Theme App Extensions vs Sections: File Size & Settings Limitations

Extensions
1

I’d like to discuss current limitations with Theme App Extensions that are significantly impacting app development capabilities.

Current Limitations:

  1. Theme App Extensions are limited to 25 settings per block
  2. Total Liquid file size is capped at 100KB across all blocks
  3. A single traditional section can be 256KB - more than double the total allowed for Theme App Extensions

The Impact:

  • We cannot create blocks with the same level of functionality as traditional sections
  • Complex features need to be severely trimmed down or split awkwardly across blocks
  • The 100KB limit across all blocks (vs 256KB for a single section) forces us to make significant compromises

Previous Solution:
Built for Shopify Apps could request increased limits up to 500KB through a form, but this option is no longer available.

Alternative Approaches:
The Asset API has been suggested as an alternative, but it comes with a major drawback: injected code persists in the theme even after app uninstallation.

To effectively replace section API use cases with Theme App Extensions, we need comparable capabilities. Has anyone else run into walls with these limitations? How are you handling complex feature requirements within these constraints?

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2

Totally agree - these limitations are extremely frustrating to work with. The file size has good intention, but it is severely limiting the scope of my apps.

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