# Research Shopify Rule > Research Shopify Liquid patterns across themes and produce AI-consumable rule documents. Use when creating new Shopify development rules, documenting Liquid patterns, researching theme techniques, or when the user mentions writing a rule about a Shopify topic. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/research-shopify-rule` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/research-shopify-rule` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/research-shopify-rule/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Research & Search - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/research-shopify-rule --- # Research and create a Shopify theme development rule You are researching Shopify Liquid patterns to produce a well-documented rule for AI consumption. The topic is: **$ARGUMENTS** Read the reference files in this skill's directory before starting: - [references/existing-coverage.md](references/existing-coverage.md) -- what Shopify's cursor rules already cover (avoid duplicating) - [references/theme-guide.md](references/theme-guide.md) -- recommended themes and how to search them - [references/rule-template.md](references/rule-template.md) -- the format every rule must follow --- ## Phase 1 -- Scope 1. Identify the core topic from `$ARGUMENTS`. Break it down: what Liquid objects, filters, tags, or Shopify features are involved? 2. Check for overlap using the three-level approach: - Read `references/existing-coverage.md` for a summary of what Horizon's cursor rules cover. If the topic overlaps, note what the existing rules cover and focus on what they do NOT cover (advanced patterns, workarounds, edge cases). - Check `rules/INDEX.md` for rules already written in this repo. - If `shopify-themes/horizon/` is present, scan its `.cursor/rules/` directory for the latest coverage. This takes priority over the static summary in `existing-coverage.md`. 3. Search `rules/` for existing rules on the topic. If a related rule exists, determine whether to extend it or create a new one. 4. Present your scope assessment to the user before proceeding. ## Phase 2 -- Research Search for patterns across the themes in `shopify-themes/`. Use Explore agents to parallelize the search. If `shopify-themes/` is empty or has few themes, expand web research. The skill can still produce valuable rules from Shopify documentation alone, though cross-theme comparisons will be limited. Suggest the user adds themes for richer research -- see `references/theme-guide.md` for recommendations. ### What to search for - **Snippet files** related to the topic (search by filename and content in `snippets/` folders) - **Section files** that implement related functionality (in `sections/` folders) - **Liquid patterns** using relevant filters, tags, and objects - **Comments** mentioning workarounds, tricks, or explanations (search for terms like "workaround", "hack", "trick", "note:", "important:", "TODO") - **Schema patterns** in section `{% schema %}` blocks that relate to the topic ### Where to search Search all themes in `shopify-themes/`. See `references/theme-guide.md` for details on recommended themes and search strategies. ### Web research (when appropriate) By default, focus on local theme research when themes are available. Expand to web research when: - The user explicitly asks for it or shares links - The user's topic involves a Shopify feature where official docs would add clarity - Local themes don't have sufficient examples - `shopify-themes/` is empty Recommended web sources: - Shopify Dev Docs -- use the Shopify Dev MCP tool if available, otherwise `shopify.dev` - Shopify Community forums at `community.shopify.dev` - Links the user provides as additional context ### Research output For each pattern found, record: - **Source**: theme name and file path - **Code**: the relevant Liquid snippet - **Context**: what problem it solves, how it's used in the theme - **Quality**: is it clean, hacky, well-commented, production-tested? ## Phase 3 -- Analysis 1. **Catalog** all discovered patterns with source references 2. **Compare** approaches across themes -- what's common, what varies, what's unique? 3. **Rank** patterns by: - Correctness (does it handle edge cases?) - Elegance (is it readable and maintainable?) - AI-reproducibility (can an AI agent reliably generate this from a description?) 4. **Identify** the recommended pattern(s) and note why alternatives are weaker 5. **Document** edge cases, gotchas, and Liquid quirks relevant to this topic Present a structured summary of findings to the user. Include code snippets from the most interesting patterns. ## Phase 4 -- Draft Discuss with the user: - Should this be one rule or multiple rules? - Should it extend an existing rule? - What category does it belong in? Then draft the rule following the template in `references/rule-template.md`. Key principles: - **Write for AI agents**: the rule should help an AI turn a high-level requirement into correct Liquid code. Explain the _why_ behind each line, not just the _what_. - **Include complete, working examples**: don't just describe patterns, show them with full context. - **Document the non-obvious**: focus on things an AI wouldn't know from Liquid docs alone -- workarounds, quirks, community conventions. - **Be precise about Liquid limitations**: if a pattern exists because Liquid can't do something natively, say so explicitly. - **Reference source themes**: include where the pattern was found so the user can verify. Present the draft to the user for review. Iterate based on feedback. ## Phase 5 -- Finalize 1. Write the rule file(s) to `rules//.md` - Use kebab-case for filenames - Choose the most appropriate category from the recommended categories (see README or `references/rule-template.md`) - Create the category folder if it doesn't exist yet 2. Update `rules/INDEX.md`: - Add the new rule under the appropriate category heading in the Rules section - Format: `- [Rule Title](category/rule-name.md) -- one-line description` 3. If this topic came from `rules/BACKLOG.md`, update the corresponding entry's status to `done` and add the rule link 4. Suggest related topics that could become future rules based on what you discovered during research --- ## Important guidelines - Never invent Liquid filters, tags, or objects. Only use what exists in Shopify's Liquid implementation. - When showing code examples, use the `{% liquid %}` tag for multiline logic blocks (Shopify convention for newer themes). - Always test that code examples are syntactically valid Liquid. - If a pattern involves metafields, specify the metafield namespace and type clearly. - Cross-reference Shopify's official Liquid docs when unsure about object properties or filter behavior. --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/teamdijon) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.