App‑Owned Metaobjects No Longer Require Access Scopes in API 2026‑04
From API 2026‑04 onward, app‑owned metaobjects can be read or written without requesting additional access scopes.
Update your app to use Admin API 2026‑04+ to read/write app‑owned metaobjects without requesting scopes.
Summary
Shopify has removed the need for access scopes when an app accesses its own metaobjects, such as $app:example, using declarative metaobject definitions. The change applies only to app‑owned metaobjects; merchant‑owned metaobject types still require read_metaobjects or write_metaobject_definitions scopes. To benefit from this scope‑free access, developers must use Admin API version 2026‑04 or later. The update reduces merchant friction by eliminating additional permission prompts for app‑owned data. Existing apps that use earlier API versions can continue without modification, and the change does not affect other API resources. Developers should update their apps to the new API version to read or write app‑owned metaobjects without requesting scopes.
This improvement streamlines data handling for app developers, allowing seamless integration of app‑owned metaobjects into their workflows.
Key changes
- App‑owned metaobjects (e.g., $app:example) can now be accessed by the owning app without any access scopes.
- Declarative metaobject definitions are included in this scope‑free access.
- Merchant‑owned metaobject types still require read_metaobjects or write_metaobject_definitions scopes.
- Must use Admin API version 2026‑04 or later to benefit from this change.
- No additional permission prompts reduce merchant friction.
- Existing apps using earlier API versions can continue without modification.
- The change does not affect other API resources.