Yes, you can load a full React app using a Shopify Theme App Extension, there’s no restriction on what JavaScript you can include. The 10KB limit is just a recommendation, not an enforced rule.
That said, performance is the real challenge, not Shopify’s limitations. Since your app includes AI, face scanning, and real-time interactions, you’ll need to be smart about how you load your scripts to avoid slowing down the store.
Instead of one large JavaScript file, break your app into smaller chunks, for example
- A core script that initializes your app
- A separate script for the AI chatbot
- A script for face scanning
- A script for Shopify product selection
And then load scripts smartly:
- Only load the face-scanning module when a user initiates that process.
- Load the AI chatbot script only when the user interacts with it