SHOPIFY PLUS - HEADLESS DEVELOPMENT

Full Frontend Control on Shopify Plus -
Headless Done Right.

Decoupled storefronts built on Hydrogen/Oxygen or Next.js - with Shopify Plus handling commerce and your frontend doing exactly what a Liquid theme never could.

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WHAT'S INCLUDED

Every Layer of a
Headless Shopify Plus Build.

Hydrogen + Oxygen Storefronts

Shopify's own headless framework - React-based, hosted on Oxygen, fully integrated with the Storefront API. The native headless path for Plus.

Next.js Storefronts

Next.js frontend connected to Shopify Plus via the Storefront API - for teams with existing Next.js infrastructure or specific hosting requirements.

Storefront API Integration

Full Storefront API implementation - products, collections, cart, checkout, customer accounts, and search all powered through the API.

Custom Component Library

A bespoke React component library built for your storefront - designed in Figma, built in React, documented and maintainable by your front-end team.

Performance Architecture

Edge caching, ISR, streaming SSR, and image optimisation strategies built into the architecture - not retrofitted after performance issues surface.

Checkout & Post-Purchase Integration

Checkout UI Extensions and post-purchase flows integrated - because headless front ends hand off to Shopify's native checkout at the right moment.

Not sure if headless is right for your store? Get a Free Quote
IS HEADLESS RIGHT FOR YOUR STORE?

Headless Shopify Plus Is Powerful. It's Also Not Always the Right Call.

HEADLESS IS THE RIGHT CALL

Best for brands with frontend requirements that Liquid genuinely cannot meet.

  • Your frontend requirements genuinely can't be met in Liquid - 3D product viewers, complex animations, custom search UX, or a PWA experience.
  • You need sub-second page transitions and aggressive performance targets that a Liquid theme, even optimised, can't reliably achieve.
  • You have a front-end team who can own and maintain a React codebase after handover - or you're planning to build that capability.
  • You're on Shopify Plus and you're ready for the higher build cost and ongoing maintenance overhead that headless genuinely requires.

STICK WITH LIQUID

Best for most stores - a well-built Liquid theme delivers excellent results.

  • Your performance and UI requirements can be met with a well-built Online Store 2.0 Liquid theme - which is most stores.
  • You don't have a front-end team to own the React codebase post-launch, and ongoing maintenance will be more expensive than you've modelled.
  • You're comparing headless to Liquid because of hype, not because of a specific requirement that Liquid genuinely can't deliver.
  • Your timeline or budget doesn't account for the additional complexity - headless builds take longer and cost more for good reasons.
Not sure which path is right? Book a 30-min call - we'll tell you honestly.

HOW WE WORK

Architecture Defined Before
a Component is Built.

  1. 01

    Technical Discovery & Feasibility

    We review your requirements against what headless genuinely enables vs what a Liquid theme can deliver. Architecture approach - Hydrogen or Next.js - decided based on your team's capabilities and infrastructure.

  2. 02

    Design in Figma

    Full React component design in Figma - every page template, every component, every state. Designed for component-driven development, not adapted from a page-by-page mockup.

  3. 03

    Storefront API Architecture

    API data models, caching strategy, cart and checkout handoff, and customer account flows all designed before component build starts.

  4. 04

    Component Development

    React component library built incrementally - each component unit tested before integration. Storefront API connected per component as it's built.

  5. 05

    Performance Audit, QA & Handover

    Lighthouse and Core Web Vitals audit against agreed performance targets. Full cross-device QA. Repository, component documentation, and deployment guide handed over.

THE WORK IN PRACTICE

What a Headless Plus Build Looks Like.

Fashion & Apparel

Hydrogen Storefront - DTC Brand, US

Brand needed a 3D product viewer, page transitions under 300ms, and a custom search experience that Liquid couldn't support. Hydrogen + Oxygen build - custom component library, Storefront API integration, and Checkout UI Extensions at handoff.

HeadlessHydrogenOxygenShopify PlusCustom Component Library

1.2s

LCP on mobile at launch - Hydrogen + Oxygen
checkout conversion up 22% vs previous Liquid storefront

HOW WE BUILD IT

The Stack Behind Every Headless Build.

Frameworks

Hydrogen
Oxygen
Next.js
React
Remix

Shopify APIs

Storefront API
Admin GraphQL API
Customer Account API
Cart API

Checkout & Extensions

Checkout UI Extensions
Post-Purchase Extensions
Shopify Functions (Rust)

Performance

Edge Caching
ISR
Image CDN
Streaming SSR

Tools

Figma
GitHub
Vercel / Oxygen
Lighthouse
WebPageTest
COMMON QUESTIONS

Questions About Headless Shopify Plus Development.

1. What is headless Shopify Plus development?

Headless Shopify Plus means decoupling the frontend from Shopify's native Liquid storefront. The frontend is built as a separate React application - using Hydrogen hosted on Oxygen, or Next.js hosted on Vercel or another platform - while Shopify Plus handles commerce: products, inventory, orders, and checkout. The frontend communicates with Shopify via the Storefront API.

2. What's the difference between Hydrogen/Oxygen and a Next.js headless build?

Hydrogen is Shopify's own React-based framework optimised for Shopify's APIs, hosted on Oxygen - Shopify's edge infrastructure. It has the tightest Storefront API integration and the most Shopify-native development experience. Next.js is a more flexible approach, better suited for teams with existing Next.js infrastructure or who need hosting flexibility outside of Oxygen. We recommend based on your team's capabilities and infrastructure requirements.

3. Is headless the right choice for every Shopify Plus store?

No - and we'll tell you that clearly if it isn't. A well-built Online Store 2.0 Liquid theme delivers excellent performance for most stores. Headless is the right call when your UI requirements genuinely can't be met in Liquid, when you need sub-second performance at scale, or when you have a front-end team to own the React codebase. It's not the right call because it sounds more impressive.

4. Does headless Shopify still use Shopify's checkout?

Yes. Headless storefronts hand off to Shopify's native checkout at the cart-to-checkout transition. This is by design - Shopify's checkout handles payment processing, tax, and compliance. Checkout UI Extensions and Shopify Functions are still used to customise the checkout experience even in a headless setup.

Ready to Build a Headless
Shopify Plus Storefront?

Tell us what your frontend needs to do that Liquid can't. We'll scope the build and respond within 24 hours.

Get a Free Quote Or book a 30-min call