Shopify FAQ from Arivo Labs AI

Pre-made themes ship unused sections, app-style scripts, and generic CSS that every other store also loads. A custom Online Store 2.0 theme only includes the Liquid sections, JSON templates, and theme blocks your brand needs — so Lighthouse scores stay high and the Theme Editor still stays merchant-friendly.

That is a requirement, not a nice-to-have. We use JSON templates, theme blocks in /blocks, @theme / @app support, and settings schema so merchants can add, hide, and reorder sections without opening code. Sidekick-generated blocks also need a valid _blocks.liquid wrapper — we include one.

We inventory every indexable URL, map 301 redirects, preserve titles/canonicals/schema, and resubmit sitemaps in Search Console. Product handles, collection filters, and blog slugs are validated against the old sitemap before cutover so rankings do not fall off a 404 cliff.

A focused custom storefront is usually 6–10 weeks: discovery, UX, Liquid/theme-block build, QA, and launch. App-heavy Plus or B2B catalogs can run 10–14 weeks. We lock scope in a written SOW so the calendar does not drift.

Starter plans include a short hypercare window. Growth and custom retainers cover Theme Editor changes, app updates, and a monthly performance pass. Emergency checkout or inventory issues go through a named Slack or email SLA, not a generic ticket queue.

Fixed-scope theme and migration work is quoted as a one-time build plus optional monthly care. Functions, checkout extensions, and ERP work are estimated separately because they are apps, not theme files. Use the AI Estimator for a first-pass range, then we confirm after a 30-minute scoping call.

Checkout UI extensions on the information, shipping, and payment steps are Plus-only. Thank-you and order-status extensions are available more broadly. If you are not on Plus we design post-purchase and customer-account work instead of promising an in-checkout UI you cannot install.

Yes. checkout.liquid is gone. We ship Shopify Functions on the 2026-07 Discount Function API so one function can apply product, order, and shipping savings. Rules live in app metafields so you can change SKUs and tiers without a theme deploy.

We cut render-blocking apps, defer non-critical JS, serve correctly sized images, and keep Liquid sections lean. Target is sub-second LCP on key templates and 90+ Lighthouse on mobile. After launch we leave a measurement plan in GTM/GA4 so you can see regressions.

Yes. We install and configure first-party apps when they are enough, and build private apps, webhooks, and middleware when they are not. Subscriptions, ERP stock sync, and custom checkout validations are scoped as their own workstreams so theme performance does not absorb the integration risk.

New customer accounts are a separate surface from the theme. We add Customer Account UI extensions for reorder flows, B2B company context, loyalty metafields, and privacy consent — using the 2026-07 target APIs rather than old customers/account.liquid overrides.

We build Hydrogen on React Router and import commerce primitives from @shopify/hydrogen, pinned to the matching Storefront API quarter (for example 2026-04). Private tokens stay on the server. Headless is recommended when you need a custom app-like UX, not as a default over a fast Liquid theme.