Why I Built an AI-Powered Form Builder for Shopify — Without Iframes or Templates

A few months ago, I was helping a Shopify merchant customize a simple contact form. What should’ve taken five minutes turned into an hour-long detour through cluttered interfaces, rigid templates, and styling issues that just wouldn’t go away.

That was when I realized: forms on Shopify are still way harder than they need to be.

The Problem with Most Form Builders

Most form builders treat Shopify like any other CMS. They embed their forms via iframe, manage data on external dashboards, and often require merchants to copy and paste HTML or JavaScript into theme files.

That leads to several issues:

• Forms don’t match the store’s look and feel
• Data is managed outside Shopify
• Performance takes a hit
• It’s hard to customize form behavior without coding

As a developer, I knew we could do better.

What I Wanted Instead

I wanted a form builder that felt like it belonged to Shopify:

• Native to the admin interface
• Integrated into the theme using Theme App Extensions (no iframes)
• Easy for merchants to use, without needing templates or drag-and-drop editors
• Flexible enough to let power users connect form data to tools like Google Sheets or Mailchimp

And then came the core idea: why not use AI to help generate forms?

From Prompt to Form — Instantly

With the AI layer, merchants can describe what they want in plain language:

"Create a customer feedback form with email, rating, and comments"

The app generates the form, configures the structure, and inserts it into the Shopify theme — all without leaving the Shopify admin or copying code.

Technical Approach

Stack highlights:

• React-based builder UI (with Preact hydration for embedded output)
• Node.js backend with Express
• MongoDB for form storage
• AWS S3 + Render + Vercel for deployment
• Shopify Theme App Extension for rendering inside themes
• AI prompt handling with validation
• No iframe usage — everything runs within Shopify context

Why It Matters

I’ve worked on SaaS products before, but this one taught me a few things:

• Seamless UX inside the platform always wins
• Shopify merchants prefer speed and clarity over flexibility and complexity
• Avoiding iframes isn’t just a technical choice — it builds trust
• AI works best when paired with strong defaults and clear UX

It’s Live Now

If you're curious to check it out:

• Shopify App Store: https://apps.shopify.com/primy-form-builder
• Website: https://primy.io

I’m still working on improvements — more integrations, better logic handling, and spam protection without using CAPTCHA.

If you're a developer building for Shopify or just interested in tools that stay out of the user’s way, I’d love your thoughts.

— Mike