GLOSSARY · H
Hydrogen
Shopify’s React framework for headless storefronts, hosted on Oxygen.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters for a Shopify store.
Hydrogen is Shopify's own React-based framework for headless storefronts, with commerce components and Storefront API helpers built in.
Because it is maintained by Shopify and deploys to Oxygen, it removes much of the plumbing a custom headless build needs.
HOW CREATIVE LABS HANDLES IT
What we do about it on every project.
01
Prove the case
We compare Hydrogen with a theme build on cost, speed and team skills before starting.
02
Use Shopify's building blocks
Cart, product and analytics helpers keep the build close to Shopify's defaults.
03
Deploy on Oxygen
Preview environments per branch and Shopify-managed hosting.
EXAMPLE
A typical example.
A brand wants interactive product configurators that a theme can't support well.
A Hydrogen storefront renders the configurator in React, reads prices and variants from the Storefront API and hands off to Shopify checkout.
COMMON MISTAKES
What usually goes wrong.
Treating it like a theme
Hydrogen is an application; it needs developers to maintain it.
Ignoring app compatibility
Theme-only apps won't appear; plan replacements.
Skipping caching strategy
Caching decides real-world speed on Oxygen.
HYDROGEN
2 questions
Is Hydrogen free?
The framework is open source, and Oxygen hosting is included with eligible Shopify plans.
Do I need Hydrogen to go headless?
No. Any framework can use the Storefront API; Hydrogen is Shopify's recommended option.
Related terms
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