How to Connect ChatGPT to Your Shopify Store Using MCP

Overview

SecureMCP for Claude & ChatGPT lets you connect AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Perplexity to your Shopify store through a secure MCP (Model Context Protocol) server. You decide exactly what each AI agent is allowed to read or change using roles, choose which staff members can use each agent, and review every action the AI performs in the Activity log.

Pre-requisites: Installation and Access

SecureMCP for Claude & ChatGPT

• Install the SecureMCP for Claude & ChatGPT app on your Shopify store.
• Log in to your Shopify admin as the store owner or as a staff member with permission to use the app.

ChatGPT

• A ChatGPT account that can add custom MCP servers (plugins), with Developer mode available in Settings.

How to Set Up SecureMCP for Claude & ChatGPT (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Open the SecureMCP App

• In your Shopify admin, go to Apps and open SecureMCP for Claude & ChatGPT.

Step 2: Create a Role

• A role is a reusable set of permissions that decides what a connected AI agent can read or change. On the Home page, under Get started, click Create role.



• Enter the values by referring to the table below.

Role name	Choose a name for the role, e.g. Ordering.
Description	Optional. A note to help you remember what the role is for.
Permissions	Select what the agent may do. Read lets it look, Write lets it make changes. Use Quick start (Read-only, Everything, Clear) to fill them faster.




• Select the permissions for this role (for example Read product, Read order and Read customer) and click Create role.



• The new role appears in the Roles list, alongside the built-in Store Admin role that has full access.

Step 3: Add Team Members

• On the Home page, click Add people.



• Under Add a team member, enter the staff member's email and click Add person.

Note: Only add Shopify staff who already have permission to use this app. Adding someone here does not grant them Shopify access; if they are not set up in Shopify admin, they won't be able to connect.




• The team member is added to the Users list.

Step 4: Create an AI Agent

• On the Home page, click Create agent.



• In Agent details, enter the values by referring to the table below and click Next: roles & people.

Agent name	A name your team will recognise, e.g. ChatGPT AI.
Description	Optional. What the agent is used for.
AI app	ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex or VS Code. This guide uses ChatGPT. The AI app can't be changed after the agent is created.




• In Roles & people, choose a role for each person who should use this agent (for example Store Admin) and click Create agent.



• Your agent is ready. Click How to connect to open the step-by-step connection guide.

Step 5: Turn On Developer Mode and Copy the MCP Server URL

• Follow Turn on developer mode: in ChatGPT, click your name at the bottom-left, open Settings > Apps (older versions call it Connectors) > Advanced settings, and switch on Developer mode.



• Click Continue to open Add the connector and click Copy to copy the MCP server URL. Keep it handy for the next step.

Step 6: Add SecureMCP as a Custom MCP Server in ChatGPT

• In ChatGPT, open Plugins from the left menu.



• Click Add and select Add custom MCP server.



• Enter the values by referring to the table below.

Name	Choose a name, e.g. Chatgpt MCP.
Description	Optional, e.g. This is an AI Agent.
Connection (Server URL)	The MCP server URL you copied in Step 5.
Authentication	OAuth
Advanced OAuth settings	Under OpenID support, untick OIDC enabled.




• Paste the MCP server URL, keep Authentication as OAuth, and tick I understand and want to continue.



• Open Advanced OAuth settings, scroll to OpenID support, untick OIDC enabled and click Create a plugin.

Step 7: Connect and Sign In with Shopify

• Click Connect Chatgpt MCP.



• Sign in with your Shopify account and select the store you want to connect.



• ChatGPT confirms that the plugin is connected.

Step 8: Test the Connection

• Start a new chat, select the Chatgpt MCP plugin and prompt ChatGPT to perform a store action.



• When ChatGPT asks for permission, review the action and click Allow once.



• ChatGPT confirms the customers were created.



• Go to Shopify admin > Customers to verify that the new customers are listed.

Step 9: Monitor AI Activity

• In the SecureMCP app, open Activity to see what your AI agents did on your store, who they did it for, the record affected and the outcome. Filter by agent, outcome, action or date, or tick Problems only.

You've successfully connected ChatGPT to your Shopify store using SecureMCP for Claude & ChatGPT. Your AI agent can now work on your store within the permissions you set, and every action is recorded in the Activity log.

SecureMCP gives you full control over how AI assistants access your Shopify store, with role-based permissions, per-person access, approval prompts and a complete activity log. You can connect ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex and VS Code using the same steps.