Shahidi gained recognition for her starring role as the oldest daughter Zoey Johnson in the ABC sitcom Black-ish (2014–2022) and its spin-off series Grown-ish (2018–2024).

[8] Afshin was one of the principal photographers for musician Prince, who kept a signed photo of Yara in his editing suite at Paisley Park.

[16] Shahidi began her career when she was 6 years old,[18] appearing in television commercials and print advertisements for companies such as McDonald's, Ralph Lauren, Target, GapKids, Disney, Guess Kids and The Children's Place.

[20] In 2014, Shahidi was cast as a 14-year-old Zoey Johnson, the eldest daughter of Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross's characters in the ABC comedy series Black-ish created by Kenya Barris.

[25] For her performance, Shahidi received three NAACP Image Awards nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.

[29] She was one of fifteen women selected to appear on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue, by guest editor Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

[31][32] In 2019, Shahidi played the leading role in the teen drama film, The Sun Is Also a Star based on the young adult novel of the same name by Nicola Yoon.

In 2020, Shahidi and her mother launched their production company 7th Sun and signed a deal with ABC Studios to produce shows.

Later in 2023, Shahidi executive produced and played the leading role in the romantic comedy-drama film Sitting in Bars with Cake alongside Odessa A'zion.

[40][41] Carla Meyer of the San Francisco Chronicle felt that Shahidi's friendship with A’Zion was, "the most authentic element of the film".

[44] Shahidi founded Eighteen x 18 with social news publisher NowThis,[45] which "will be a platform to encourage [her] peers to vote for the very first time in our upcoming midterm elections."

Her other organizations include Yara's Club a partnership with Young Women's Leadership Network (YWLN) of New York, which provides online mentorship in hopes to end poverty through education.

[52] In October 2023, Shahidi signed an open letter for the "Artists4Ceasefire" campaign alongside other artists, urging President Joe Biden to push for a ceasefire and an end to the killing of civilians amid the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.