive it](https://help.shopify.com/partners/dashboard/managing-stores/archive-development-stores).

Caution

Feature previews might still be under development and are subject to change.

### Timeline for feature previews

For backwards-incompatible changes, the timeline for feature previews is tied to the API release schedule.

When a stable API version introduces a backwards-incompatible change, the feature associated with the change won't be available to a user's Shopify admin until nine months later, when that version of the API is the oldest supported stable version. So you have nine months to preview a feature and prepare for it before it's released to users.

To learn more about the API release schedule, refer to [Shopify API versioning](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/usage/versioning#release-schedule).

***