Extension Architecture
This section defines the architectural principles that govern how Shopware can be extended. It describes extension contracts, subsystem boundaries, and public API guarantees that apply to all extension types:
- Plugins
- Apps
- Project-level bundles
- Themes (where relevant)
Understanding these rules is essential to ensure stability, performance, and forward compatibility.
Architectural Foundations
Shopware’s extension model is built on:
- Clear domain separation (Core, Storefront, Administration)
- Deterministic subsystem behavior
- Strict public API boundaries
- Controlled extension patterns (decoration, events, factories, adapters)
Extensions must respect these principles to avoid:
- Non-deterministic behavior
- Broken background jobs or CLI commands
- Performance regressions
- Upgrade incompatibilities
Public API and stability
When extending Shopware, it is critical to understand what is part of the stable Public API and what is not:
These guides define what extension developers can rely on and what may change without notice.
Extendability concepts
For a broader architectural overview of how Shopware is designed to be extended, see Extendability. This section focuses on the architectural philosophy behind Shopware’s extension model.
These guides define what extension developers can rely on and what may change without backward compatibility guarantees.
