If you've been using the Partner Dashboard to manage your app, then you should consider importing it and using Shopify CLI to manage it instead for the following reasons:

- You can use familiar version control (like Git) to manage changes to your configuration over time because your app configuration is defined in code,
- CLI-managed apps can can use features like extensions or Shopify functions.
- Certain elements of app configuration can only be managed using the CLI, such as handles.
- You don't need to port your web app and focus only on app configuration.
- If you have multiple apps for different environments, such as staging and production, you can manage everything in a single local project.

## Requirements

- You've installed [Shopify CLI](/docs/api/shopify-cli)
- The latest version of [Chrome](https://www.google.com/chrome/) or [Firefox](https://www.mozilla.org/)

## What you'll learn

In this tutorial, you'll learn the following:

- How to set up a new local project for an existing app
- How to add Shopify CLI as a project dependency

## Step 1: Create a new app

Set up a new local project using Shopify CLI.

<p>
  <div class="react-code-block" data-preset="terminal">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload ThemeMode-dim">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-bar "></div>
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-placeholder-container">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-code-container">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-codeline-number"></div>
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-codeline"></div>
  </div>

  </div>
  </div>


  <script type="text/plain" data-language="bash">
  shopify app init 
  </script>

  </div>
  </p>


Create a new app and choose **Build an extension-only app** in the set up process.

> Note:
> This empty app is an [extension-only app](/docs/apps/build/app-extensions/build-extension-only-app), which doesn't have an app home. You can change the configuration to add an app home later.

## Step 2: Import the configuration from your existing app

Connect the new app project to your existing app.

<p>
  <div class="react-code-block" data-preset="terminal">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload ThemeMode-dim">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-bar "></div>
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-placeholder-container">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-code-container">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-codeline-number"></div>
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-codeline"></div>
  </div>

  </div>
  </div>


  <script type="text/plain" data-language="bash">
  shopify app config link
  </script>

  </div>
  </p>


1. Run the `shopify app config link` command and select **connect it to an existing app**.
2. Inspect the `shopify.app.toml` file to make sure you have correctly imported the configuration from your existing app. You can always run the command again to link to a different app.

> Tip:
> If you have multiple apps representing different environments, then select a staging or development app at this point because `shopify.app.toml` acts as a default target for commands. You can [add the production app](#manage-multiple-environments) later.

You've successfully moved your app to Shopify CLI. Instead of going to the Partner Dashboard, you can now make changes by updating the [`shopify.app.toml`](/docs/apps/build/cli-for-apps/app-structure#root-configuration-files) file and then running the `shopify app deploy` command. This command releases a new app version to app users.

<p>
  <div class="react-code-block" data-preset="terminal">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload ThemeMode-dim">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-bar "></div>
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-placeholder-container">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-code-container">
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-codeline-number"></div>
  <div class="react-code-block-preload-codeline"></div>
  </div>

  </div>
  </div>


  <script type="text/plain" data-language="bash">
  shopify app deploy 
  </script>

  </div>
  </p>


Find out more about [deploying and releasing app versions](/docs/apps/launch/deployment/deploy-app-versions).

## Next steps

You now have a local project that's linked to your existing Shopify app. What's next?

### Manage multiple environments

If you have multiple apps that represent different environments, you can manage these through a single app project. Run the `shopify app config link` command, select **connect it to an existing app**, and choose the additional environment. You can give the imported `app.toml` config file a different name.

You can switch between multiple configuration files that represent different environments by providing the `--config` flag to CLI commands, or using the `shopify app config use` command to set the default environment.

Find out more about [managing multiple app configurations and environments](/docs/apps/build/cli-for-apps/manage-app-config-files).

### Add your first extension

With a local project set up with Shopify CLI, you can start to introduce app extensions. You can build a checkout or storefront customization, or Shopify function. You can add your first extension by running [`shopify app generate extension`](/docs/api/shopify-cli/app/app-generate-extension). To preview your extension during development, run [`shopify app dev`](/docs/api/shopify-cli/app/app-dev).

Find out more about [app extensions](/docs/apps/build/app-extensions).