diff --git a/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/auth/index.test.ts b/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/auth/index.test.ts
index a02c10ce5ac..87ac41f96df 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/auth/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/auth/index.test.ts
@@ -605,4 +605,78 @@ describe('store auth service', () => {
       }),
     )
   })
+
+  test('authenticateStoreWithApp exits early for preview stores and lists their preapproved scopes', async () => {
+    const openURL = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(true)
+    const waitForStoreAuthCode = vi.fn()
+    const exchangeStoreAuthCodeForToken = vi.fn()
+    const presenter = {openingBrowser: vi.fn(), manualAuthUrl: vi.fn(), success: vi.fn()}
+    const getCurrentStoredStoreAppSessionMock = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
+      store: 'shop.myshopify.com',
+      clientId: STORE_AUTH_APP_CLIENT_ID,
+      userId: 'preview:placeholder-uuid',
+      accessToken: 'shpat_preview_token',
+      scopes: ['read_themes', 'write_themes'],
+      acquiredAt: '2026-06-08T12:00:00.000Z',
+      kind: 'preview',
+      preview: {shopId: '123', name: 'Lavender Candles', createdAt: '2026-06-08T12:00:00.000Z'},
+    })
+
+    await expect(
+      authenticateStoreWithApp(
+        {store: 'shop.myshopify.com', scopes: 'read_products'},
+        {
+          openURL,
+          waitForStoreAuthCode,
+          exchangeStoreAuthCodeForToken,
+          getCurrentStoredStoreAppSession: getCurrentStoredStoreAppSessionMock,
+          presenter,
+        },
+      ),
+    ).rejects.toThrow('`store auth` is unavailable for preview stores.')
+
+    // The OAuth flow is never started, and no fqdn metadata is recorded.
+    expect(openURL).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(waitForStoreAuthCode).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(exchangeStoreAuthCodeForToken).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(presenter.openingBrowser).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(setStoredStoreAppSession).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(recordStoreFqdnMetadata).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  test('authenticateStoreWithApp surfaces the preapproved scope list in the preview-store error', async () => {
+    const getCurrentStoredStoreAppSessionMock = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({
+      store: 'shop.myshopify.com',
+      clientId: STORE_AUTH_APP_CLIENT_ID,
+      userId: 'preview:placeholder-uuid',
+      accessToken: 'shpat_preview_token',
+      scopes: ['read_themes', 'write_themes'],
+      acquiredAt: '2026-06-08T12:00:00.000Z',
+      kind: 'preview',
+      preview: {shopId: '123', name: 'Lavender Candles', createdAt: '2026-06-08T12:00:00.000Z'},
+    })
+
+    const error = await authenticateStoreWithApp(
+      {store: 'shop.myshopify.com', scopes: 'read_products'},
+      {
+        openURL: vi.fn(),
+        waitForStoreAuthCode: vi.fn(),
+        exchangeStoreAuthCodeForToken: vi.fn(),
+        getCurrentStoredStoreAppSession: getCurrentStoredStoreAppSessionMock,
+        presenter: {openingBrowser: vi.fn(), manualAuthUrl: vi.fn(), success: vi.fn()},
+      },
+    ).then(
+      () => {
+        throw new Error('Expected authenticateStoreWithApp to reject for a preview store.')
+      },
+      (err: unknown) => err as Error & {tryMessage?: string; nextSteps?: string[]},
+    )
+
+    expect(error.message).toContain("Additional Admin API scopes can't be granted.")
+    expect(error.tryMessage).toContain('The following scopes are available: read_themes, write_themes.')
+    expect(error.tryMessage).toContain('shopify store info --store shop.myshopify.com --json')
+    expect(error.nextSteps).toEqual([
+      'Run `shopify store execute` directly against the preview store; no `store auth` step is needed.',
+    ])
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/auth/index.ts b/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/auth/index.ts
index 6cd398dd7f8..37fe47296dd 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/auth/index.ts
+++ b/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/auth/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import {STORE_AUTH_APP_CLIENT_ID} from './config.js'
-import {setStoredStoreAppSession} from './session-store.js'
+import {getCurrentStoredStoreAppSession, setStoredStoreAppSession} from './session-store.js'
 import {exchangeStoreAuthCodeForToken} from './token-client.js'
 import {waitForStoreAuthCode} from './callback.js'
 import {createPkceBootstrap} from './pkce.js'
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ interface StoreAuthDependencies {
   waitForStoreAuthCode: typeof waitForStoreAuthCode
   exchangeStoreAuthCodeForToken: typeof exchangeStoreAuthCodeForToken
   resolveExistingScopes: (store: string) => Promise<ResolvedStoreAuthScopes>
+  getCurrentStoredStoreAppSession: typeof getCurrentStoredStoreAppSession
   presenter: StoreAuthPresenter
 }
 
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ const defaultStoreAuthDependencies: StoreAuthDependencies = {
   waitForStoreAuthCode,
   exchangeStoreAuthCodeForToken,
   resolveExistingScopes: resolveExistingStoreAuthScopes,
+  getCurrentStoredStoreAppSession,
   presenter: createStoreAuthPresenter('text'),
 }
 
@@ -42,6 +44,9 @@ export async function authenticateStoreWithApp(
 ): Promise<StoreAuthResult> {
   const resolvedDependencies: StoreAuthDependencies = {...defaultStoreAuthDependencies, ...dependencies}
   const store = normalizeStoreFqdn(input.store)
+
+  throwIfPreviewStore(store, resolvedDependencies)
+
   await recordStoreFqdnMetadata(store, false)
   const requestedScopes = parseStoreAuthScopes(input.scopes)
   const existingScopeResolution = await resolvedDependencies.resolveExistingScopes(store)
@@ -125,3 +130,23 @@ export async function authenticateStoreWithApp(
   resolvedDependencies.presenter.success(result)
   return result
 }
+
+/**
+ * Preview stores aren't a logged-in experience, so there's no OAuth flow to run and no way to grant
+ * additional Admin API scopes after creation. Running the standard `store auth` flow against one
+ * would silently fail or confuse callers (including agents that habitually run `store auth` before
+ * `store execute`), so we exit early and point them at the scopes already preapproved at creation.
+ */
+function throwIfPreviewStore(store: string, dependencies: StoreAuthDependencies): void {
+  const session = dependencies.getCurrentStoredStoreAppSession(store)
+  if (session?.kind !== 'preview') return
+
+  const scopes = session.scopes
+  const scopeList = scopes.length > 0 ? scopes.join(', ') : 'none'
+
+  throw new AbortError(
+    `\`store auth\` is unavailable for preview stores. Additional Admin API scopes can't be granted.`,
+    `The following scopes are available: ${scopeList}.\n\nRun \`shopify store info --store ${store} --json\` to view this list again at any time.`,
+    ['Run `shopify store execute` directly against the preview store; no `store auth` step is needed.'],
+  )
+}