Getting Started with Shopify Oxygen: A Beginner's Walkthrough

This guide is aimed at beginners who want a clear, friendly path to get a Hydrogen storefront running on Shopify Oxygen. You don’t need deep ops knowledge—just basic familiarity with Git, a code editor, and a Shopify store. We’ll cover prerequisites, how to deploy, and practical tips to avoid common stumbling blocks.

Prerequisites (what you need before starting)

• A Shopify account with a store (merchant or developer store). Oxygen is integrated into Shopify deployments.
• Node.js and npm installed locally (Hydrogen projects use Node for development and build).
• Git for version control and connecting to deployment flows.
• Basic knowledge of React is helpful but not mandatory—Hydrogen starter templates make things easier.

Step 1: Create a Hydrogen project

1. Use Shopify’s starter templates or the Hydrogen CLI to scaffold a project. For beginners, a starter template gives a ready-made structure with routing, components, and Shopify data fetching preconfigured.
2. Install dependencies: run npm install or yarn to fetch packages.
3. Run the local dev server to preview the app: npm run dev. This lets you iterate on the UI and test Shopify API calls in a local environment.

Step 2: Connect your app to your Shopify store

• Create a private or custom app in your Shopify admin to obtain API credentials (storefront API tokens). These let your Hydrogen app read products, collections, and cart data securely.
• Configure environment variables in your project (.env) with the API token and store domain for local testing.

Step 3: Prepare for Oxygen deployment

• Ensure your app uses server-side rendering patterns compatible with Oxygen. Hydrogen starter templates are preconfigured for this.
• Add any environment secrets required for production (do not commit secrets to Git). In the Shopify deployment flow you can set secret values securely.

Step 4: Deploy to Shopify Oxygen

1. Commit your code to a Git repository on a provider supported by the deployment workflow you choose.
2. From your Shopify partner dashboard or the Hydrogen docs, follow steps to connect your repository and create an Oxygen deployment. Shopify will build and deploy your Hydrogen app to the Oxygen runtime.
3. After deployment, test the live URL. Check product listing, cart behavior, and checkout redirects (checkout still uses Shopify’s secure checkout unless you implement a custom solution tied to Shopify’s APIs).

Helpful beginner tips

• Start small: Begin with basic pages and product lists. Add complex features (e.g., personalization or advanced search) once the basics work reliably.
• Use Shopify sample data: It’s easier to iterate with realistic product content when testing layouts and performance.
• Monitor logs: Oxygen provides logs for troubleshooting. Use them to debug API issues or runtime errors that appear after deployment.
• Secure secrets: Never hard-code API tokens in source control—use the deployment secrets management provided by Shopify or your CI/CD.

Common beginner questions

• Do I lose Shopify features when using Hydrogen and Oxygen? No—you still use Shopify for catalog, checkout, and order management. Hydrogen retrieves data via Shopify APIs, and Oxygen hosts the frontend.
• Can I use apps from the Shopify App Store? Many apps work with headless storefronts, but some theme-specific apps may need adjustments. Always test integrations early.
• What about performance? Oxygen serves apps from edge locations, which helps. But you still need to optimize images, code splitting, and minimize third-party scripts.

Example quick checklist before going live

1. Confirm API tokens and environment secrets are set in the deployment settings.
2. Validate product and collection pages across devices.
3. Run performance tests from target regions to verify low latency.
4. Test checkout flows and order creation end-to-end.
5. Set up analytics and monitoring to track real user behavior.

Final encouragement

Deploying a Hydrogen app to Shopify Oxygen may feel technical at first, but with starter templates and clear deployment flows, beginners can get a fast, modern storefront online quickly. Focus on incremental improvements—launch a basic, reliable site and iterate toward richer experiences.