Whether you are preparing for a Shopify developer interview, onboarding new talent, or simply brushing up on your skills, knowing the right questions (and answers) can make all the difference. Shopify development is more than just theme editing—it covers Liquid coding, APIs, checkout customization, performance, SEO, and advanced frameworks like Hydrogen and Oxygen.
In this blog, we’ve compiled 100 of the most common Shopify developer questions with concise answers. They are grouped into categories so you can navigate easily, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced professional.
Shopify Basics
A common starting point in interviews is to test fundamental knowledge. You may be asked questions like: What is Shopify? It is a hosted eCommerce platform that allows merchants to create and scale online stores without heavy infrastructure management. You may also be asked the difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus—the latter is designed for enterprise businesses with higher API limits, multi-store management, and advanced automation.
Another staple question is about Liquid, Shopify’s templating language. It enables developers to create dynamic pages by embedding logic directly into HTML. Understanding the role of sections, snippets, and .liquid files is crucial for theme customization.
Themes and Customization
Shopify developers are often expected to create or edit themes. A recruiter might ask: How do you create a theme from scratch? The answer involves using Liquid, HTML, CSS/SCSS, and JavaScript, uploading via Shopify CLI, and testing across multiple devices.
Modern development often requires knowledge of Online Store 2.0. This update brought JSON templates, modular app blocks, and greater flexibility for merchants. Developers should also know performance optimization techniques: minifying CSS/JS, using Shopify’s CDN, and implementing lazy loading.
APIs and App Development
Many businesses rely on custom apps for advanced functionality. Be ready to answer: What is the difference between REST and GraphQL APIs? REST is simpler and widely used, while GraphQL is more efficient for fetching complex data with fewer requests.
You might also be asked: How do you authenticate a Shopify app? The answer is OAuth 2.0. For embedded apps, developers use Shopify App Bridge to integrate seamlessly into the Shopify admin panel.
Knowing when to build a public app versus a private one is also key. Public apps serve multiple stores and can be listed on the Shopify App Store, while private apps are built for a single merchant.
Checkout and Payments
Interviewers often ask about checkout limitations. Can developers customize Shopify checkout? The answer is yes, but only on Shopify Plus, either via checkout.liquid, scripts, or newer Shopify Functions.
You may also need to explain the difference between Scripts (Ruby-based and Plus-only) and Functions, which are faster, more flexible, and gradually replacing Scripts. Expect questions around payment gateways, discounts, and fulfillment integrations too.
roducts, Collections, and Orders
Handling store data is another core area. Developers may be asked: What’s the difference between a Smart Collection and a Custom Collection? Smart Collections use automated rules, while Custom Collections are manually curated.
You should also know how to bulk upload products via CSV or APIs, create draft orders, and use Liquid to display variants dynamically. For abandoned carts, Shopify provides an Abandoned Checkout API.
Performance, SEO, and Marketing
Speed and discoverability are crucial. You may be asked: How do you optimize Liquid loops? By limiting queries with paginate and avoiding unnecessary nesting. For SEO, developers must know how to add structured data with JSON-LD, create 301 redirects, and implement meta tags.
On the marketing side, expect questions about integrating Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and other tracking scripts. These often involve adding snippets to theme.liquid or using Shopify’s dedicated channels.
Security and Best Practices
Security-related questions test professionalism. Be prepared to explain Shopify’s PCI DSS compliance, SSL usage, and best practices for securing API keys with environment variables.
Interviewers may also ask about webhooks—real-time notifications Shopify sends when events like order creation occur. Authenticating these requires verifying the X-Shopify-Hmac-Sha256 header.
Advanced Topics
The future of Shopify development is evolving rapidly. Expect questions about Hydrogen, Shopify’s React-based framework for custom storefronts, and Oxygen, the hosting environment for Hydrogen apps.
You may also be asked about Polaris, Shopify’s design system for app UI consistency. Another advanced question is how to migrate a store to Shopify—this involves data migration via CSV, APIs, or specialized migration tools.
Finally, modern Shopify developers should understand how to integrate third-party APIs, ERP/CRM systems, and automation tools like Shopify Flow.
Why These Questions Matter
These 100 questions cover the spectrum of Shopify development—ranging from the fundamentals to enterprise-level topics. For interviews, employers want to see not only your technical ability but also your problem-solving approach. For merchants hiring developers, these questions help identify candidates who can build fast, secure, and scalable Shopify stores.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a developer preparing for interviews, an agency screening candidates, or a merchant wanting to understand your developer better, this list provides a solid foundation. From Liquid basics to Hydrogen storefronts, the Shopify ecosystem is wide and dynamic.
By mastering these questions and their answers, you’ll be well-equipped to handle real-world development challenges and stand out as a Shopify expert.
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