Shopify Sidekick TESTED: The Ultimate AI Assistant and How to Use It

Imagine having a virtual assistant that not only automatically set up and manage your stores, but also helps you make smarter, data-driven decisions. That’s exactly what Shopify Sidekick promises. 

But does it truly live up to the hype? In this article, we’ve put Shopify Sidekick to the test with real-store to uncover its strengths, limitations, and whether it’s the ultimate AI tool for your eCommerce business.

Dive in to see how this revolutionary assistant performs in action, and learn how to use it!

What is Shopify Sidekick?

Source: Shopify

Shopify Sidekick is a side by side AI-powered assistant designed to help Shopify merchants by providing personalized recommendations, automating tasks, and offering insights to enhance the Shopify store's performance and customer experience. It streamlines operations and supports decision-making with real-time assistance.

It is powered by Shopify Magic, the suite of free AI-enabled features and tools available across the platform.

Shopify Sidekick is equipped with a deep understanding of the Shopify platform. This enables it to provide highly personalized and relevant support for a wide range of tasks.

When is Shopify Sidekick released date?

Shopify Sidekick is rolled out in December 10th, 2024, along with Shopify Winter Editions 2025. It is first launched in early access in June 2024 as an addition to Shopify Magic

Key features of Shopify Sidekick

Shopify Sidekick is an AI-powered assistant designed to simplify store management and enhance eCommerce operations. It provides merchants with intuitive tools to streamline workflows, make data-driven decisions, and deliver personalized experiences. Below are the key features of Shopify Sidekick, tailored for new Shopify store owners. Here are the three key functionalities of Sidekick:

Automatically Set Up Based on Request - The most powerful feature

One of Shopify Sidekick's most powerful features is its ability to automatically execute tasks based on your specific requests. This functionality eliminates manual effort by allowing you to use natural language prompts to initiate complex actions. For example, you can ask Sidekick to:

• “Set up a 20% discount for all products in the Spring Collection.”
• “Create a new product category for summer essentials."
  

Sidekick processes your requests instantly and performs the required actions seamlessly, ensuring accuracy and saving valuable time. This feature is particularly beneficial for new store owners who want to focus on growing their business rather than managing repetitive tasks. 

We've tested this feature by asking "How do I set up free shipping for orders over $50?" and WOW, Sidekick shows its power very impressive within 3 seconds:

Instant Support and Guidance

• Provides step-by-step directions for everything in Shopify. This covers tasks such as setting up your Shopify store, shipping rates and managing inventory.
• Offers clear, actionable guidance on how to navigate the Shopify admin.

For example,I asked Sidekick "how can I generate sales for all for my products?" and it immediately shows a detailed guide.

Content Generation

Creating engaging content is time-consuming, but Shopify Sidekick automates this process with its advanced content generation capabilities. It can craft product descriptions, email templates, blog posts, and promotional campaigns tailored to your brand’s voice. For example:

• Product Descriptions: Generate detailed yet concise descriptions that highlight features and benefits.
• Email Templates: Create professional emails for seasonal promotions or abandoned cart recovery.
• Blog Posts: Suggest topics and draft content to boost SEO and customer engagement.

Sidekick not only saves time but also ensures consistency across all your marketing materials.

In my test, Sidekick locates the right product I request, and write a detailed description:

Customer Segmentation Tools

Personalization is key to retaining customers, and Shopify Sidekick makes it easy to segment your audience using natural language prompts. For example:

• Ask Sidekick: “Show me customers who purchased in the last month.”
• Use the data to create targeted campaigns or offer exclusive discounts.

With these tools, new store owners can deliver tailored shopping experiences that increase customer loyalty and drive repeat purchases.

Test example: I asked Sidekick to show me the purchase report last month (my demo store), and Sidekick show exactly 0 sales from my data, and when I ask it to create targeted campaigns for discount, Sidekick is smart enough to generate a new discount code for New Customer! It wows me again. 

Theme Editing Assistance

Designing a visually appealing store is essential for attracting customers, and Shopify Sidekick helps you achieve this effortlessly. It provides recommendations for design elements like colors, typography, and layouts based on your brand identity. Additionally, it ensures compatibility with Dawn theme version 11.0.0 or higher, allowing you to make seamless edits without technical expertise.

How Does Sidekick Shopify Work?

Source: Shopify

Shopify Sidekick uses advanced AI technology, specifically natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, to interact with you conversationally. This means you can type commands or ask questions in everyday language, and Sidekick will understand and respond accordingly.

• Natural Language Processing (NLP): This technology allows Sidekick to understand your queries. It adapts to the unique context and data of each merchant’s shop, ensuring relevant and actionable guidance.
• Machine Learning: Sidekick gets smarter over time. As you use it and provide feedback, it learns more about your specific needs and preferences. This also ensures that the guidance and content provided are always up-to-date and pertinent to the current state of the store.

Shopify Magic is the backbone of Sidekick. These tools are available for free across all of Shopify's subscription plans.

Three other capabilities offered by Shopify Magic include:

Media Generation

• Integrated with Shopify’s media editor, Shopify Magic allows for professional image adjustments, such as background removal or replacement with AI-generated scenes.

 App Review Summaries

• Shopify Magic powers app review summaries to help merchants evaluate and choose apps more efficiently in the Shopify app store.

While Shopify Magic provides the AI foundation, Sidekick acts as an interactive advisor. It engages in meaningful conversations and offers intelligent, tailored advice. Sidekick also operates only within the specific context of each merchant's shop. This means the Shopify AI assistant provides support and recommendations that are directly relevant to your unique business needs.

Further reading: Shopify Magic: Ecommerce AI To Create Compelling Product Descriptions & More

Limitations of Shopify AI Sidekick

Despite its powerful capabilities, this Shopify AI assistant has certain limitations that you should keep in mind to use it effectively and avoid errors and harms:

• Customer Support: Sidekick cannot handle customer support conversations or talk to customers on your behalf.
• Privacy Constraints: It cannot share private information or data from other Shopify merchants, ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive data.
• Approval Requirement: Sidekick is never allowed to make changes to your shop without your approval. It only presents options for you to preview and approve, maintaining your control over the store’s operations. 
• Image Editing: Sidekick cannot edit images within a store theme or product list, focusing instead on textual and functional guidance.
• Theme Compatibility: If you are trying to use Sidekick on themes other than Dawn theme version 11.0.0 or higher, you might experience some errors.

Benefits of Using Shopify Sidekick

With the above abilities, there'f no doubt that this Shopify AI Sidekick offers several advantages for Shopify store owners. Here are four of them:

Operational Efficiency, Time Saving

Sidekick helps you manage tasks more effectively by providing the following:

• Instant support
• Step-by-step guidance
• Automatic set up
• Content generation

Instead of searching for manual articles and videos to perform a simple task, now all you need to do is just chatting, Sidekick will do the rest.

Accuracy and Sales Increasing

With Sidekick’s help, you can complete tasks faster.

• Handles customer segmentation
• Smart segment campaign suggestion
• Quick and accurate report generation
• Suggests theme changes

All of the above gives you clearer view and analytics to target the right customers. It also allows you to focus on other important aspects of your business.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Sidekick offers personalized support and smart recommendations, regarding content and design. This keeps your store engaging and relevant. Moreover, it enhances the shopping experience for your customers, helping them find what they need and enjoy their time on your site.

How to Access & Use Shopify AI Sidekick In Your Store

Good news! Sidekick is now available to all Shopify stores from its Winter Edition 2025, including development stores!

Requirements for Access

Before diving into Shopify Sidekick, ensure you meet these essential requirements:

• Desktop Device: Currently, Shopify Sidekick is only accessible through desktop browsers. Mobile access is not yet available as of April 2025.
• English Language Setting: Sidekick currently operates with English as the primary language. Your Shopify admin panel should be set to English for optimal functionality.
• Compatible Theme: Your store must use a compatible theme, specifically Dawn theme version 11.0.0 or higher. This ensures all Sidekick features work smoothly with your store design.
• Shopify Plan: Ensure you have an active Shopify subscription. While basic plans support Sidekick, some advanced features may require higher-tier plans.

These requirements ensure you'll get the full experience without technical complications. If you're using an incompatible theme, consider upgrading to maximize Sidekick's capabilities.

Step-by-Step Guide to Access and Use Shopify Sidekick

Getting Shopify Sidekick up and running is straightforward:

• Access Your Admin Panel: Log in to your Shopify admin dashboard.Locate Sidekick:
• Look for the Sidekick icon in the top right corner of your dashboard (appears as a small assistant icon).
• Activate the Assistant: Click the icon to launch Sidekick. First-time users will see a brief introduction explaining key features.

• Start Interacting: Type your question or request using natural language. For example:
• "How do I set up a discount code for summer products?"
• "Show me how to adjust my shipping rates."
• "Help me create a product description for my new leather wallet."
• Follow Guided Instructions: When Sidekick provides directions, follow them step-by-step to complete tasks efficiently.
• Save Your Changes: Remember that while Sidekick can suggest and implement changes, always review and save your work.

Pro Tip: For best results, be specific with your requests. Instead of asking "How do I increase sales?" try "Create a 20% discount code for returning customers."

Common Commands to Try

Get comfortable with Sidekick by testing these useful commands:

• "Help me set up abandoned cart recovery emails."
• "Create a product collection for summer items."
• "Analyze my top-selling products this month."
• "Suggest improvements for my homepage layout."
• "Write a thank you email template for new customers."
  

By starting with these practical tasks, you'll quickly understand how Sidekick can transform your store management experience.

Remember, Shopify Sidekick learns from your interactions, so the more you use it, the better it becomes at anticipating your needs and providing relevant assistance.

The Future of Shopify Sidekick

The future of Shopify Sidekick looks promising as AI continues to evolve and integrate more deeply into eCommerce.

As the technology advances, you can expect Shopify to introduce and integrate more AI-based features into the platform. Sidekick will gain more unique and relevant capabilities, including:

• Expanded Functionalities: Future updates may introduce new features, such as advanced data analytics or enhanced integration with other Shopify tools, to offer even more comprehensive support.
• Improved Personalization: AI advancements could allow Sidekick to provide even more tailored advice and recommendations based on a deeper understanding of individual store dynamics.
• Broader Theme Support: Future versions may extend compatibility beyond the Dawn theme, allowing more merchants to benefit from Sidekick's capabilities.

Sidekick Shopify can significantly influence new and expanding businesses to improve their operations, especially new merchants. It will help them navigate the complexities of eCommerce with ease, with actionable insights and automating repetitive tasks.

To improve Sidekick Shopify, merchant feedback is crucial. You can rate Sidekick's responses directly in the chat interface using thumbs-up or down icons. For more comprehensive feedback, click "Add comment" after rating.

This detailed input helps Shopify understand critical concerns and areas for improvement, ensuring Sidekick evolves to meet your needs more effectively.

Final Thoughts

Shopify Sidekick is here to help you run an online store with ease. With personalized support and smart recommendations, this AI-enabled tool helps you manage your store effortlessly.

Sidekick is incredibly useful for new merchants who want to get acquainted with the platform quickly. Its user-friendly interface and step-by-step guidance make navigating Shopify a breeze, even for beginners.

Don't forget to look out for early access invitations and get ready to experience the future of eCommerce.

If you have started using Sidekick, share your feedback for the development of the tool. When Sidekick generates a response, you can rate its helpfulness by clicking the thumbs-up or thumbs-down icons. You can also add detailed comments to help improve its functionality.

So, your Sidekick is ready—are you?

Read more: Shopify Artificial Intelligence: AI Tools Used By Pros