Q1: Is it legal to analyze competitors' website code and plugins?

Yes, it's completely legal. All the information we're accessing is publicly available HTML code that websites send to browsers. This is the same information that search engines, accessibility tools, and browser extensions routinely access. We're not hacking or bypassing any security measures - we're simply analyzing publicly visible code. However, always respect terms of service and use this information ethically for competitive research, not for copying or malicious purposes.

Q2: How accurate are these methods for detecting Shopify apps?

A: The accuracy varies by method and website setup. Browser extensions like Store Leads are typically 70-85% accurate for well-known apps but may miss newer or custom-built plugins. The AI analysis method can be more thorough but requires some technical knowledge to interpret results correctly. Some apps may be hidden or heavily customized, making detection difficult. It's best to use multiple methods and treat the results as directional intelligence rather than a complete inventory.

Q3: Can I use these methods on platforms other than Shopify?

A: Yes, these methods work on most e-commerce platforms including WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, Wix, and Squarespace. However, the effectiveness varies by platform. Shopify tends to leave more identifiable traces in the code, making detection easier. WordPress/WooCommerce sites often have clear plugin signatures, while platforms like Wix or Squarespace might be more challenging to analyze due to their closed ecosystems.

Q4: What should I do with this competitive intelligence once I gather it?

A: Use this information strategically: 1) Identify gaps in your own tech stack, 2) Research apps that might solve problems you're facing, 3) Understand how competitors enhance their customer experience, 4) Discover new tools for marketing automation or conversion optimization, and 5) Benchmark your setup against successful competitors. Always evaluate whether an app fits your specific business needs rather than blindly copying competitors.

Q5: I've seen revenue estimates for competitors on many plugin and third-party tools. Are these numbers reliable?

A: 100% unreliable. A simple way to "fact-check" this is to use these third-party tools to look up your own website and see if those numbers are accurate. You'll discover it's all nonsense. These revenue estimates are based on extremely rough algorithms that consider factors like traffic, assumed conversion rates, and estimated average order values - all of which can be wildly inaccurate. Real revenue data is confidential business information that only the store owner has access to. Use these tools for app detection and basic insights, but completely ignore any financial projections they provide.

How To

Strategy

September 9, 2025

How to Spy on Your Competitors' Shopify Apps & Plugins for FREE (3 Proven Methods + AI Prompts)-2025

Shawn Shen

Founder of Selofy

min read

This comprehensive guide reveals three proven methods to discover what Shopify apps and plugins your competitors are using, completely free of charge. The first method leverages browser extensions like Store Leads for instant analysis, while the second method employs AI to analyze raw HTML code - perfect for newer or niche websites that might not be indexed by third-party tools. The third method introduces Selofy, a specialized platform for competitor research. The post also includes a detailed AI prompt for technical analysis, making competitor research accessible to both beginners and advanced users. These techniques are invaluable for e-commerce entrepreneurs looking to gain competitive intelligence and discover new tools to enhance their own online stores.

Watch Video Tutorial

How to Spy on Your Competitors' Shopify Apps & Plugins for FREE (3 Proven Methods + AI Prompts)

Three methods that anyone can use, quick and free.

Disclaimer: No matter which method you use, none are 100% accurate or comprehensive, so please use for reference only.

Method 1: Use Browser Extensions or Third-Party Tools

My go-to tool is Store Leads, a third-party Chrome browser extension that I've found to be the most effective and user-friendly for beginners.

How to Use:

After installation, the extension automatically detects when you're browsing any e-commerce website
It displays various information about the site, including Apps & Stacks
You can directly click to jump to the App Store

Hidden Feature:

When you're browsing plugins in the Shopify App Store, you can see the e-commerce websites of plugin reviewers - this is a clever way to do reverse lookups.

Tool Link: https://storeleads.app/

Method 2: Use AI Assistance for DIY Analysis

However, some friends may find that certain e-commerce websites - especially new or niche ones - might not be indexed by the third-party tools mentioned above. In such cases, we need to go DIY.

Understanding the Logic:

What's the logic behind finding plugins on an e-commerce website? It's actually simple - all plugin traces are "hidden" in the raw HTML code, which is completely public. Anyone can access it, including you.

Most people get intimidated when they hear "code," but friends, we now have AI! You don't need to actually understand any code. You just need to dump the code into AI and tell it your needs and questions.

Operation Steps:

After opening any independent website, press Ctrl+U, or right-click on a blank area and select 'View Page Source' to see the webpage source code
Copy the raw HTML of an e-commerce site ( split if it exceeds the AI's text character limit)
Paste it into your preferred AI tool
Ask the question: "From this HTML code, can you analyze and identify what third-party apps it uses?"

Advanced Techniques:

Optimize your prompts to find exactly what you're looking for
Learn a bit about frontend HTML code to know what plugin traces look like and where they're typically located
For those with strong technical skills, you can even create your own cleaning scripts or cleaning + AI model recognition applications

Startup Idea: A web application startup idea just emerged!

Method 3: Browsing for Inspiration? Try Selofy

The two methods above (especially the second one) are actually one of the technical strategies I used to build Selofy. The workflow in N8N is exactly what I described - taking raw HTML, adding a code node to clean it up and compress some CSS and content-type HTML, then passing it to an AI agent for analysis.

So I recommend everyone occasionally check out my Selofy - a platform that helps you find competitors and discover plugins.

Platform Link: https://www.selofy.com

Appendix: AI Analysis Prompt

You are an E-commerce Tech Stack Analyzer with web search function capabilities. **CRITICAL: You are a BUSINESS TOOL analyzer.** **Phase 1: HTML Analysis from the HTML Content I give you** I may give you multiple segments of raw HTML in separate batches. I need you to summarize all the previous content together each time, until I tell you to stop or until I give you raw HTML for a new website. 1. Identify website SaaS platform (Shopify, WordPress, Wix,etc.) 2. Extract tool clues from HTML: - Script/link URLs - CSS classes - File paths IMPORTANT! You must have evidence! DO NOT GUESS and IMAGINE! **Phase 2: STRICT FILTERING** Before finalizing output, apply MANDATORY exclusion rules: **🚫 ABSOLUTELY EXCLUDE - These are NOT business tools:** - Any pixel/tracking: Facebook Pixel, Google Analytics, Bing, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest pixels - All CDN services: Cloudflare, Amazon CloudFront, KeyCDN, MaxCDN - Web frameworks: jQuery, Bootstrap, Next.js, React, Vue.js, Angular - Standard infrastructure: Google Tag Manager, Google reCAPTCHA, GDPR banners, hCaptcha - Ad platforms: Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Amazon Advertising - Basic tracking: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Hotjar (when used only for tracking) - Theme providers: Shopify themes, WordPress themes - Payment processors that are just infrastructure: Stripe (unless specifically for checkout optimization) - Accessibility Widgets - Privacy widgets **✅ ONLY INCLUDE business tools that:** - Solve specific e-commerce business problems (not technical infrastructure) - Provide customer-facing features or backend business functionality - Are paid SaaS tools that merchants actively choose and configure - Impact sales, customer experience, or operations directly **VALIDATION CHECK:** For each tool found, ask: "Does this solve a business problem or is it just technical infrastructure?" If infrastructure → EXCLUDE If business solution → INCLUDE

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