Shopify's AI is built into the platform under two names: Shopify Magic, a set of AI content tools embedded across the admin, and Sidekick, a conversational assistant that knows a store's data and can answer questions and carry out tasks. Both are native to Shopify and free to use, with no separate setup. This guide covers what each one does, where to find it, and when it makes sense to add AI tools beyond Shopify's own.

At a glance, Shopify's native AI can:

Generate product descriptions, email subject lines, and blog content.
Edit product images — remove or replace backgrounds and improve quality.
Suggest product tags, attributes, and SEO metadata.
Draft replies to customer messages in Shopify Inbox.
Answer questions about store performance and take actions in the admin through Sidekick.

Shopify Magic: AI content tools

Shopify Magic is a collection of AI features built directly into the admin, powered by large language models. It handles the text- and image-heavy tasks that otherwise eat up a merchant's time.

Product descriptions and copy

From any product page, Magic can generate a description from a few basic details. Recent versions reference a store's existing descriptions and brand tone so new copy stays consistent across the catalog, and merchants can set a brand voice — professional, casual, playful, or luxury — that carries across Magic-generated content. The same tools draft email subject lines, blog posts, and other store copy, with SEO-friendly output that aims to improve organic visibility.

Image editing

Shopify's AI image tools remove a product photo's background in one click and can replace it with a lifestyle or seasonal setting — useful for holiday photos or testing different presentations without a new shoot. Image enhancement adjusts lighting, color, and sharpness to keep product photos clean and consistent, which supports a stronger, more professional brand look.

Tagging, metadata, and Inbox replies

Magic can suggest product attributes (materials, colors, fits, categories) that improve filtering and discoverability, generate SEO metadata, and — in Shopify Inbox — draft suggested replies based on the customer's message and store context. Reply suggestions handle routine questions like shipping and availability well; complex or sensitive messages still need a human edit.

Sidekick: the AI assistant

Sidekick is Shopify's conversational assistant, available on all plans through the admin search bar or a dedicated chat icon. Unlike Magic's task-specific tools, Sidekick works through conversation — a merchant can ask a question and refine the result with follow-up messages.

It is especially useful for store owners who find the admin overwhelming. Instead of navigating menus, a merchant can ask things like "what were my top-selling products last month?" or "create a 20% discount code for returning customers," and Sidekick handles it. Its capabilities span three areas:

Answers and analysis: questions about sales, performance, and customer behavior, answered in plain language.
Content: generating descriptions, emails, and other copy (it can call Magic to produce the creative output).
Actions: creating discount codes and customer segments, configuring store and shipping settings, and building Shopify Flow automations from a natural-language description.

Shopify expanded Sidekick further in its Winter 2026 edition, adding proactive insights through Sidekick Pulse, which surfaces performance signals without being asked. Basic Sidekick is available to every merchant, while the more advanced proactive features are weighted toward Shopify Plus and higher-volume stores.

Adding AI beyond Shopify's native tools

Magic and Sidekick cover a large share of everyday needs, but a store with specific requirements can integrate additional AI. There are two common routes:

Apps from the Shopify App Store: many add AI for things like advanced personalization, review summarization, or deeper email automation, and install without code.
A custom integration: developers can connect a third-party model — for example through the OpenAI API — to build store-specific functionality such as a tailored support assistant or bespoke content workflows. This requires development work and an API key from the provider, and is worth it only when native tools and apps fall short.

A practical approach is to use Shopify's free AI first, then identify the specific gaps — brand voice depth, predictive analytics, advanced segmentation — and add a focused paid tool for each, rather than paying for capabilities Magic and Sidekick already provide.

Frequently asked questions

What does Shopify AI do?

Shopify's AI generates content (product descriptions, emails, blog posts), edits product images, suggests tags and SEO metadata, drafts customer replies, and — through Sidekick — answers questions about a store and performs admin tasks like creating discounts or segments. The goal is to automate repetitive work so merchants can focus on strategy and customers.

Is Shopify AI free?

The core Magic features and basic Sidekick are included with Shopify at no extra cost. Some advanced, proactive Sidekick capabilities are weighted toward higher-tier plans, and third-party AI apps or custom integrations carry their own costs.

Does Shopify's AI use ChatGPT or OpenAI?

Shopify Magic and Sidekick are built on large language models, and Shopify has used OpenAI's models among others to power them. Merchants do not need their own ChatGPT or OpenAI account to use Magic or Sidekick — the AI is built in. A separate OpenAI account is only relevant when building a custom integration outside Shopify's native tools.

How do I add AI to a Shopify store?

Magic and Sidekick are already built in — no installation needed; Sidekick is reached through the admin search bar or chat icon, and Magic appears as "Generate" options across the admin. For capabilities beyond the native tools, install an AI app from the Shopify App Store, or have a developer build a custom integration using a provider's API.

Next steps

Shopify's built-in AI handles a real share of store content and operations, and most merchants should exhaust Magic and Sidekick before paying for anything extra. First Pier is an ecommerce agency in Portland, Maine that builds and optimizes Shopify storefronts, including AI-assisted workflows and the integrations that extend them. For help putting Shopify's AI features to work, get in touch.