Shopify E-commerce Glossary
Terms and meanings specific to the Shopify ecosystem prepared so you don't get lost in the e-commerce world.
Alt Text (Alternative Text)
Texts describing what images contain. Critical for visually impaired users and search engines (SEO).
AOV (Average Order Value)
Found by dividing total turnover by number of orders. Tried to be increased with Upsell and Cross-sell strategies.
App Store
Marketplace containing thousands of applications that allow you to add extra features (reviews, loyalty programs, email marketing, etc.) to your Shopify store.
B2B on Shopify
Shopify feature offering the opportunity to create special price lists, payment terms, and company profiles for companies doing wholesale (B2B).
Canonical URL
Tag specifying the original address of a page. Tells Google which page to index in case of duplicate content.
Checkout Extensibility
New generation infrastructure allowing Shopify Plus users to customize the checkout page with drag-and-drop methods without writing code.
CLV (Customer Lifetime Value)
Total value a customer earns you throughout their relationship with your brand. An important metric for measuring customer loyalty.
Conversion Rate
Rate showing what percentage of users visiting the site perform the purchasing action.
Dropshipping
E-commerce model without holding stock. When an order comes, the product is sent directly from the supplier to the customer.
Flow
Tool found in Shopify Plus and Advanced plans that automates in-store processes (e.g., cancel high-risk orders, tag VIP customers).
Headless Commerce
Separation of the front end (frontend) of e-commerce from the back end (backend). Using Shopify only as a database and payment infrastructure, and freely designing the showcase with technologies like React or Next.js.
Hydrogen
React-based framework offered by Shopify to develop Headless stores.
Hydrogen & Oxygen
Hydrogen is Shopify’s React-based headless framework; Oxygen is the hosting platform that hosts these stores globally.
Liquid
Shopify's open-source template language. It allows themes to show dynamic data (product price, title, etc.) with HTML and CSS.
Merchant Center
The panel where Google manages product data (price, stock, image). By sending your Shopify products here, you ensure they are listed in Google Shopping ads.
Metafields
Fields that allow you to store custom data not included in the standard Shopify panel (e.g., washing instructions, product material, delivery time).
Multipass
Single sign-on (SSO) feature allowing users logged in on a different website or forum to log in to your Shopify store without entering a password again.
POS (Point of Sale)
System synchronizing sales in your physical store with the Shopify panel. Your stocks are updated instantly in both online and physical stores.
Sales Channels
Different platforms where you sell your products (Online Store, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google, Amazon, etc.) and their integrations in the Shopify panel.
Shop Pay
Accelerated payment method allowing customers to pay with one click in their next shopping by securely saving their payment information.
Shopify Audiences
Data tool creating high-potential customer audiences to increase ad performance, exclusive to Shopify Plus users.
Shopify Collabs
Platform allowing brands to collaborate with content creators and influencers, and set up affiliate programs.
Shopify Email
Data-driven email marketing tool allowing you to create and send brand-specific email campaigns from within the Shopify panel.
Shopify Functions
Modern and performant infrastructure replacing Scripts, allowing you to customize Shopify's backend logic (discounts, shipping, payment methods).
Shopify Inbox
Messaging app allowing you to chat with customers, create automatic responses, and sell by sharing products over chat.
Shopify Markets
International sales management tool allowing you to sell to different countries with different currencies, languages, and pricing rules from a single store.
Shopify Plus
Corporate Shopify plan offered for high-volume businesses, providing more customization, automation (Flow, Scripts), and support.
Shopify Scripts
Ruby-based coding tool used to create special discounts, shipping rules, and payment options at the cart and payment step in Shopify Plus stores.
Theme Store
Official store where professional themes approved by Shopify, passed performance and mobile compatibility tests, are sold.
Webhook
Shopify automatically sending data to another application or server when an event occurs (e.g., when a new order arrives).