Systems Stack
Systems Stack glossary.
The terms used across this directory, in plain language. If we coined it, it's defined here.
Last updated: September 10, 2026
- Systems Stack
- The set of apps, native Shopify features, and custom theme code that does one job (email, reviews, support, merchandising, speed, subscriptions, ops) for a store. The right stack changes by revenue band.
- Kill signal
- A concrete, checkable sign that a tool should be removed or replaced, not a hunch. See the full kill signals checklist for examples by job.
- Install / skip / replace
- The three-way call we make for every job at every band: use the tool as-is, don't bother yet, or swap it for native, theme code, or Shopify Flow.
- Revenue band
- Our $50K, $250K, and $1M/year tiers. The right stack for a job changes with revenue, not with what a competitor installed.
- Native
- A feature Shopify built and ships for free, not a third-party app. Native bundles, native Subscriptions, and Shopify Flow are all native.
- Theme code
- Custom Liquid, JavaScript, or CSS built directly into the theme instead of installed through an app. Usually faster and cheaper long-term, but costs dev time up front.
- Ghost code
- Leftover app code (snippets, JavaScript, CSS) that keeps loading on every page after the app itself was uninstalled. Uninstalling an app doesn't remove its code.
- App bloat
- The JavaScript and CSS a storefront accumulates from apps, active or not. Shows up as slow product pages and a worse Core Web Vitals score.
- Shopify Flow
- Shopify's free, native automation builder, available on Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus. The default answer to "can I automate this without an app."
- WISMO
- "Where is my order," the single most common support ticket type at almost every band. Usually fixable with self-service order tracking in the theme.
- Metaobject
- Shopify's standardized schema for storing structured custom content, like product reviews, outside of a specific app's database.
- Combined Listings
- A Shopify Plus feature that groups near-identical product variants (same item, different color or size) into one product page. Not a bundle, and can't be used as one.
- Checkout extensibility
- Shopify's current framework (built on Shopify Functions) for customizing checkout without apps that inject scripts. Generally requires Shopify Plus.
- Systems stack audit
- What we do for clients: map the current stack against the job and the revenue band, then kill the app, replace it, or leave it alone.
When to call us
We build and audit every job on this list. Storefront, business automations, and email. A project or a retainer. Contact us or start with the storefront scan.