Remove deprecated --force flag from shopify app deploy

The --force (-f) flag and SHOPIFY_FLAG_FORCE env var on `shopify app deploy`
were deprecated in favor of --allow-updates / --allow-deletes. This change
removes them along with the related deprecation warning and tests.

The internal `force` variable is preserved (now driven by --no-release)
so that --no-release continues to imply allowUpdates/allowDeletes and skips
the legacy-extension prompt as before — no behavior change for --no-release
users.

User-facing copy that referenced --force in error/next-step messages
has been updated to point at --allow-updates / --allow-deletes.

Author: alfonso-noriega

.changeset/remove-app-deploy-force-flag.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@shopify/app': major
+---
+
+Remove the deprecated `--force` (`-f`) flag and `SHOPIFY_FLAG_FORCE` environment variable from `shopify app deploy`. Use `--allow-updates` for CI/CD environments, or `--allow-updates --allow-deletes` if you also want to allow removals. The `--no-release` flag continues to work and implicitly allows updates and deletes.

docs-shopify.dev/commands/interfaces/app-deploy.interface.ts

@@ -28,12 +28,6 @@ export interface appdeploy {
    */
   '-c, --config <value>'?: string
 
-  /**
-   * [Deprecated] Deploy without asking for confirmation. Equivalent to --allow-updates --allow-deletes. Use --allow-updates for CI/CD environments instead.
-   * @environment SHOPIFY_FLAG_FORCE
-   */
-  '-f, --force'?: ''
-
   /**
    * Optional message that will be associated with this version. This is for internal use only and won't be available externally.
    * @environment SHOPIFY_FLAG_MESSAGE

packages/app/src/cli/commands/app/deploy.test.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import {linkedAppContext} from '../../services/app-context.js'
 import {Flags} from '@oclif/core'
 import {globalFlags} from '@shopify/cli-kit/node/cli'
 import {addPublicMetadata} from '@shopify/cli-kit/node/metadata'
-import {renderWarning} from '@shopify/cli-kit/node/ui'
 
 export default class Deploy extends AppLinkedCommand {
   static summary = 'Deploy your Shopify app.'
@@ -25,13 +24,6 @@ export default class Deploy extends AppLinkedCommand {
   static flags = {
     ...globalFlags,
     ...appFlags,
-    force: Flags.boolean({
-      hidden: false,
-      description:
-        '[Deprecated] Deploy without asking for confirmation. Equivalent to --allow-updates --allow-deletes. Use --allow-updates for CI/CD environments instead.',
-      env: 'SHOPIFY_FLAG_FORCE',
-      char: 'f',
-    }),
     'allow-updates': Flags.boolean({
       hidden: false,
       description:
@@ -80,19 +72,6 @@ export default class Deploy extends AppLinkedCommand {
   async run(): Promise<AppLinkedCommandOutput> {
     const {flags} = await this.parse(Deploy)
 
-    if (flags.force) {
-      renderWarning({
-        headline: ['The', {command: '--force'}, 'flag is deprecated and will be removed in the next major release.'],
-        body: [
-          'Use',
-          {command: '--allow-updates'},
-          'for CI/CD environments, or',
-          {command: '--allow-updates --allow-deletes'},
-          'if you also want to allow removals.',
-        ],
-      })
-    }
-
     await metadata.addPublicMetadata(() => ({
       cmd_deploy_flag_message_used: Boolean(flags.message),
       cmd_deploy_flag_version_used: Boolean(flags.version),
@@ -108,9 +87,9 @@ export default class Deploy extends AppLinkedCommand {
       cmd_app_reset_used: flags.reset,
     }))
 
-    const force = flags.force || flags['no-release']
+    const force = flags['no-release']
 
-    // When releasing, we require --force or --allow-updates or --allow-deletes for non-TTY.
+    // When releasing, we require --no-release or --allow-updates or --allow-deletes for non-TTY.
     const requiredNonTTYFlags: string[] = []
     const hasAnyForceFlags = force || flags['allow-updates'] || flags['allow-deletes']
     if (!hasAnyForceFlags) {

packages/app/src/cli/commands/app/deploy.ts

@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ function shouldSkipConfirmationPrompt({
   extensionIdentifiersBreakdown: ExtensionIdentifiersBreakdown
   configExtensionIdentifiersBreakdown?: ConfigExtensionIdentifiersBreakdown
 }): boolean {
-  // --force is equivalent to --allow-updates --allow-deletes
+  // --no-release (which sets force=true internally) is equivalent to --allow-updates --allow-deletes
   if (force || (allowUpdates && allowDeletes)) return true
 
   const hasDeletedExtensions = extensionIdentifiersBreakdown.onlyRemote.length > 0

packages/app/src/cli/prompts/deploy-release.ts

@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ export function throwUidMappingError() {
     'You must first map IDs to your existing extensions by running',
     {command: 'shopify app deploy'},
     'interactively, without',
-    {command: '--force'},
+    {command: '--allow-updates'},
+    'or',
+    {command: '--allow-deletes'},
     ', to finish the migration.',
   ]
   const customSection = {

packages/app/src/cli/prompts/uid-mapping-error.ts

@@ -220,7 +220,15 @@ async function checkIncludeConfigOnDeploy({
       {command: 'include_config_on_deploy'},
       'in your TOML file. Including configuration will be required very soon.',
     ]
-    const nextSteps = ['Run', {command: 'shopify app deploy'}, 'interactively, without', {command: '--force'}, '.']
+    const nextSteps = [
+      'Run',
+      {command: 'shopify app deploy'},
+      'interactively, without',
+      {command: '--allow-updates'},
+      'or',
+      {command: '--allow-deletes'},
+      '.',
+    ]
     throw new AbortError(message, nextSteps)
   }
 

packages/app/src/cli/services/context.ts

@@ -342,15 +342,12 @@ Deploy your Shopify app.
 
 ```
 USAGE
-  $ shopify app deploy [--client-id <value> | -c <value>] [-f] [--message <value>] [--no-build] [--no-color]
+  $ shopify app deploy [--client-id <value> | -c <value>] [--message <value>] [--no-build] [--no-color]
     [--no-release | --allow-updates | --allow-deletes] [--path <value>] [--reset | ] [--source-control-url <value>]
     [--verbose] [--version <value>]
 
 FLAGS
   -c, --config=<value>              [env: SHOPIFY_FLAG_APP_CONFIG] The name of the app configuration.
-  -f, --force                       [env: SHOPIFY_FLAG_FORCE] [Deprecated] Deploy without asking for confirmation.
-                                    Equivalent to --allow-updates --allow-deletes. Use --allow-updates for CI/CD
-                                    environments instead.
       --allow-deletes               [env: SHOPIFY_FLAG_ALLOW_DELETES] Allows removing extensions and configuration
                                     without requiring user confirmation. For CI/CD environments, the recommended flag is
                                     --allow-updates.

packages/cli/README.md

@@ -793,15 +793,6 @@
           "name": "config",
           "type": "option"
         },
-        "force": {
-          "allowNo": false,
-          "char": "f",
-          "description": "[Deprecated] Deploy without asking for confirmation. Equivalent to --allow-updates --allow-deletes. Use --allow-updates for CI/CD environments instead.",
-          "env": "SHOPIFY_FLAG_FORCE",
-          "hidden": false,
-          "name": "force",
-          "type": "boolean"
-        },
         "message": {
           "description": "Optional message that will be associated with this version. This is for internal use only and won't be available externally.",
           "env": "SHOPIFY_FLAG_MESSAGE",