Developers who don't know headless commerce
The Storefront API, ISR for product pages, wiring Shopify web components into a custom front end - these have real complexity. A developer learning on the job costs you time you haven't budgeted for.
You've got the designs. I'll build the store.
Headless Shopify from your production-ready designs. Astro + Sanity connected to the Shopify Storefront API - built for performance, not assembled from a theme. No strategy, no design rounds, no SEO work included.
For agencies and designers who need a developer who genuinely understands headless commerce.
You've designed a headless storefront. Now you need someone who can actually build one.
Headless commerce is a specific discipline. The Shopify Storefront API, ISR for large catalogues, Sanity alongside product data, Shopify web components for the interactive commerce layer - these aren't things a generalist developer figures out mid-project without it costing you time and credibility with your client.
Most developers who claim to know headless Shopify have built one demo project. That's not the same as understanding the edge cases - variant availability, performance on large collections, keeping the Astro layer fast while Shopify handles everything transactional.
You need a developer who's done this before and can take your Figma files, ask the right questions once, and deliver something that matches the designs, without the back-and-forth that eats your margin.
Builds that don't match the design
A developer who doesn't understand component-driven architecture will cut corners you can see. Spacing off, interactions missing, mobile behaviour inconsistent.
Handoffs that create problems later
Undocumented code, a CMS schema nobody can maintain, no walkthrough for the client. Your agency's name is on it long after the developer has moved on.
Why this stack produces better stores than a Shopify theme ever will
A standard Shopify theme is constrained by what Shopify's front end can do - a blend of Liquid templates, theme JavaScript, and shared infrastructure that isn't built for performance. A headless build removes those constraints entirely.
Astro handles the front end, pre-rendering pages at build time and serving static HTML from Cloudflare's edge. Shopify handles what it's genuinely brilliant at - products, inventory, payments, fulfilment. Sanity sits alongside, giving editors clean control over brand and editorial content without touching the Shopify admin.
The result is a store that's faster, lighter, and fully bespoke - and one you can put Lighthouse scores and a carbon rating on at handover.
Astro - static-first front end
Marketing pages and product detail pages pre-rendered at build time. ISR for large catalogues. Zero JavaScript shipped by default, only what each component actually needs.
Shopify Storefront API
Used read-only to pull product and collection data into the Astro front end. All transactional interactions - cart, checkout, account - are handled by Shopify's web components, not custom code. Your client keeps the admin they know; nothing changes under the hood.
Sanity CMS
Editorial pages, landing pages, blog, and brand content managed separately from the product catalogue. Clean schema built for the site, not retrofitted. Editors don't need to touch Shopify for content updates.
Shopify web components
Cart, checkout, and account interactions are handled by Shopify's own web components - embedded in the Astro front end and styled to match the design. No custom transactional code means no custom transactional code to maintain. TypeScript throughout, Tailwind CSS 4 for styling.
Cloudflare + Vercel
Vercel for staging - shareable review links at every stage. Cloudflare for production - global edge, fast TTFB, green-verified infrastructure, and no server to manage.
Is this the right fit for you?
This service is built for agencies, studios, and freelance designers who have production-ready designs for a headless Shopify store and need a developer who can execute them without being managed through the technical decisions.
If you don't have finished designs, need the strategy done too, or want one partner across the whole project, the full Ecommerce Site service covers everything from discovery to launch.
This is for you if...
- You're a design agency or studio that doesn't build in Astro or headless Shopify
- You have a freelance designer client who needs a specialist developer they can brief directly
- You have production-ready designs and a product catalogue ready to go
- You want to white-label the build under your agency brand
- You want a fixed price and a predictable timeline
Not the right fit if...
- You don't have finished designs, the brief will stall before it starts
- You need strategy, discovery, or SEO as part of the project
- You need a content site build, not a commerce one, that's the Build-only Content site
- You're looking for a developer to manage the design process too
What you get. What you don't.
This is a build service. You've done the hard work - the strategy, the design, the brand. I'm here to execute it technically. Here's exactly what's in scope.
Included:
Astro build, static-first
Marketing and editorial pages pre-rendered at build time. Product pages statically generated where practical, ISR for large catalogues. Lighthouse-ready out of the box.
Shopify Storefront API integration
Products and collections pulled via the Storefront API and rendered in a custom Astro front end. Not a Shopify theme. Cart, checkout, and account interactions are handled by Shopify's own web components - no custom transactional code. Your client still manages everything in the Shopify admin they already know.
Sanity CMS setup
Schema designed to your content structure. Editorial pages, blog, landing pages, and any content that sits alongside your product catalogue, all editable without a developer.
Product listing + detail pages
Collection pages with filtering and sorting. Individual product pages with variant display and Product schema markup baked in from day one. Buy buttons and cart interactions use Shopify's web components, styled to match the design, no custom commerce logic required.
WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility
Not an afterthought - built in from the start. Keyboard navigation, focus management, screen reader testing. Lighthouse accessibility score published on delivery.
Hosting setup
Staged on Vercel for review. Production deploy to Cloudflare - fast, global edge delivery with low carbon infrastructure. Domain config and SSL included.
Codebase + video walkthrough
Full Git handoff with a clean, documented codebase. Short video walkthrough covering the CMS, Shopify admin, and anything your client needs to manage independently post-launch.
Not included
Strategy and discovery
Audience research, competitor analysis, positioning, and UX strategy are out of scope. This service assumes that work is done, and done well - by you before the brief lands.
Design
I build from supplied designs, I don't create them. Figma files with desktop and mobile views for every page in scope, named components, and exported assets need to be production-ready before work starts.
Copywriting
All copy - product descriptions, editorial pages, collections, email templates - should be supplied alongside the designs. Copy placeholders in Figma that need to be written post-build slow things down.
SEO strategy
I'll build to solid on-page technical SEO standards - clean markup, schema, fast performance. But keyword research, content strategy, and SEO recommendations are not part of this service.
Shopify plan
Your client needs an active Shopify plan - Basic or higher. Shopify subscription fees are billed directly by Shopify. That's separate from this project.
Third-party integrations (by default)
Loyalty programmes, product review apps, subscription tooling - these can be added to scope during quoting. If you know you need them, flag it upfront so they're costed in.
Clean handoff. Clean store.
The process is deliberately simple. You handle strategy and design, I handle the technical delivery. The difference is the stack: Astro fronting Shopify, with Sanity managing editorial content alongside product data.
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You share the brief
Send over your Figma files, copy docs, and a summary of the Shopify product catalogue. Note any integrations you need - loyalty, reviews, subscriptions. A short call to align is included.
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Fixed quote, fixed scope.
Price and timeline agreed upfront based on the brief. No hourly billing. Commerce projects vary more in scope than content builds - the more detail you bring, the tighter the quote.
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I build it
Astro + Sanity connected to the Shopify Storefront API. TypeScript throughout, Tailwind CSS 4 for styling. Staged on Vercel - you and your client can review product pages and the full storefront at any point. One round of amends included.
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You take delivery
Full codebase via Git. Deployed to Cloudflare on production. Sanity CMS and Shopify admin both configured. Video walkthrough included so your client understands what lives where.
Starting from £5,000
Fixed-price quotes only. The final cost depends on the number of page templates, the size of the product catalogue, and any integrations in scope. You'll have an exact number after reviewing the brief - no hourly rates, no open budgets.
Fixed price agreed before work starts. 50% deposit, 50% on delivery.
Free, no obligation. Just a conversation.
Every build-only ecommerce site includes:
- Astro + Sanity + Shopify Storefront API build from supplied designs
- TypeScript, Tailwind CSS 4
- Product listing & detail pages via Storefront API
- Cart, checkout & account via Shopify web components
- Sanity CMS for editorial content
- WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility
- Staging on Vercel, production on Cloudflare
- Lighthouse score published on delivery
- One round of amends post-review
- Git handoff + Loom walkthrough
- Strategy, discovery or SEO work
- Design or wireframing
- Copywriting
- Third-party integrations (can be added to scope)
- Ongoing maintenance
Need a content site build instead? See the build-only content site, from £3,000.
Common questions
What is headless Shopify, exactly?
Standard Shopify uses a Shopify theme as both the back end and front end. Headless separates them - Shopify handles products, payments, and fulfilment, while a custom Astro front end handles everything the customer sees. Cart, checkout, and account interactions are handled by Shopify's own web components, styled to match the design. The result is a faster, more flexible store that doesn't inherit Shopify's front-end limitations.
What does "production-ready designs" mean for a commerce build?
Desktop and mobile views for every page in scope - including product listing pages, product detail pages, and any editorial pages. Named components, specified typography and spacing, all assets exported. Variant states (hover, active, out-of-stock) called out in the designs. Cart and checkout use Shopify's web components so those don't need full custom design specs, just styling direction. If anything is missing, we agree what's assumed before work starts.
Does my client still manage products in Shopify?
Yes. The Shopify admin stays exactly as your client knows it - products, inventory, orders, discounts. They don't need to touch Sanity for day-to-day commerce operations. Sanity is for editorial content alongside the store: landing pages, blog, brand content.
Can I white-label this for my agency?
Yes. I work as a subcontractor under your brand. No direct contact with your client unless you want me to, you control the relationship entirely. NDAs are standard and not a problem.
How long does a commerce build take?
A typical headless Shopify build takes 6–10 weeks from brief to delivery, assuming designs, copy, and product data are ready from day one. Commerce builds involve more moving parts than content sites, the timeline is agreed upfront and held to.
What Shopify plan does my client need?
Shopify Basic or higher gives access to the Storefront API. The Shopify plan is a separate cost billed directly by Shopify, it's not part of this project fee. If your client doesn't have an account yet, they'll need one set up before the build starts.
Can you add third-party apps like reviews or loyalty programmes?
Yes, they can be added to scope during quoting. Most commerce apps with a headless-compatible API can be integrated. Flag them when you send the brief so they're costed in from the start, not bolted on mid-build.
Do you have headless Shopify case studies I can show a client?
I've been building websites for 15+ years with past clients including Netflix, Sky, and Canon. Headless Shopify case studies are being documented, if you need something to share with a client in the meantime, get in touch and I'll walk you through the stack directly.
Got a brief? Let's talk.
30 minutes. No pitch, no fluff. Bring your designs, your Shopify brief, and any questions about the stack. If it's a good fit, you'll know by the end of the call.
Free, no obligation. Just a conversation.