Fast headless storefronts for Shopify stores
A headless storefront separates what shoppers see from the back office. The pages are built ahead of time and served fast, while Shopify keeps running products, inventory, checkout and accounts. We built one for The Porch Swing Store.
Live on The Porch Swing Store, which has more than 3,700 product pages. It is one store's setup; a smaller catalog may not need a rebuild.
Why theme pages slow down
A Shopify theme assembles each page when the shopper asks for it, and every app adds scripts and requests. Over time a product page can carry far more than the shopper came to see.
Speed is not the only issue. A theme is also hard to shape around search, so large catalogs often end up with thin collection pages and few ways to browse. Headless is not always the answer, and the Shopify speed optimization page explains what can be done on an existing theme first.
What we build
Prerendered pages
Product, collection, page and article pages built ahead of time and served as static files, so there is little to wait for.
Shopify behind the scenes
Catalog, inventory, checkout and customer accounts stay in Shopify. We read the catalog from Shopify and hand checkout back to it.
Live prices and stock
Prices and availability refresh from Shopify in the shopper's browser, so a page built earlier does not show an old price.
Search and browsing
Site search, filters, a mega menu by product type, quick view and a cart drawer, designed around how your products are bought.
Markup for search and AI
Structured data for products, offers, breadcrumbs and FAQs, a sitemap and an llms.txt summary.
A rebuild routine
A repeatable way to refresh the build from Shopify, on a schedule and on demand, so new products appear.
What to check before and after
- Mobile page speed on your most visited product and collection pages
- Page weight and the number of requests per page
- Whether every old address still works
- Whether prices and stock on the page match Shopify
- How checkout hands off and whether the cart survives it
- Which apps you still need once the front end changes
Headless adds a build to maintain. For a small catalog, speeding up the existing theme is often the better first step.
- Test your store todayWe measure your current pages and list what the theme and apps load, so there is a before to compare against.
- Decide if headless is worth itWe say honestly whether theme work would be enough, or whether a rebuild fits your catalog and goals.
- Build and match every addressWe build the storefront, keep your addresses, and check that every live Shopify URL resolves on the new site.
- Cut over with a way backWe move the domain in a planned order with a written rollback step, then re-test and monitor.
The Porch Swing Store is a headless Astro storefront in front of Shopify. Pages are prerendered, prices and stock refresh from Shopify in the browser, and checkout is handed to Shopify.
Questions about this playbook
Will Shopify still run my store?
Yes. Products, inventory, checkout, payments and customer accounts stay in Shopify. The headless site is the front end that shoppers browse.
Is headless right for every store?
No. It suits large catalogs and stores where speed and search matter most. Smaller stores often get enough from theme and app cleanup, and we will say so.
What happens when I add a product?
The new product appears when the site is next rebuilt from Shopify, which can run on a schedule or on demand. Prices and stock on existing pages refresh live.
Do you promise a speed score?
No. We measure before and after with the same tests and show you the results, but we do not promise a number in advance.
Related e-commerce playbooks
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Read the playbook Available setupProduct feed & Google Merchant Center
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Read the playbookE-commerce hubHeadless Shopify buildsShopify speed optimizationShopify services
Migration without losing SEOProduct feed & Google Merchant CenterGoogle Ads for online storesEmail & abandoned-cart automationProduct reviewsAI product content & catalog operations
Consultants In A Box is an independent consultancy. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Shopify or Google. Product names belong to their owners.
Want this for your online store?
Start with a free business evaluation. We look at your store, search presence, feed, ads and follow-up and send a short list of what we would fix first.