Speed is the invisible force that transforms good software into great software. It’s not just about how quickly a program executes tasks—it’s about how seamlessly it integrates into your workflow, anticipating your needs and responding instantaneously to your commands.
“Not all fast software is great, but all great software is fast.” - Tobi Lütke, Shopify CEO
The importance of speed in software cannot be overstated. It’s the difference between friction and flow, between frustration and satisfaction. Fast software doesn’t just save time, it fundamentally changes how we interact with technology, enabling us to accomplish more, innovate faster, and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive world.
The same applies to what we expect from a mobile app experience. A fast app enables users to seamlessly return and quickly access information without the frustration of loading delays. This enhances merchant engagement and increases repeat visits, as merchants can dive straight into their tasks or explore content effortlessly. Minimizing wait times is essential. Each second saved can accumulate significantly over time, allowing merchants to focus on what truly matters—growing their business. At Shopify, we’re committed to creating the fastest, most efficient admin experience for our merchants, whether that’s through desktop or the Shopify app.
Let’s explore the enhancements we’ve made this year to align speed with simplicity, empowering your business to move as fast as your ambitions.
Quick, predictive search
To improve search accuracy, we added prefix matching so, as you start typing, search results appear instantly, predicting what you’re looking for before you’ve even finished. It’s like having a mind-reading assistant doing the work for you.
We've streamlined our search functionality to deliver faster, more relevant results across more areas of the admin; specific orders, customers, apps, sales channels, settings, and more are all at your fingertips in an instant. The improved system now looks for information where it matters most, helping you find what you need quickly so you can focus on growing your business. Plus, we've added result counts to each filter, making it easier to identify and select the right options for your search.
These enhancements work together to create a more efficient, user-friendly experience that keeps you moving forward without missing a beat.
Faster initial page load times across admin
Every second counts in the world of ecommerce, which is why Shopify’s approach to loading code has been streamlined by sending only the most critical bundles necessary for immediate tasks. This means that when you log into the Shopify admin, it’s able to start downloading critical data faster, significantly speeding up the rendering of your pages. In fact, initial admin page load time has improved by 25%.
Improved initial admin page load time by 25%.
This ensures the admin runs smoothly, even when you have multiple tabs open—no sluggish performance dragging down your device. We've also enhanced the app's performance by minimizing the workload during the initial launch. As a result, when managing your business on the go with the Shopify app, you’ll notice a drastic improvement from the time it takes you to launch the app and land on the home screen of the admin—speeding up this experience by 24%. For most merchants, the app launches in less than two seconds.
What does this mean for you? It means less waiting and more doing. Whether you’re launching a flash sale or responding to a customer inquiry, you can seamlessly transition from thought to action—allowing you to focus more on selling.
Smoother transitions between pages
Navigating between different sections of the Shopify admin should feel seamless, and that is now a reality with our new optimization using remix loaders. This technology allows Shopify to fetch data in parallel while your browser is loading the web code. As a result, every time you switch pages, you’ll experience a 12.5% improvement in navigation speed on desktop and 60% improvement within the Shopify app.
60% improvement in navigation speed within the Shopify app.
Stable pages
In addition to speeding up navigation, we've significantly reduced visual noise by removing skeleton screens during page transitions. This change makes pages appear more clear and stable and greatly reduces Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS); a metric that measures the visual stability of a webpage as it loads. A high CLS can distract, confuse, and even cause errors during page loads. By eliminating any changing pixels on the screen that aren't exactly what merchants need, we're ensuring that what you see is reliable and precisely what you expect.
Seamless navigation
We've also added a soft cross-fade effect between views, eliminating hard cuts and rough edges during navigation. This subtle transition enhances the feeling of seamlessness, helping you retain focus on your tasks without abruptness. It's another way we're fine-tuning the interface to honor your interactions and keep you in the flow.
So, these performance enhancements aren’t just about speed—it’s about reducing visual noise, layout shifts and anything unexpected that can distract you from the task at hand, so your attention can be where it needs to be: creating products, fulfilling orders, managing customers, etc.
Redefining performance
These enhancements represent a significant leap forward in Shopify’s mission to make commerce better for everyone. But we’re just getting started. These improvements are a foundation for even greater innovations to come. Teams remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, constantly refining and optimizing the admin experience.
We’re driven by the belief that when we empower merchants with pro-level tooling, we’re not just saving them time, we’re unlocking potential. As we look forward to 2025, we’re excited to continue this journey of innovation, with much more work planned to ensure that the Shopify admin remains at the cutting edge of speed and efficiency. Because when the admin moves at the speed of your ambition, there’s no limit to what you and your business can achieve.
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