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Installation

Get Weaverse installed and running in your Shopify Hydrogen project quickly and easily.
🚀 New to Weaverse? Try our 5-Minute Quickstart for the fastest setup experience.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 22.12+ - Download here
  • A Shopify store - Development store or paid plan
  • Basic terminal knowledge - For running commands

Installation Methods

Best for: New users, quick setup, guided experience
  1. Install Weaverse App: Visit https://apps.shopify.com/weaverse
  2. Create Project: Open app → “Get Started” → Choose theme (Pilot recommended)
  3. Run Generated Command: Copy and run the custom CLI command provided
Example command:
An interactive terminal asks whether to start the development server. A non-interactive run starts it only with --dev. For a deterministic next step, run:

Method B: Direct CLI Installation

If you have a Weaverse Project ID:
Available templates: pilot, naturelle, aspen, maison

Method C: GitHub Clone

For developers who want git history:
Remove the .github folder after cloning. Its workflows (Pilot’s own Oxygen deployment, CI, and code review) need Weaverse’s secrets and fail on your first push. When you deploy to Oxygen, Shopify adds a fresh oxygen-deployment-*.yml workflow for your storefront. Methods A and B remove the folder for you.

Configuration

Required Environment Variables

Getting API Tokens

For stores on a Shopify plan: Install the Hydrogen sales channel (https://apps.shopify.com/hydrogen), create one Hydrogen storefront project, then run npx shopify hydrogen env pull. If the CLI cannot pull yet, copy values from Hydrogen sales channel → Storefront Settings → Environments and variables. For development stores or stores without a Shopify plan: Install the Headless sales channel (https://apps.shopify.com/headless), copy the Storefront API values, and add them to .env manually or give them to your AI agent to handle. Session Secret: Generate with node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('hex'))"

Verification

After installation:
  1. Start server: npm run dev
  2. Check storefront: Visit http://localhost:3456
  3. Access Studio: Go to https://studio.weaverse.io/projects/your-project-id
  4. Test editing: Make changes in Studio and verify they appear

Common Issues

CLI Command Fails

  • Ensure Node.js 22.12+ installed: node --version
  • Clear npm cache: npm cache clean --force

Studio Preview Not Loading

  • Verify dev server runs on port 3456
  • Check browser console for errors
  • Ensure no firewall blocks the port

Environment Variables Not Working

  • Ensure .env file is in project root
  • Restart dev server after changes
  • Check variable names are exact (case-sensitive)

Component Development Basics

After installation, you can start building custom sections. Here’s a simple example:

Development Workflow

  1. Create component in app/sections/ or app/components/
  2. Define schema with createSchema() and configurable properties
  3. Register it in app/weaverse/components.ts by adding the module to the components array:
  4. Test in Studio at https://studio.weaverse.io/projects/your-project-id

Next Steps

  1. Core Concepts - Understand how Weaverse works
  2. Development Guide - Build custom sections
  3. API Reference - Complete API documentation
Need help? Check our FAQ or Community.