Netlify + Shopify integration

What Netlify is

Netlify is a hosting platform for websites and web apps. With Shopify it hosts headless storefronts, such as Hydrogen, and content or campaign sites that use Shopify for products and checkout.

How we would approach Netlify with Shopify

Shopify hosts the normal theme, so Netlify only comes in for a custom front end. We start by asking whether you need one at all. If you do, we compare Netlify with Shopify's Oxygen hosting, set up previews for every change, and make sure checkout, analytics and consent still work.

What the work involves

• A decision on theme vs headless, and Netlify vs Oxygen
• Preview deploys for every change, so your team reviews before release
• Storefront API caching and environment variables set up
• Analytics and consent checked across the custom front end and checkout

Ways to connect Netlify and Shopify

• Built in

  Hydrogen on Netlify

  Netlify supports Shopify's Hydrogen framework on its edge functions, with a starter template that sets up Storefront API caching.

• Built in

  Shopify Oxygen

  Shopify's own hosting for Hydrogen, included on paid Shopify plans. The usual default unless you need Netlify's tooling.

• Custom build

  Other front ends

  Astro, Next.js or other sites on Netlify using Shopify's Storefront API for products and checkout.

Where these projects go wrong

• Going headless for speed, then losing apps that only work with themes.
• Choosing Netlify without comparing Oxygen, which Shopify includes.
• Analytics and consent set up on the theme but not on the headless front end.

Questions

Do we need Netlify to run a Shopify store?

No. Standard Shopify themes are hosted by Shopify. Netlify only matters for custom front ends.

Netlify or Oxygen for Hydrogen?

Oxygen is built for Hydrogen and included with paid Shopify plans. Netlify makes sense when your team already runs other sites there or needs its workflow.

Before we scope the work

• Which data or customer journey needs to connect, and which system owns it?
• What access, plan features or API permissions are available?
• Does an existing connector cover the requirement, including failures and updates?
• Who will maintain the connection, and how will you know it is working?

Send your current setup and one real example of the flow you need. We'll tell you whether it can be done and what it would take.