Headless commerce on Shopify

Headless commerce with Shopify as your backend

Headless architecture separates the frontend experience from the commerce backend. Use Shopify's commerce engine while building completely custom frontends with Hydrogen, Next.js or other frameworks.

When headless makes sense

You need a completely custom frontend experience impossible with Liquid themes
You're building mobile apps that share commerce functionality
You have content-heavy experiences managed in a headless CMS
You need the same commerce backend across multiple frontends

Headless approaches

Hydrogen. Shopify's React framework optimized for Shopify Storefront API with built-in commerce components.

Next.js. React framework with flexibility for complex applications and integrations.

Custom builds. Any frontend technology connected via Shopify's Storefront API.

Discuss headless

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Frequently Asked Questions

When does headless make sense for a Shopify store?

Headless makes sense when you need frontend performance or flexibility that Liquid themes cannot deliver, when you want to integrate Shopify into an existing web property, or when your content and commerce experiences need to be tightly coupled in ways that standard themes do not support.

What headless technologies does Starcodia use?

We work with Shopify Hydrogen and Oxygen, Remix, Next.js and other modern frontend frameworks. Technology selection depends on your requirements for performance, content management, team capabilities and hosting preferences.

Is headless more expensive than a Liquid theme?

Yes, headless typically involves higher initial build cost and ongoing complexity compared to Liquid themes. We help you evaluate whether the benefits justify the investment, and propose headless only when the use case genuinely requires it.

How does headless affect SEO and page speed?

Done well, headless can improve page speed and Core Web Vitals because you control rendering and caching. Done poorly, it can hurt SEO if server-side rendering is not implemented correctly. We design headless builds with SEO as a core requirement, not an afterthought.

Can headless work with Shopify checkout?

Yes, headless storefronts use the Shopify Storefront API for cart and product data, then hand off to Shopify checkout for payment. This preserves Shopify's checkout security and payment integrations while giving you full control of the storefront experience.