Frequently asked questions
Straight answers, including to the awkward questions.
The basics
What exactly does Atchoo do?
Atchoo A/B tests Shopify product page templates. You build variant templates in your own theme editor, Atchoo splits visitors between them 50/50, tracks product views and add-to-cart events in real time, and tells you which template wins with Bayesian analysis.
Do I need a developer?
No. Variant templates are created in the Shopify theme editor by duplicating your product template and editing sections, the same drag-and-drop editing you already do. Atchoo handles the traffic splitting and measurement automatically.
Does it duplicate my theme?
No, and this matters. Theme-split testing apps copy your whole theme, so every edit you make afterwards risks the two copies drifting apart. Atchoo tests templates inside your one live theme using Shopify’s native template system.
What can’t Atchoo test?
Prices, shipping rates, and checkout. If price testing is your priority, a specialist like Intelligems is the right tool, we say so in our comparison. Atchoo is focused on product page layout and content.
Performance & SEO
Will it slow my store down or cause white screens?
The tracking script is a few KB, loads asynchronously, and anti-flicker hiding applies only to product pages with an active test, never storewide. The page is revealed the instant the variant decision is made, with a hard failsafe so even a blocked script can never leave a page hidden.
Does A/B testing hurt SEO?
Not when done properly. Google explicitly allows A/B testing. Shopify’s template views keep your canonical URL pointing at the main product page, so search engines index one page. We wrote a full article on A/B testing and SEO.
Do you use third-party cookies?
No. Atchoo sets one first-party cookie (a random visitor ID, kept for a year) so each visitor consistently sees the same variant. All tracking goes through Shopify’s app proxy on your own domain.
Running tests
How long does a test take?
It depends on your traffic and how big an effect you’re hunting. As a rule of thumb: run at least two full weeks, and use our free sample size calculator to get a realistic estimate before you start.
How does Atchoo decide the winner?
Bayesian analysis: instead of a p-value, you get the probability that the variant genuinely beats the control, which is much easier to act on. We still recommend letting tests run their planned course.
Can I preview the variant before going live?
Yes, test mode lets you view either variant on your live store without affecting results, so you can QA on desktop and mobile first.
What happens when I uninstall?
Tracking stops immediately, and we honour Shopify’s data deletion webhooks, your shop’s data is removed in line with our privacy policy.
Something else? Email blessyou@atchoo.com, a human replies.