Augmented Reality for Shopify: How to Add AR to Your Online Store

Shopify already supports 3D models in product media, so a merchant can technically add AR without any app. In practice, that’s rarely where it stops. Most stores don’t have 3D models, and some products (rugs, flooring, wall art, clothing) are better shown with other tools. This guide covers what Shopify can do on its own, what a Shopify augmented reality app adds, and how to launch AR on product pages step by step.

What AR looks like on a Shopify product page

The shopper opens a product on their phone and taps “View in your space.” The camera places a true-to-scale 3D model of the product in their room. The shopper can walk around it, check the distance to the wall and see it from any angle. On desktop, the same model works as a 3D viewer they can rotate and zoom.

What the research shows 

Independent data on AR in ecommerce is still limited, but a few studies stand out:

• A peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Marketing (Tan, Chandukala and Reddy, 2022) analyzed real sales data from an international cosmetics retailer’s mobile app. AR use was linked to higher sales, though the average effect was small. The lift was much stronger for more expensive products, less popular brands and niche items, and for customers new to the category or to buying online.
• Researchers from Maastricht University (Journal of Interactive Marketing, 2022) ran a series of field and lab studies. They found that AR helps shoppers picture a product in their own space, and that this raises both purchase intent and actual purchases.
• A survey of more than 4,000 AR shoppers in the US, UK, France and Saudi Arabia, commissioned by Snap and Publicis Media, found that 80% felt more confident in their purchase after using AR. 66% said they were less likely to return the product.

These results have limits. The cosmetics study tracks shoppers who chose to use AR, and they may have been closer to buying anyway. The survey was paid for by a company that sells AR advertising, and it measures what shoppers say rather than what they did. Still, all three studies point the same way: AR helps most when shoppers are unsure about size, look or fit. To see the effect in your own store, run a test (see step 5).

Native Shopify 3D vs. an AR app

If you already have accurate 3D models and sell a few furniture items, native Shopify support may be enough. If there are no models, the catalog is large, or you sell rugs, wall art or clothing, an app saves you from building all this yourself.

Which products benefit from AR, and which tool fits

For consumables and products shoppers already know well, AR adds almost nothing. Better photos and a size chart will do more.

How to add AR to a Shopify store with Vizbl

Step 1. Choose 5–10 products. Start with bestsellers or products with the most returns for “didn’t fit” or “looked different.” Don’t convert the whole catalog at once. You won’t be able to tell where AR helps.

Step 2. Install the app. Vizbl AR is installed from the Shopify App Store.

Step 3. Get 3D models and link them to products. There are three options:

• your own models from the manufacturer or designer (GLB);
• models made by the Vizbl team;
• Photo to 3D, a model generated from existing product photos.

Linking a model to a product takes a few clicks, and it appears on the product page right away. For rugs, flooring and wall art you don’t need a 3D model at all. A product photo is enough.

Step 4. Set up the button. Match the button’s style to your store’s design. Place it next to the main product photo, not under the description. It should be visible without scrolling but not compete with the Add to Cart button. Short text works best: “View in your room,” “Try it on.”

Step 5. Check it and measure the result.

• Test on an iPhone and an Android phone over mobile data. Make sure the dimensions in AR match the specs.
• In Shopify Analytics or GA4, compare conversion and add-to-cart rates for products with AR before and after launch.
• Track returns with the reasons “didn’t fit / looked different” for 2–3 months before and after.
• If you have enough traffic, show the AR button to only half of your visitors. An A/B test gives the most reliable answer.

What it costs

The Vizbl app is listed as free in the Shopify App Store. You pay for use with tokens, with no subscription:

• viewing the 3D model on the page: free;
• one AR model load: 4 tokens;
• one uploaded room photo (rugs, flooring, wall art): 4 tokens;
• one AI try-on image: 45 tokens;
• new accounts get 1,000 tokens for free, enough for about 250 AR loads.

Tokens don’t expire. If the balance runs out, the AR button stops showing, but the models and settings are kept.

Common mistakes

• Inaccurate models. Wrong dimensions or colors lead to returns, the opposite of what AR is for.
• A hidden button. If AR sits at the bottom of the page or in a tab, almost nobody will open it.
• AR instead of content. Photos, description, specs and reviews are still needed for SEO and for shoppers who won’t use AR.
• Counting clicks instead of sales. The number of AR opens means nothing without conversion and return data.

Summary

For a Shopify store selling furniture, decor, rugs, wall art or accessories, AR is one of the few product page improvements with public case data behind it. Start with a handful of products and the free token balance. Compare conversion and returns after two or three months, then decide whether to expand to the rest of the catalog.