Shopify App

Shopify apps are extensions that add functionality to a store, from reviews to search, bundles and ERP connectors.

The Shopify App Store offers thousands of apps for nearly every use case: reviews, upsells, search and filtering, subscriptions, email marketing, shipping, accounting and integrations with external systems. Apps hook into the store and admin through defined interfaces; modern apps use app blocks in the theme and extensions in the checkout.

Apps are both a strength and a risk: they deliver functionality without custom development, but every app can add recurring costs and its own frontend scripts and, with them, performance losses. A regular app audit pays off: what is actually used, and what can be replaced by built-in or theme functionality?

For requirements no off-the-shelf app covers, there are custom apps: applications built for one merchant that use the Shopify APIs to deliver exactly the functionality needed, for example special pricing logic or a custom interface to your inventory system.

Shopify development

Related terms

Shopify
Shopify is a cloud-based e-commerce platform that businesses use to run online stores, from small brands to international enterprise setups.
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Theme
A theme is the design and frontend framework of a Shopify store: it defines the layout, sections and user experience of the storefront.
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Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals are Google's metrics for the user experience of a website: loading speed (LCP), interactivity (INP) and visual stability (CLS).
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