Introduction Shopify Oxygen delivers Hydrogen apps at the edge. But Oxygen workers aren’t limitless – they run with strict quotas on bundle size, memory, CPU, and subrequests. Exceed those limits, and you’ll see failed deploys, timeouts, or spiking TTFB. This post explores Oxygen’s constraints and how to engineer within them. The Quotas That Matter 📦…

Introduction Hydrogen storefronts promise blazing speed and creative freedom. But they also come with hidden costs that merchants should weigh before migrating from Liquid. This post unpacks the trade-offs – so you can plan realistically and avoid surprises. Higher Engineering Overhead 🧑‍💻 Dev-heavy builds → Hydrogen requires React/Remix expertise. ⚡ Continuous maintenance → framework +…

Introduction Not every Shopify merchant needs Hydrogen today. For some, Liquid themes are still the right tool: simple, stable, and app-rich. But for others, Hydrogen unlocks speed, flexibility, and immersive experiences Liquid can’t match. This guide offers a diagnostic framework for merchants and agencies to decide when it’s time to move from Liquid to Hydrogen.…

Introduction In May 2025, Shopify mandated that all Hydrogen projects migrate to React Router 7 (RR7). For agencies managing dozens of storefronts, this isn’t just a version bump – it’s a project-wide upgrade with risks and opportunities. This guide breaks down what changed, how to migrate safely, and how agencies can turn the RR7 upgrade…

Introduction Shopify Oxygen promises fast, global performance for Hydrogen storefronts. But how fast is it really – and how does it compare to Vercel or Netlify? This post explores p95/p99 latency benchmarks for Oxygen, highlighting cold starts, warm starts, and regional performance across NA, EU, and APAC. Why Benchmark Oxygen? 📊 Client pitches → prove…

Introduction Migrating to Hydrogen unlocks speed and flexibility – but it also exposes a harsh truth: not all Shopify apps are compatible. Apps built for Liquid themes often rely on DOM injection or theme extensions. Hydrogen, by contrast, is React + API-first. Merchants and agencies need a compatibility matrix to plan migrations intelligently. Why Compatibility…

Introduction Hydrogen storefronts thrive on flexible content. Shopify provides two main tools for extending content beyond the catalog: metafields and metaobjects. They sound similar – but they solve very different problems. This post breaks down when to use each, with patterns and practical GraphQL examples. Metafields: Simple Extensions 🧩 Scalar values → string, integer, boolean,…

Introduction Migrating from a Shopify Liquid theme to a Hydrogen storefront brings speed and flexibility – but it also introduces SEO risks. Client-side rendering, broken canonicals, and misconfigured routers can cause rankings to plummet. This guide shows how to survive (and thrive) in SEO while building Hydrogen. Common SEO Pitfalls in Hydrogen ❌ Client-only data…

Introduction Hydrogen storefronts unlock speed, flexibility, and headless innovation. But there’s a catch: many legacy Shopify apps don’t work out-of-the-box. Apps built for Liquid themes often rely on DOM injection or script tags – which fail in Hydrogen’s React + API-first environment. This post explores the gaps and how to bridge them. Why Some Apps…

Introduction For years, developers debated which framework would dominate e-commerce: Angular, Vue, or React. With Shopify betting fully on Hydrogen (React/Remix), the war is effectively over. This post takes a strong POV: React has won. Angular has lost. Vue is niche. Here’s what that means for headless commerce. Shopify’s Bet on React 🟢 Hydrogen =…

Introduction GitHub Copilot accelerates Shopify Hydrogen development – but without constraints, it can generate unsafe, bloated, or edge-incompatible code. The solution? Teach Copilot the rules of Hydrogen by embedding guardrails directly into your repo. Why Guardrails for Copilot? ⚠️ Unsafe patterns → e.g., importing Node-only modules (fs, crypto) in Oxygen workers. 🐘 Bundle bloat →…

Introduction Shopify’s APIs let Hydrogen storefronts read and write commerce data. But for real-time personalization, loyalty, and analytics, you need more than requests and responses – you need event pipelines. That’s where Shopify webhooks become the backbone of data streaming. Why Webhooks Matter 🔄 Event-driven design → order created, cart updated, customer logged in. 📊…