How to Tell If a Website Is Shopify
Five free, reliable ways to check whether any store runs on Shopify, no account, no software required.
The fastest way to tell if a site is Shopify: view its page source and search for cdn.shopify.com, if it's there, the site runs on Shopify. For an instant answer without code, paste the URL into a free Shopify detector.
Knowing whether a website is built on Shopify is the first step in competitor research, lead qualification, and tech-stack analysis. Every Shopify storefront leaves behind a handful of technical fingerprints that are easy to spot once you know where to look. Below are five methods, ordered from the quickest manual check to the fully automated one.
1. Check the page source for cdn.shopify.com
View the page source and search for "cdn.shopify.com". If it appears, the site almost certainly runs on Shopify.
Right-click the page and choose View Page Source (or press Ctrl+U / Cmd+Option+U), then search the markup with Ctrl+F for cdn.shopify.com. Shopify serves theme assets, scripts, and images from this CDN, so a match is a strong signal. Other reliable strings to search for include Shopify.theme, ShopifyAnalytics, and shopify-features.
2. Open /products.json or /cart.json
Add /products.json to the root domain. Shopify returns a JSON product list; most other platforms return a 404.
In the address bar, append /products.json to the store's root domain (for example example.com/products.json). Shopify exposes a public JSON feed of products, so you'll see structured product data. Non-Shopify sites typically return a 404 error or an HTML page. The endpoint /cart.json also returns a JSON cart object on Shopify storefronts, though it may be empty on a fresh session, so lead with /products.json as the stronger tell.
3. Inspect the HTTP response headers
Shopify sets server headers like x-shopid and x-sorting-hat-shopid that are hard to fake, a top-tier signal.
Open your browser's developer tools (F12), switch to the Network tab, reload the page, and click the first document request. Under Response Headers, Shopify storefronts commonly expose x-shopid and x-sorting-hat-shopid, and often a powered-by: Shopify header. Because these are set server-side, they are one of the most dependable ways to confirm Shopify.
4. Follow the checkout and look for Shopify URLs
Shopify checkouts route through a store's .myshopify.com or shopify.com address, even on a custom domain.
Add a product to the cart and start checkout. Shopify routes the checkout flow through a .myshopify.com or shopify.com address, even when the storefront uses a custom domain. You may also spot /cdn/shop/ asset paths or a beacon to monorail-edge.shopifysvc.com in the network requests, both are Shopify-specific.
5. Use a free Shopify detector (the no-code way)
Skip the manual checks: paste any URL into a free, multi-signal Shopify detector for an instant answer.
If you'd rather not read source code, a detector does all of the above at once. Browser extensions and web checkers exist for this, but they vary in accuracy because most rely on a single signal. Our free Shopify Store Detector combines multiple signals, CDN assets, JSON endpoints, and response headers, for a high-confidence yes/no on any URL, with no sign-up required.
Why it matters: and what to check next
Confirming a store is on Shopify is usually step one. Once you know the platform, you can dig into the store's performance and stack: estimate its reach with the Shopify Traffic Checker, see which theme it runs with the Shopify Theme Detector, or list its installed apps with the Shopify App Detector. To browse the biggest Shopify stores by reach, see the top Shopify stores by traffic.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to tell if a website is Shopify?
Open the page source (Ctrl+U / Cmd+Option+U) and search for "cdn.shopify.com". Almost every Shopify store loads its theme assets, scripts, and images from that CDN, so a single match is a strong signal. For an instant yes/no without touching code, paste the URL into a free Shopify store detector.
Can you tell if a site is Shopify without any tools?
Yes. Append /products.json to the root domain, Shopify stores return a JSON list of products, while most other platforms return a 404 or an HTML page. You can also view the page source and look for cdn.shopify.com, ShopifyAnalytics, or Shopify.theme. No software or sign-up is required.
Does a custom domain hide that a store is on Shopify?
No. A custom domain (like brand.com instead of brand.myshopify.com) changes the address bar, but the underlying store still loads cdn.shopify.com assets, exposes /cart.json, and routes checkout through Shopify. The platform signals remain visible in the page source and network requests regardless of the domain.
Why do the response headers matter for detection?
Shopify sets distinctive HTTP response headers such as x-shopid and x-sorting-hat-shopid on its document responses, and often a powered-by: Shopify header. Because these are server-set and hard to fake, they are one of the most reliable detection signals. Open your browser DevTools, go to the Network tab, reload, and inspect the headers on the main document request.
Can detection give a false positive?
It is rare but possible. A non-Shopify site could embed a single Shopify asset, or a Shopify store could be heavily proxied. That is why multi-signal detection is more reliable than any single check, combining cdn.shopify.com, /products.json, response headers, and checkout behaviour leaves little room for a wrong answer.
How do I tell Shopify apart from WooCommerce or BigCommerce?
WooCommerce sites run on WordPress and expose /wp-content/ paths and a wp-json API; BigCommerce assets load from cdn.bigcommerce.com or cdn11.bigcommerce.com. Shopify is identified by cdn.shopify.com, /products.json, and the x-shopid header. Checking those platform-specific markers tells the three apart quickly.