> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.apptics.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Connect a store without adding Apptics to Shopify > Create the Shopify app yourself and add Apptics checkout to your theme by hand This is the alternative to [Link your Shopify store](/getting-started/link-your-shopify-store) for stores that can't add Apptics as a user of their Shopify account — for example when your Shopify plan has no free user seat. You create the app in Shopify yourself and add Apptics checkout to your theme by hand. Plan on about 15 minutes and admin access to your Shopify store. ## Add your store in Apptics In Apptics, click **Add store**, enter your `your-store.myshopify.com` domain, and click **Continue**. Leave the window at the **Give Apptics access** step — you'll come back to it at the end. ## Create the app in Shopify 1. In your Shopify admin, open **Settings**, then **Apps**, then **Build apps in Dev Dashboard**. Settings at the bottom of the Shopify admin sidebar Apps in Shopify settings Build apps in Dev Dashboard on the App development page 2. In the dev dashboard, create a new app (name it `Apptics checkout`) and start a new version. Creating an app in the dev dashboard 3. Set the **App URL** to `https://app.apptics.com`. The version form with the App URL, API access, and App proxy fields 4. Under **API access**, paste the scopes: ``` read_products, read_customers, write_customers, read_orders, write_orders, read_discounts, read_own_subscription_contracts, write_own_subscription_contracts, read_online_store_navigation, write_online_store_navigation, read_themes ``` and add the redirect URL `https://api.apptics.com/api/auth/shopify/callback`. 5. Under **App proxy**, set subpath prefix `apps`, subpath `apptics`, and proxy URL `https://api.apptics.com/apps/apptics`. 6. **Release** the version, then **install the app** on your store. Releasing the new version Install app on the app's Overview page ## Send the app's keys to Apptics Copy the app's **Client ID** and **Client Secret** from its settings and send them to the email address shown in the **Give Apptics access** step of the Apptics window, together with your store domain. Client ID and Secret under App settings in the dev dashboard Once Apptics has added them, the store connects on its own within a few minutes, because the app is already installed. If the setup guide on your dashboard still shows **Install** for the store, click it. Your products, customers, and orders then start syncing. ## Add Apptics checkout to your theme by hand An app you created yourself can't be switched on from the theme editor, so add Apptics checkout to your theme directly: 1. In your Shopify admin, open **Online Store › Themes**, and on your live theme choose **Edit code**. 2. Open `layout/theme.liquid` and paste this line just before ``: ```html theme={null} ``` 3. Save the file. Checkout clicks on your storefront now reach Apptics. In **Settings › Checkout**, the **Storefront connection** card keeps saying **Not turned on**, but once a shopper has visited it shows when Apptics checkout was last seen on your storefront — that's the confirmation to look for. Repeat the paste whenever you publish a new theme. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.