START HERE
The guide
25 plain-English modules you tick off as you go, from setup to SEO, plus a "when you're stuck" page.
Join the waitlist
NEW
FOR SHOPIFY OWNERS WHO DON'T CODE
Your store, rebuilt for $5,000 by an AI agent.
Checked by you.
A step-by-step packet that teaches you to redesign, edit and grow your Shopify store with Claude Code or Codex. The agent does the typing. Every change waits on a hidden preview until you say go.
$89 one time · Mac or Windows · Works offline
doors open Monday, November 23. the waitlist hears first.
MADE FOR STORES ON
AG Shops is an independent guide from Actually Good Ideas. It is not made, sponsored or endorsed by Shopify. You need your own Shopify store and plan to use it.
SEE IT HAPPEN
Don't take our word for it. Watch a request become a preview.
You type what you want in plain words. The agent changes your theme on a hidden preview, checks it, and hands you a link. Nothing goes live until you say go.
25 LESSONS26 SHORT VIDEOSCLAUDE CODE OR CODEXMAC OR WINDOWS
Demo recreated from the real AG Shops workflow on The Calm Caterpillar's store. The banner text is an example.
Everything in the packet
One download. Open the guide in your browser, follow along, and copy the starter kit into your store project.
26 VIDEOS
Animated lessons
A short captioned animation for every module. Watch in the guide or on your phone.
8 SKILLS
The starter kit
Rules files, 8 AG Shops skills, a reviewer agent and guard rails that stop the agent publishing your theme.
COPY + PASTE
Put this on a preview first
Done. Here's the link.
Copied
Prompt library
Tested prompts for every step, with one-click copy. Swap in your store's details and paste.
Look inside the guide.
It opens in your browser, works offline and remembers your progress. Flip the switch at the top to see every step for Claude Code or Codex.
a short animation for every lesson
copy, paste, adjust
your-store/
├─ CLAUDE.md · AGENTS.md rules
├─ .claude/skills/ 8 skills
├─ .claude/agents/ reviewer
├─ .claude/settings.json guard rails
├─ .mcp.json · .codex/
└─ docs/ plans, checklists
the starter kit your agent installs
four steps, no code
You stay in charge. The agent does the typing.
01
Open the app
Install the Claude or Codex desktop app and point it at a folder for your store.
02
Skills installed
Guard rails on
Shopify tools ready
The agent sets itself up
Paste one prompt. It installs the starter kit and Shopify's tools, and you approve each step.
03
SAFE
Changes land on a preview
Every edit goes to a hidden copy of your theme. Open the link on your phone and look.
04
Go live
You say go
Only then does it touch the live store, one changed file at a time. Your old theme stays as a one-click undo.
CASE STUDYREAL STORE · REAL NUMBERS
The Calm Caterpillar, rebuilt in two weeks, part-time.
A kids' sensory-tools brand swapped an agency-built theme for a fresh one built on Shopify's free Dawn theme. One owner, one AI agent, every change on a preview first. About two weeks from first install to launch, fitted around running the business. This packet is that playbook, snags included.
Drag or click the image to compare. Before: an archived copy from the Internet Archive (October 2025), which doesn't load every font or the old logo, so it looks plainer than it did live. After: thecalmcaterpillar.com as it is today.
before: three products on white
after: every tool, ages, one tap to shop
HOMEPAGE DOWNLOAD ON A PHONE AFTER LAUNCH
Before38.9 MB
After16.7 MB
−57%
TIME A VIDEO TILE SAT BLANK AFTER LAUNCH
Before3.85 s
After0.02 s
instant
APPS INSTALLED VS. ACTUALLY USED
15 → 2
Only email marketing and reviews were still earning their place.
50+ pages checked against the design
~78 store updates in one logged, reversible run
13 product page templates
3 bugs caught by a second AI
0 Theme Check errors
15 redirects so old links still work
Full disclosure: The Calm Caterpillar was co-founded by Eric Elias, who made AG Shops. Every number here comes from the project's own logs and speed tests. Your results will depend on your store.
THE MONEY PART
Agencies quote $5,000 to $25,000. You, AI and AG Shops: $109.
The Calm Caterpillar's rebuild was the kind of project agencies quote in the thousands. It was done by the owner and an AI agent in two part-time weeks. With AG Shops at $89 one time and a $20 AI plan, that's $109 to start. Every change after that costs a few minutes, not an invoice.
AGENCY QUOTE
typical theme rebuild
Discovery and design ...... ✓
Theme build ............... ✓
Two rounds of revisions ... ✓
Timeline ........ 4-12 weeks
Each later change . new ticket
TOTAL$5,000–$25,000
YOU + AI + AG SHOPS
the Calm Caterpillar way
AG Shops, one time ......... $89
AI plan (Claude or ChatGPT) $20/mo
Dawn theme from Shopify ..... $0
Timeline .. 2 part-time weeks
Each later change ..... you, today
TOTAL$109
to start, then $20/mo for your AI plan
AGENCY QUOTE VS. YOU + AI + AG SHOPS
Even the low quote is about 46 times more.
Agency, high quote$25,000
Agency, low quote$5,000
You + AI + AG Shops, first month$109
Fast
Two part-time weeks instead of a 4 to 12 week agency timeline. Small changes take minutes.
Edit it yourself
New banner at 10pm? Ask for it, check the preview on your phone, say go. No ticket, no waiting.
Keep the money
Stop paying someone to swap a photo or fix a typo. Put the budget into product and ads.
Free from your agency
Your theme lives in your own GitHub, with plain-English notes. You own it, and anyone you hire later can pick it up.
Agency range from published 2026 Shopify design pricing, where custom builds commonly run $5,000 to $20,000 and bigger rebuilds more. AG Shops is $89, one time. AI plans as of November 2026: Claude Pro and ChatGPT Plus are $20 a month; heavier use may need a $100 to $200 plan. You still pay for your Shopify plan and any apps. Your costs and timing will depend on your store.
A NOTE FROM ERIC
I built it for my own store first.
I co-founded The Calm Caterpillar. Our store ran on an agency-built theme, so I rebuilt it with an AI agent, part-time, in about two weeks. I wrote down every step, every snag and every prompt that worked.
That notebook became AG Shops. It's written for owners who don't code: you make the calls, the agent does the typing, and nothing goes live without your go.
rooting for you, Eric
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
01A Mac or Windows computer. The guide covers both.
02Your Shopify store, with owner or staff access to themes.
03An AI plan: Claude Pro (about $20 a month) for Claude Code, or a ChatGPT plan for Codex. You pay Anthropic or OpenAI directly, not us.
04About an hour for setup. Two free installers, then the agent sets up the rest while you approve each step.
YOUR WHAT-IFS, ANSWERED
Thinking "but what if…"
What if I'm not techy?
Perfect.
It is written for you. You install two free apps, then approve each step the agent asks about. The guide explains every message you will see.
What if it breaks my store?
It is built not to.
Every change goes to a hidden preview first. The agent is blocked from publishing, and your old theme stays as a one-click undo.
What if an agency built my theme?
Most are.
You can keep it and edit it safely, or rebuild on Shopify's free Dawn theme like The Calm Caterpillar did. The guide shows both.
What if I don't have time?
Small steps.
Each lesson is short and has a video. The Calm Caterpillar rebuild happened part-time, around running the business.
What if I use ChatGPT, not Claude?
Both work.
Flip the switch at the top of the guide and every step shows the Codex version. Same safety rules either way.
What if I get stuck?
There is a page for that.
The “When you’re stuck” page covers what to approve, how to stop the agent, how to undo, and the common errors in plain English.
25 lessons. Tick as you go.
Questions
How much does it cost?
$89, one time. No subscription. You will also need your own AI plan (Claude Pro and ChatGPT Plus start at $20 a month) and your Shopify plan.
Is AG Shops made by Shopify?
No. AG Shops is an independent guide from Actually Good Ideas, LLC. It isn’t made, sponsored or endorsed by Shopify, Anthropic or OpenAI. It teaches you to use their public tools on your own store.
Which AI plan do I need?
Claude Pro or higher for Claude Code, or any ChatGPT plan for Codex. Plans change, so check the current details with Anthropic or OpenAI before you buy.
Can I use it for client work?
Yes. Use it on your own stores and on stores you build or run for clients, and leave the customized starter-kit files in their projects. Just don’t share or resell the packet itself.
What exactly do I download?
A zip with the interactive guide (works offline in your browser), 26 lesson videos as MP4s, and the starter kit: rules files, 8 skills, a reviewer agent, guard rails and templates.