Launch a storefront from your terminal

Launching a storefront involves more than writing a page. You need to prepare the catalog, connect the store, deploy the code, configure a domain, and plan for future theme updates.

The Zalify CLI organizes that work into three command groups: brand, shop, and theme.

npm i -g zalify

zalify brand init brands/my-brand # Create the brand folder
# Fill in the catalog, brand guide, and image manifest, then validate them
zalify brand validate brands/my-brand

zalify login
zalify workspace set <workspace-slug>
zalify shop create my-brand       # Deploy the storefront

# Later, from the generated shop directory:
# zalify theme upgrade

This is the starting workflow, not the entire catalog setup. After creating the shop, push your prepared catalog and generate or attach the product images. The CLI reference covers those steps and their prerequisites.

September 2026 update: the site command group is now shop, and hosted shops use <slug>.myzalify.com. The ads command group also lets you manage ad-account configuration as files.

Brand data, deployment, and theme code

brand manages the data. A brand folder holds the product catalog, brand voice guide, and image manifest. zalify brand init creates the structure and authoring instructions, including schemas and naming conventions. A person or AI agent can use those instructions to prepare the data, then validate it before import. zalify brand push sends the catalog to Shopify; zalify brand images generate creates images from the manifest, and zalify brand images attach associates them with products.

shop manages the hosted storefront. zalify shop create provisions a private GitHub repository, a connected deployment, a domain, and the store connection, then generates and pushes the local code. You do not need to configure the hosting provider's credentials yourself. Repository pushes use scoped, short-lived tokens, and Shopify requests go through Zalify's authenticated proxy. Deployment time depends on the build and service availability.

theme manages the code. The generated storefront is a Next.js project you can edit. A manifest records the original versions of its files. Theme settings, templates, and translations live in theme/, which the upgrade process preserves. zalify theme upgrade updates unmodified files, attempts a three-way merge for modified files, and marks conflicts for review. You keep control of the source and can inspect changes before deploying them.

The brand folder and shop directory are separate. Give both the same brand slug as their folder name, and run commands from the directory specified in the reference.

Five brand examples across different categories

We used this workflow to prepare five demo brands. Their catalogs follow individual brand guides, product images are generated from image manifests, and theme settings define their appearance. Four have live storefronts linked below; the fifth has its brand data prepared for deployment.

• Voltra: charging and power products, with a dark graphite palette and cyan accents.
• Aurelle: jewelry, with ivory, gold, and editorial-style serif type.
• Mirelle: fashion, with blush and rose tones.
• Pawfolk: pet supplies, with cream, terracotta, and rounded shapes.
• Crown & Co.: haircare, with a prepared brand folder ready for the deployment step.

The examples share a storefront engine, component system, and checkout approach. Brand data and theme settings give each its own identity.

Using the CLI with an AI agent

The plain-text CLI reference documents commands, file formats, error codes, and authoring rules. Give it to an AI agent to guide the workflow: prepare a brand folder, validate the data, publish the shop, push the catalog, and generate images.

Start with zalify brand init, review the generated instructions, and validate your data before publishing.