Shopify FAQ: 30 Expert Answers

Shopify apps and applications

The Shopify App Store has more than 8,000 apps. Choosing the right ones keeps you from paying for functional duplicates and slowing down your store. Here are the six questions merchants ask us most.

What is the best app to add an Instagram feed to Shopify?

To display an Instagram wall on the homepage or a brand page, the three market references are Instafeed, Foursixty and Socialwidget. Instafeed remains the fastest option to install (under five minutes) and the lightest for your Core Web Vitals score. Foursixty also lets you tag products in posts to turn the feed into a shoppable showcase. Socialwidget is worth considering if you combine Instagram and TikTok in the same grid.

Complete guide: adding an Instagram feed to Shopify

What is the best data export app for Shopify?

Matrixify is the de facto standard for bulk exporting and importing Shopify data: products, customers, orders, metaobjects, redirects, metafields. Its main strength is handling large files (several GB) and its native Google Sheets support. At Stellar, we use it on 100% of our inbound migrations and catalog overhauls. Lighter alternatives for one-off needs: Bulk Export or Matrixify.

Full comparison: the best Shopify export apps

What is the best shipping app for Shopify?

To automate shipping and cut the time spent printing labels, the three reference apps are Sendcloud, Shippo and Boxtal Connect. Sendcloud is the most mature choice in Europe, with native connectors for Colissimo, Mondial Relay, Chronopost and DHL. Shippo is relevant for brands that ship mainly to the United States. Boxtal Connect suits small French businesses that want to compare carriers with no commitment.

Complete guide: the best Shopify shipping apps

What is the best translation app for Shopify?

To sell internationally, Shopify natively includes Translate & Adapt, which covers the needs of most brands (manual or automatic translation, managing several languages per market). For advanced needs (editorial workflow, validation by a human translator, glossary), Weglot and Langify remain the paid references. For large multilingual catalogs, we recommend Weglot for its admin interface designed for marketing teams.

Go further: selling internationally with Shopify Markets

How do I add Instagram Reels to my Shopify store?

There are three possible methods. The simplest: use Foursixty or Socialwidget, which support Reels as a dedicated feed format. The most controlled: manually embed each Reel via Instagram's official embed in a Shopify page (Liquid plus iframe). The best for SEO and CRO: host the videos as MP4 files in Shopify Files and display them with a native HTML5 player, which removes the dependency on Instagram and speeds up load time.

Complete guide: adding Instagram Reels to Shopify

How do I create a beauty diagnostic on my Shopify store?

A beauty diagnostic (skincare quiz, skin type, personalized routine) is a powerful engagement and conversion lever for cosmetics brands. Three apps cover this need: Octane AI (the most complete, conversational), Shopify Forms combined with simple conditional logic, and Heyday by Bold. At Stellar, we built the Bienaimé quiz on Octane AI, with a 68% completion rate and an average order value multiplied by 2.3 for users who finish the diagnostic.

Complete guide: creating a beauty diagnostic on Shopify

Product setup, product pages and navigation

How you configure your catalog and navigation determines the quality of your SEO, the speed of your site and your conversion rate. The questions below come up in almost every one of our redesign projects.

What is a Shopify metafield and how do you use it?

A metafield is a custom field you add to a product, collection, customer, order or page. It is the essential tool for enriching product pages with structured data: ingredients, composition, size in cm, material, certifications. Metafields are managed from Settings > Custom data and then displayed in the theme via Liquid. Combined with metaobjects, they let you model complex data without custom development.

Complete guide: Shopify metafields, enriching product pages

What is a Shopify metaobject and what is it for?

Metaobjects are custom data objects (introduced in 2023) that let you create your own content types: a tutorials category, a list of physical stores, customer testimonials, product FAQs. Unlike metafields, which attach data to an existing Shopify entity, metaobjects are standalone and reusable across multiple pages. They are now the cleanest way to manage structured editorial content in Shopify without a third-party app.

Complete guide: Shopify metaobjects, customizing your data

How do I create an effective mega menu on Shopify?

A mega menu is a multi-column dropdown menu that shows the main categories and subcategories at a glance. On recent Shopify themes (Dawn, Sense, Origin), the mega menu is native through standard navigation. For advanced needs (images, featured collections, promo banners), apps like Meteor Mega Menu or Qikify Mega Menu are the most widely used. Golden rule: no more than 7 main entries in the menu, otherwise conversion drops.

Complete guide: creating an effective mega menu on Shopify

How do I optimize the images on my Shopify store?

Image optimization is the most cost-effective lever for improving Core Web Vitals and Shopify SEO. Three habits to adopt: 1) use the WebP format (30% better compression than JPEG with no visible loss), 2) serve device-appropriate dimensions via Liquid's srcset attribute, 3) compress images before upload with an app like TinyIMG or Crush.pics. A well-optimized product page loads in under 1.5 seconds on mobile.

Complete guide: the levers of Shopify conversion rate

Image performance is one of the levers covered in our article on the levers of Shopify conversion rate.

What are the best merchandising practices on Shopify?

Digital merchandising means organizing products to maximize perceived value and conversion. Four proven rules: 1) rank collections by margin and turnover, not alphabetically, 2) display badges (new, best seller, almost sold out) to create urgency, 3) personalize the display order based on visitor history via Shopify Search & Discovery, 4) plan bundles and upsells on key product pages. Product pages enriched with metafields convert 18% better on average than generic pages.

Complete guide: Shopify product page best practices

Shopify payments, taxes and finance

Financial management of a Shopify store covers payment gateways, fees, financing tools and gift cards. The six questions below cover the essentials a merchant needs to understand.

What is Shopify Payments and how do you activate it?

Shopify Payments is Shopify's built-in payment gateway, powered by Stripe behind the scenes. Enabled by default on most plans, it accepts credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay. The main advantage: no additional Shopify transaction fees (unlike third-party gateways such as Stripe or Adyen, where Shopify takes an extra 0.5 to 2%). Activation takes two minutes from Settings > Payments, provided you have a Kbis (French company registration certificate) or equivalent.

Complete guide: everything about Shopify Payments

How much does Shopify Payments cost in France?

Shopify Payments fees vary by plan. Summary for a European credit card:

• Basic (€36 per month): 1.5% + €0.25 per transaction
• Grow (€105 per month): 1.3% + €0.25 per transaction
• Advanced (€384 per month): 1.1% + €0.25 per transaction

For cards issued outside Europe, expect at least 2.7% + €0.25. Check the Shopify pricing page for the latest updates. Key takeaway: if you use Shopify Payments, no additional Shopify transaction fee is charged, unlike with other gateways.

Fee details: our Shopify Payments page

How do I create a gift card on Shopify?

Gift cards have been native on all Shopify plans since 2020. To enable them: Products > Gift cards > Add gift card product. You can set the available amounts (€10, €25, €50, €100 for example) or let the customer choose a custom amount. Three best practices: 1) create a custom card design (transparent PNG image) to strengthen your brand, 2) add a personalized transactional email, 3) feature the gift card on the homepage during peak periods (Christmas, Mother's Day). At Stellar, we see a gift card conversion rate 4 times higher in November and December.

How do I simulate payments to test my Shopify store?

Before launching your store, it is essential to test the checkout flow end to end. Shopify provides a native test mode for this: Settings > Payments > Manage > Test mode. Once enabled, you can use the dummy card number 4242 4242 4242 4242 with any future date and any CVV. All orders appear in the admin with a "Test" tag and are never charged. Remember to turn off test mode before going live for real.

What is Shopify Capital and how can you benefit from it?

Shopify Capital is Shopify's in-house financing program. Instead of a traditional bank loan, you receive a cash advance (between $200 and $1,000,000 depending on your history) that is repaid automatically through a fixed percentage of your daily sales. No interest, just a fixed total cost disclosed upfront. Eligibility: at least six months of Shopify history with steady revenue. The offer appears automatically when you are eligible (in the Finances > Capital tab) and requires no application.

What is Shopify Balance and who is it for?

Shopify Balance is a business bank account built into Shopify, available in the United States since 2021 (and gradually rolling out in Europe). It offers a physical and virtual debit card, a dedicated IBAN, and above all instant access to your sales revenue without waiting for Shopify Payments payouts. For growing brands, it is a valuable cash-flow tool that prevents cash gaps between the sale and the payment. Availability in France: on the roadmap, not yet active to date.

Complete guide: Shopify Balance, the built-in business account

To learn more about express checkout and its effects on conversion, discover everything you need to know about Shop Pay.

GDPR, legal and compliance

Legal compliance is non-negotiable for a French store. Two topics account for most of the questions merchants ask us: terms and conditions of sale, and the privacy policy.

How do I manage terms and conditions of sale (CGV) on Shopify?

Terms and conditions of sale (CGV) are mandatory for every French e-commerce store. Shopify does not provide them by default: it is up to you to write them or to hire a specialized lawyer. Three ways to integrate them: 1) create a dedicated page under Online Store > Pages > Add page and link it in the footer, 2) add an "I accept the terms and conditions" checkbox at checkout via Settings > Checkout > Checkout language, 3) provide a terms page adapted to B2B sales if you sell to professionals. Stellar works with lawyers specialized in e-commerce to produce solid, up-to-date terms and conditions.

Complete guide: terms and conditions and legal notices on Shopify

How do I add a privacy policy on Shopify?

The privacy policy describes how you collect and use your customers' personal data. It is mandatory under the GDPR. Shopify generates a default template available in Settings > Policies, but this template must be adapted to your situation: analytics tools used, third-party cookies, transfers outside the EU, processors. Once the page is edited, it is automatically linked in the footer and at checkout. For brands that collect a lot of data (newsletter, loyalty program, quizzes), we recommend an annual review by a DPO.

Development and technical customization

For brands that push Shopify to its limits (custom front end, marketplaces, advanced B2B), five topics keep coming up: headless commerce, Hydrogen, GraphQL, development environment and Liquid.

What is headless commerce and how do you set it up on Shopify?

Headless commerce means decoupling the front end (the interface customers see) from the back end (the Shopify engine). You keep Shopify as your commerce engine (catalog, carts, payments, shipping) but build the front end with a modern stack (Next.js, Nuxt, Remix). Advantages: superior performance, unlimited design flexibility, native support for composable architectures. Drawbacks: high initial development cost (3 to 6 times more than a classic Shopify theme), heavier technical maintenance. Relevant above €5 million in annual revenue.

Complete guide: Shopify headless commerce, definition and setup

What is Shopify Hydrogen and how do you use it?

Hydrogen is Shopify's official headless framework, launched in 2022 and based on React and Remix. Paired with Oxygen (Shopify's dedicated cloud hosting), it lets you build a native headless front end with components pre-wired to the Shopify APIs (Cart, Product, Customer). Hydrogen is free and open source. It is particularly suited to brands already committed to the Shopify ecosystem that want full control over the front end without managing third-party infrastructure. Stellar delivered Caillou Paris's headless redesign on Hydrogen plus Oxygen.

Complete guide: Shopify Hydrogen, building a headless store

How do you use GraphQL with Shopify?

Shopify exposes two main APIs: the REST Admin API and the GraphQL Admin API. GraphQL has been Shopify's recommended route since 2024 (the REST API is in maintenance mode). GraphQL advantages: you request only the fields you need (performance and bandwidth gains), explicit mutations to modify data, a strict schema that catches errors before production. The main tools to get started: the GraphiQL App, Postman and the official SDKs (Node, Ruby, Python).

How do you set up a Shopify development environment?

A local development environment lets you modify a theme or build an app without touching the live store. The current standard is Shopify CLI, the official command-line tool. Install it with one command (npm install -g @shopify/cli), then run shopify theme dev to launch a local server connected to your development store. Paired with a development store (a free store reserved for developers), this is the setup every Shopify Expert agency uses.

What is the Liquid template language?

Liquid is the templating language created by Shopify in 2006 and used in every theme. It is a simple language based on tags ({% if %}, {% for %}) and objects ({{ product.title }}). It lets you dynamically display your store's data in the theme's HTML. Liquid is now used by WordPress, Salesforce, Mailchimp and other CMSs. To learn Liquid, Shopify's official documentation is exhaustive, and front-end developers master it in a few days.

Complete guide: the Liquid template language on Shopify

Logistics, orders and Shopify POS

For brands that combine online and in-store sales, or that handle large volumes, four questions come up regularly: exporting orders, choosing the right Shopify POS card readers, identifying compatible terminals, and testing performance.

How do you export your Shopify orders in a few clicks?

Shopify offers a native CSV export from Orders > Export, with a choice of date range and format (Excel-friendly by default). For more advanced exports (complex filters, custom columns, automatic scheduling), Matrixify is the reference. Common use cases: monthly bookkeeping, BI reporting to Power BI or Looker Studio, exports for your accountant, feeding an ERP. Shopify's native export can hit its limits beyond 50,000 orders, whereas Matrixify handles hundreds of thousands of rows without a problem.

Which card readers are compatible with Shopify POS?

To sell in-store with Shopify POS, two card readers are compatible in France: the BBPOS WisePad 3 (portable Bluetooth reader, about €59) and the Stripe Reader S700 (standalone terminal with a screen, about €350). Both accept contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. For more structured points of sale (flagship store, several checkouts), Shopify also offers POS Go, an all-in-one terminal with a built-in scanner and receipt printer.

Complete guide: which card readers for Shopify POS?

Which payment terminals are compatible with Shopify POS in 2025?

Beyond Shopify's native card readers, some third-party terminals work as a complement. iZettle (PayPal) and SumUp can be used alongside for off-site operations (markets, trade shows) but do not integrate directly with Shopify inventory. For full integration (unified inventory, shared customer records, consolidated sales), only the official Shopify or Stripe card readers are truly suitable. 2025 roadmap: Shopify has announced support for new compact terminals for European markets.

Complete guide: Shopify POS compatible terminals in 2025

How do you test your Shopify store's performance?

Three tools are essential for measuring Shopify performance: PageSpeed Insights (Google, free), GTmetrix (detailed waterfall analysis), Shopify Web Performance Report (in Online Store > Themes > Edit code > Performance). The three key metrics to monitor are the Core Web Vitals: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint, under 2.5 s), CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift, under 0.1) and INP (Interaction to Next Paint, under 200 ms). A well-optimized Shopify store scores 85 or higher on mobile and 95 or higher on desktop.

Complete guide: our Shopify CRO hub

To move from diagnosis to action, our Shopify CRO guide covers page speed and how to measure it.

Multichannel, marketplaces and B2B

To go from single-channel to multichannel, brands need to integrate marketplaces, subscriptions, B2B and customer account migration. The six questions below cover the most common cases.

How do you sell on eBay with Shopify?

There are three approaches to syncing Shopify and eBay. The simplest: use a sync app like Codisto, LitCommerce or CedCommerce eBay Integration. The most controlled: the native eBay integration (deprecated by Shopify in 2022, replaced by third-party apps). The most advanced: go through middleware (Channable, Lengow) that syncs several marketplaces at once. Watch points: unified inventory management, price alignment, automatic translation of listings, understanding eBay's rules (delivery times, returns, seller ratings).

How do you integrate Shopify with Amazon?

Integrating Shopify and Amazon follows the same principle as eBay: a third-party app orchestrates the sync. The most widely used in France: Codisto (multi-marketplace), ChannelEngine (B2B-oriented), SellerCloud. The main challenge on Amazon is making product listings comply with the marketplace's strict rules (standardized titles, mandatory EANs, images on a white background). Once the sync is in place, Amazon becomes a complementary acquisition channel, particularly relevant in the DACH region and the UK.

How do you launch subscriptions and monthly boxes on Shopify?

Shopify has natively offered Shopify Subscriptions (free) since 2023, which covers 80% of simple needs (product subscription, regular frequency, customer self-management from their account). For more advanced needs (complex pricing logic, build-a-box, mixing subscription and one-time purchases), the paid references are Recharge (market leader), Bold Subscriptions and Loop Subscriptions. Recharge charges about $99 per month plus 1% on recurring payments.

Go further: agentic commerce

How do you export customer accounts from Shopify?

Customers are exported natively from Customers > Export, in CSV format. You can filter by tag, status (has ordered or not) and creation date. For large or recurring exports, Matrixify remains the reference. Typical use cases: syncing with an external CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce), importing into Klaviyo for specific segments, regular backups for GDPR or accounting purposes. Caution: the export contains personal data, so storage and access must be secured.

How do you migrate customer accounts to Shopify?

Migrating customer accounts from another CMS (WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop) is a critical step in a redesign. Three methods: 1) Shopify's native CSV import (limited to 50,000 rows, without order history), 2) Matrixify, which supports files of several GB with custom mapping, 3) custom development via the GraphQL API for tailored migrations. Major watch point: passwords are never transferred (different encryption), and each customer must reset their password at first login. Stellar has successfully migrated more than 80 stores while preserving order histories.

Complete guide: migrating customer accounts to Shopify

How do you sell B2B on Shopify?

Since 2023, Shopify has natively integrated B2B features into Shopify Plus: dedicated customer catalogs, specific pricing, payment terms (net 30, net 60), purchase order ordering, multi-user accounts per company. For brands without Shopify Plus, third-party apps like Wholesale Gorilla, Bold B2B or BSS B2B provide some of the features at a lower cost. Stellar supports several brands with their Shopify Plus B2B rollout, especially in fashion and cosmetics.

Complete guide: selling B2B on Shopify

How Stellar can help you

Stellar Projects is a Shopify Expert agency founded in 2018 by Florian Pohl and Volkier Bentinck. We support ambitious brands across the entire lifecycle of their Shopify store: creation, redesign, migration from another CMS, SEO and CRO optimization, headless Hydrogen development, B2B and Shopify Plus setup, team training.

Our conviction, structured in the STELLAR Method: an e-commerce brand that lasts is built through architecture, not reaction. We publish practical content every week, and the book "Créer sa marque à l'ère de l'IA" (Building your brand in the age of AI, Florian Pohl and Volkier Bentinck, 2026) sets out our complete approach.

If you have a Shopify question that is not in this FAQ, or if you want to discuss a project, write to us directly. A Shopify expert will reply within 48 hours.

Quick Shopify FAQ

The questions we get asked most often, even before the first meeting. Short answers, straight to the point.

How much does Shopify cost in 2026?

Shopify plans range from €36 per month (Basic) to €384 per month (Advanced), with a 3-day free trial and a first month for €1. Shopify Plus starts at around €2,100 per month.

Details of the plans and what they include are on our page dedicated to Shopify pricing, and store build budgets on how much a Shopify site costs.

How long does it take to create a Shopify store?

A simple store can go live in 7 to 14 days with a theme from the Theme Store. A custom redesign with Liquid customization and app integrations takes 8 to 12 weeks.

The factor that stretches timelines the most is almost never technical: it is content. Product photos, writing product pages, translations and legal notices often take longer than building the site. Our store creation guide details every step.

Do you need to be a developer to use Shopify?

No, Shopify is designed to be used by merchants without code. A developer is useful for customizing the theme, integrating complex apps or building custom features.

To decide between doing it yourself and getting support, our page on Shopify experts details the cases where hiring a provider is justified.

Is Shopify good for SEO in France?

Yes, as long as you follow best practices: rich content, speed, structured data, internal linking. Our Shopify SEO guide covers the essentials.

There are still two limits to be aware of: the URL structure is imposed, with segments like /products/ or /collections/ that cannot be removed, and blog management remains basic compared with dedicated solutions. Neither is a blocker, but they require a content architecture planned upfront. Our Shopify SEO guide covers this architecture.

How do you migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify?

A WooCommerce to Shopify migration is done via Matrixify or via Shopify's official migration app. Allow 1 to 3 weeks for a clean migration that preserves URLs and customer accounts.

The critical point is not the data transfer but the redirect plan. Every old URL must point to its equivalent, otherwise you lose the SEO you have built up. It is the step most often handled last, and the one that costs the most when it is rushed.

 

Our WooCommerce to Shopify migration guide details every step, and our comparison Shopify or WooCommerce covers the upstream decision.

Do you need Shopify Plus, or is a standard plan enough?

A standard plan covers most projects, including B2B since Shopify opened those features beyond Plus. Switching is justified by a specific functional need (customizable checkout, order volume, multiple stores or international rollout), rarely by revenue alone. Our Shopify Plus page details the exact scope.

Can you sell B2B and B2C on the same store?

Yes, and it is the most common setup: one catalog, one inventory, one admin. Anonymous visitors see public prices, while logged-in business buyers see their negotiated terms. The watch point is the clarity of the journey, which is handled through navigation rather than through an ambiguous homepage. Our Shopify B2B guide covers the topic in full.

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Going further: cluster resources

This FAQ answers in a few lines. To dig into a topic, these guides cover it in depth.