Notes from the workbench
Field notes
Original research on the Shopify A/B testing category, notes on what the platform actually permits, and guides you can act on today. Written for people who run tests, not for search engines. Every statistic carries its denominator; every claim carries its source.
- ResearchAugust 1, 2026 · 8 min read
Why A/B testing apps break Shopify themes
We read every review at three stars or below in the Shopify CRO category. Merchants complain about broken stores and code left behind, not flicker.
Cem Bilen, Founder
- ResearchAugust 1, 2026 · 7 min read
What a compounding CRO loop actually means
Every CRO tool claims to learn. What a compounding loop must do to deserve the word, the honest test for one, and where ours currently stands.
Cem Bilen, Founder
- ResearchAugust 1, 2026 · 12 min read
The Shopify A/B testing app landscape in 2026: 137 apps, 385 reviews, and what merchants actually complain about
We deep-scraped 137 Shopify CRO and A/B testing apps and read 385 reviews. The category is crowded but not competitive, and barely two years old.
Cem Bilen, Founder
- PlatformAugust 1, 2026 · 7 min read
Why no Shopify A/B testing app can edit your theme — and what that means for your tests
write_themes is a protected scope, and Shopify's exemptions do not cover CRO variant editing. What the rule is, and how review enforces it.
Cem Bilen, Founder
- PlatformAugust 1, 2026 · 6 min read
Shopify Rollouts vs A/B testing apps: what native testing gives you, and what it leaves on the table
Shopify now ships free server-side A/B testing in the admin. What Rollouts does that no app can, why there is no API, and the three jobs it skips.
Cem Bilen, Founder
- GuideAugust 1, 2026 · 6 min read
What should be left on your store after you uninstall an A/B testing app
Nothing should remain. Why some apps can promise that and others cannot, plus a checklist to find what a testing app actually left behind.
Cem Bilen, Founder
- PlatformAugust 1, 2026 · 8 min read
What actually causes A/B test flicker on Shopify — and what a theme app extension can and cannot fix
Flicker is a round trip, not a rendering bug. Removing the round trip removes most of it — and Shopify's build rules make the rest harder to close.
Cem Bilen, Founder
- GuideJuly 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Ship the winner, keep the lesson
Most teams ship a winning A/B test and discard what it taught them. How versioned baselines and a lever taxonomy build a compounding system.
Cem Bilen, Founder
- GuideJuly 15, 2026 · 8 min read
The CRO audit checklist we run on every store
The checks behind a Looplift audit: above-the-fold clarity, trust signals, friction to purchase, mobile ergonomics and speed — and what good is.
Cem Bilen, Founder
- GuideJuly 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Why most A/B tests lie to you
Peeking at a running A/B test is the most common way teams ship losers. What it does to your error rate, and when to actually stop a test.
Cem Bilen, Founder