5 things you should be doing right now with Sidekick 🛍️ Stop wasting time in your Shopify Admin

Master Shopify Sidekick: AI Hacks to Save Hours Every Week!

In Episode 7 of Helium's Hot Air Show, we're taking a deep dive into Shopify's Sidekick. Two and a half years after its initial tease, Sidekick is finally living up to the hype and bringing powerful features that every merchant should be using. From teaching Sidekick "Skills" to visual "Targeting" in the admin, we’re breaking down the best AI hacks for your Shopify Admin, Product Management, and Theme Editor.

In this video, you’ll learn:

How to find "hidden" automations you didn't know you needed.

The secret to keeping your AI conversations organized.

How to use the "@" and "Target" features for perfect context.

Creating products and collections in seconds using just images.

Why you should NEVER let AI edit your live theme.

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Shopify Admin Tips 💻
Ask for Automations (01:53): Use Sidekick to identify manual tasks that can be automated through Shopify Flow or specific app recommendations.

Organize by Conversation (03:08): Start new conversation threads for different topics (e.g., one for products, one for analytics) to keep the AI's context clear and make it easier to find information later.

Use the "@" Symbol for Resources (05:21): Type "@" to tag a specific product or collection, ensuring Sidekick knows exactly which item you are asking about.

The "Target" Visual Selector (06:18): Use the plus icon and the "Target" tool to visually select an element on your screen so Sidekick can explain it or help you modify it.

Teach a Skill (07:40): Create custom shortcuts (e.g., backslash commands) for repetitive tasks like pulling specific year-over-year sales reports.

New Analytics Exploration (09:36): Use plain language in the analytics tab to ask complex questions (e.g., "How many returning customers did I have on Black Friday?") instead of building manual reports.

Product Management Tips 📈
AI Collection Creation (12:09): Tell Sidekick to build collections based on attributes (e.g., "Create a collection of all my yellow shirts") found in titles and descriptions.

Image-to-Product Generation (13:25): Drop a product image into Sidekick to have it auto-generate descriptions, suggest competitive pricing, and assign categories.

Theme & Design Tips 🎨
Edit on a Copy, Not Live (15:24): Always duplicate your theme before letting Sidekick or yourself make changes to avoid breaking the live customer experience.

Interactive Launch Checklist (16:49): Ask Sidekick, "How do I prepare my store for launch?" to generate a custom to-do list within the chat.

Ask for Layout Improvements (17:41): Prompt Sidekick with questions like "How can I improve my store layout for sales?" to get data-driven design recommendations.

Generate Theme Blocks (18:14): Use Sidekick to code custom elements, such as countdown banners, directly into your theme without manual coding.

Use AI Images in Moderation (18:43): While AI can generate placeholders, use real photography for products to maintain customer trust.

Chapters 👇🏼

0:00 👋 Welcome to Helium Hot Air Show Ep. 7
0:20 🚀 The Evolution of Shopify Sidekick (2023–Present)
1:33 🤖 Tip 1: Asking for Admin Automations
3:15 📂 How to Organize AI Conversations (Folders & Context)
5:17 🏷️ Using the @ Symbol to Tag Resources
6:20 🎯 The "Target" Feature: Visual AI Selection
7:41 🎓 Teaching Sidekick New "Skills" & Shortcuts
9:24 📊 Plain Language Analytics & Explorations
12:09 🎒 Automating Product Collections
13:25 📸 Creating New Products from Images
14:51 🎨 AI Theme Editing & Launch Checklists
15:30 ⚠️ WARNING: Why you should copy your theme first
18:43 🖼️ The Risks of AI-Generated Images
20:06 🐱 Closing Thoughts