ChatGPT is the OpenAI path for chat with live Shopify data. You enable Developer mode, add Riggr as a remote MCP app, explore your store and starter prompts, then hand off the build to Codex (VS Code extension, ChatGPT desktop Codex view, or CLI) so the Next.js app lands on your computer.
ChatGPT chat cannot scaffold Sparks or write code on your machine. Building a localhost app requires Codex (OpenAI's coding agent - not the same as this chat MCP path). Use ChatGPT for live store Q&A, then hand off Autopilot.
| | ChatGPT (web chat) | Codex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Job | Chat + reasoning with live store context | Write and run the app on your machine |
| How Riggr connects | Developer mode remote MCP app (OpenAI cloud → Riggr) | ~/.codex/config.toml on your computer |
| Filesystem / Autopilot | No access to Downloads or project folders | Finds API key on disk and scaffolds Next.js |
| Best for | Quick ops questions, choosing a prompt, planning | Riggr Autopilot end-to-end |
Same Riggr goal: a working custom app. ChatGPT gets you grounded in real store data. Codex finishes the scaffold - same ChatGPT account, coding surface.
You do not need Claude Code to finish a Riggr app. Explore here, build in Codex. Web Developer mode and Codex each need Riggr configured once (different UIs, same MCP URL).
Sign in at chatgpt.com. Open Settings → Security and login and turn on Developer mode. Required for custom remote MCP apps (Plus / Pro / Business / Enterprise / Edu).
Go to ChatGPT Plugins (or Settings apps / connectors UI - labels shift in beta). Select + and create a developer-mode app for your remote MCP server.
Name it Riggr and set the URL to:
https://www.hiriggr.com/api/mcpComplete Riggr sign-in and Authorize when the OAuth popup opens. Read-only Shopify scopes only.
In a new chat, open the Plus menu, choose Developer mode, and select the Riggr app for that conversation.
Try:
Riggr, what are my last 5 orders?If that returns live data, skip to What to do before you build. If not, use the full walkthrough below.
Custom MCP in Developer mode needs Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Edu. Free ChatGPT cannot add Riggr this way.
At hiriggr.com/dashboard your account menu should show Riggr MCP · Active. Free tier REST keys are not enough for ChatGPT MCP.
Settings → Security and login → Developer mode. Without this, you will not see create-app / custom MCP options for remote servers.
Create a developer-mode app pointing at:
https://www.hiriggr.com/api/mcpCommon mistake: https://www.hiriggr.com/mcp (missing /api). Supported transports are streaming HTTP / SSE.
Authorize Riggr in the browser. Then open /connections - you should see a ChatGPT / OpenAI-related MCP client with an active token.
Riggr, list the last 5 orders from my Shopify store.You should see a tool / app use indicator (e.g. list_orders). Approve if prompted. Expand the tool payload if you want to inspect inputs.
A window opens at hiriggr.com/oauth/authorize. Authorize once. Token lasts about a year unless you revoke it.
Order ids, totals, statuses - from your store, not a generic example.
Riggr tools are read-only on Shopify, but still review approvals. Prefer allowing Riggr tools you trust for the session rather than blind "allow always" on every app.
Use ChatGPT for work that does not need a project folder:
Examples:
Riggr, summarize fulfillment delays in my last 50 orders.
Riggr, which products show up most in recent returns?Ask ChatGPT to open your Riggr project and pull a starter via MCP (riggr://prompts/... / use_prompt_in_project). Have it explain what the app will do in plain language. You are not pasting a 30KB file - and ChatGPT web cannot read files from your Downloads folder.
In the Riggr dashboard, create or open a project and download riggr-*-api-key.env ([Setup guide](/help/setup)). Keep it on your computer for Codex - ChatGPT web will not pick it up from disk.
When you want a localhost app, switch to Codex. ChatGPT stays useful for ops questions later.
Stay in the OpenAI stack. Codex is the ChatGPT-family coding agent with a real project folder.
Follow Codex + Riggr. Install Codex in VS Code and/or use Codex in the ChatGPT desktop app (or the Codex CLI).
Web Developer mode does not copy into Codex automatically. On your machine:
codex mcp add riggr --url https://www.hiriggr.com/api/mcp
codex mcp login riggrFull steps and config.toml details are on the Codex page.
One app per directory (e.g. ~/Code/riggr-returns).
In Riggr, open the project and copy Talk to your AI, then paste it into Codex. Or paste:
Riggr Autopilot: open my Returns Triage project, load the starter prompt over MCP, find my downloaded Riggr API key .env on this computer, and build the app.When Autopilot finishes, follow npm install / npm run dev and open the localhost URL.
More generic issues: Troubleshooting.