Headless Shopify: your own frontend, Shopify in the background.

With headless, Shopify stays responsible for products, cart and checkout. We build the visible website separately, with Next.js or Hydrogen. It pays off with a lot of content, custom design or multiple channels. For many shops a good theme is enough.

Theme or headless

QuestionShopify themeHeadless
Who maintains content?Theme editor in ShopifySeparate CMS such as Sanity or Contentful
DesignFree within the theme structureFree, also for content pages and experiences
Apps from the App StoreMostly run directly in the themeFrontend parts often have to be rebuilt
CheckoutShopify checkoutShopify checkout as well
Effort and operationsLowerHigher, a second system runs alongside

What your next website could look like

See all work →

When you don't need headless

Your shop mainly sells products and your content is manageable. Your team maintains everything in the theme editor. Then a theme is quicker to build and cheaper to run.

Load time alone is not a reason either. A lean theme also loads fast. We tell you that before the project.

In the intro call we set your goal together.

You learn which first step is worth it for you.

How we build headless

Next.js
Fits when shop and company website are one presence. We host on Vercel in the EU region.
Hydrogen and Oxygen
Hydrogen is Shopify's own framework for headless shops. Oxygen is the matching hosting, free of extra charge in the paid plans according to Shopify.
Storefront API
Both paths read products, prices and cart through the Storefront API. Checkout stays with Shopify.
Content in the CMS
Guides, landing pages and campaigns are maintained by your team in Sanity or Contentful. Products stay in Shopify and are only linked.

Operations after launch

  1. Preview for editorsYour team sees changes on the real page before publishing.
  2. MonitoringWe watch errors, load time and the connection to the Storefront API.
  3. UpdatesWe keep frameworks and dependencies current. We test new Shopify API versions before switching.

In the intro call we set your goal together.

You learn which first step is worth it for you.

Who this is for

A good fit if

  • Content and brand carry equal weight with the products.
  • Shop and company website should be one presence.
  • You have a team or a partner for ongoing operations.

A weaker fit if

  • Your shop gets along well with a theme and apps.
  • You want to run as few systems as possible.

Reference websites

All work

Intro call

Let's find out together where your growth gets stuck

  • You talk to the team that also does the work. No sales loop.
  • You learn which first step is worth it for you.
  • If your question fits another specialist better, we'll tell you.
Renata WisniewskaManaging Director, AqteloI read every request myself and reply within one business day.office@aqtelo.com

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What can we help with?

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What you probably want to know

Hydrogen fits pure shops that stay close to Shopify. Next.js fits when a larger website with content belongs to it. We recommend based on your project.

Apps in the background, for shipping or ERP for example, keep running. Apps with visible parts in the theme often have to be reintegrated. We check each app beforehand.

Yes. With headless too, customers buy in the Shopify checkout. Customizations to it run through checkout extensions.

It can be faster, but doesn't have to be. A lean theme also loads fast. We measure beforehand where your shop loses time.

Hosting of the frontend, the CMS and code maintenance come on top. With Hydrogen on Oxygen the hosting is free according to Shopify. We state the running costs in the quote.

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