Shopify Storefront MCP gives every Shopify store an open, read-only AI interface to its product catalog, cart operations, and shop policies. clariBI connects directly to your storefront's MCP endpoint — no API key, no OAuth, just your shop name.
Why connect Shopify Storefront
Product catalog + pricing data usually lives behind admin auth, making cross-shop comparisons painful. Storefront MCP exposes the catalog publicly so AI analyses can query it with zero setup.
You can ask "What products do we have in the Skincare collection?", "Which products have the lowest stock?", or "What's our return policy on electronics?" and the AI engine routes through the Storefront MCP tools.
How the connection works
clariBI talks to Shopify Storefront through its hosted MCP server at . Authentication uses an API key you generate in your vendor account. Tokens stay encrypted server-side and never leave clariBI in clear form.
sequenceDiagram
actor U as You
participant C as clariBI
participant V as Shopify Storefront
U->>V: Generate an API key in Shopify Storefront dashboard
U->>C: Paste the key into the connect wizard
C->>V: list_tools (verify the key)
V-->>C: Tools available
C->>C: Encrypt and store credentials
C-->>U: Connection ready
Available tools
clariBI exposes the read-only Shopify Storefront tools that the vendor's MCP server publishes at connection time. Write operations (create, update, delete, send, refund) are filtered out by a name-pattern blocklist before any tool reaches the analysis engine, so connecting Shopify Storefront cannot modify data on the vendor side.
The exact tool inventory depends on the Shopify Storefront features your account has access to. After connecting, try a few natural-language questions to see what Shopify Storefront data clariBI can pull.
Data flow during analysis
When you ask a question that maps to Shopify Storefront, the AI engine routes to the right tool, reads the result, and pairs the answer with a chart you can pin to a dashboard.
sequenceDiagram
actor U as You
participant C as clariBI
participant AI as AI engine
participant V as Shopify Storefront
U->>C: Ask a question about Shopify product catalog and policy data
C->>AI: Plan the analysis
AI->>V: Call the right tool
V-->>AI: Tool result
AI->>AI: Summarize and chart
C-->>U: Answer plus visual
Setting up the connection
- Open Data Sources in the clariBI sidebar.
- Click Add data source.
- Open the MCP Servers tab.
- Click the Shopify Storefront card.
- In a new tab, sign in to Shopify Storefront and generate a read-only API key.
- Paste the key into clariBI and click Connect.
- Give your data source a name.
- Click Finish.
Permissions and data access
Storefront MCP is public — no credentials are needed. clariBI reads only what your store's public catalog already exposes. To query order or customer data, connect a separate Shopify Customer Accounts MCP source (future catalog entry).
Troubleshooting
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Shop not found" or 404 on the MCP endpoint | The shop name is wrong or the store doesn't have Storefront MCP enabled (requires Winter 2026 release or later). | Confirm the shop name in your Shopify admin URL and try reconnecting. |