Shopware is always with an ear to the customer. Thus, many functions have come from the community and already existing ones have been improved according to customer feedback (or merchant feedback). Shopware sets new standards and uses the latest technologies to make the store easier to use and better performing.

Especially the performance increase is clearly noticeable in the latest Shopware version. Shopware 6.5 in particular has 5 times faster order performance, 4.5 times faster median response time, and 3 times faster request processing. In addition, the administration has become a whole 200 percent more performant. Other useful updates and new features include:

• Rule Builder
  The Rule Builder allows you to define individual rules, for example for the calculation of shipping costs or even promotions. A whole range of conditions are available for this purpose, and the Rule Builder can be used to save valuable time.
• Returns Management
  Returns management is now available for all commercial plans and allows for easy management of returns within the administration. All relevant information, such as the returns status or the shipping costs, can now be viewed in an additional tab for all orders for which a return has been created.
• Worlds of Experience
  In Shopware 5, Shopware had already introduced the Shopping Worlds feature, which allowed products to be showcased particularly well and made shopping much more attractive for customers overall. With Erlebniswelten, Shopware has once again significantly improved the possibilities of using emotional storytelling, and it is now also possible to create shopping experiences across channels.

API-First

Shopware has taken a consistent API-first approach to the development of Shopware 6, resulting in a whole range of additional benefits for online retailers. API stands for “Application Programming Interface” and represents an interface for programming applications. Compared to older versions, all functions of the new administration can also be controlled via the API.

In addition, this innovation enables a much easier connection of third-party systems (merchandise management systems, additional sales channels, product information management, etc.) to Shopware. Changes or restructuring within Shopware 6 can thus be carried out without a great deal of time. In total, Shopware has added three APIs to version 6:

• Admin API
  The Admin API is used to manage the store. All administration settings and functions can be used via this API, which makes it possible, for example, to create individual interfaces for administrative activities.
• Sync API
  The Sync API is used to import and export large amounts of data. Although there is no official documentation on this topic yet, currently up to 300 products per second can already be imported. Processes that take a lot of time, such as the creation of thumbnails, are executed in the background.
• Sales Channel API
  Common storefront functions are made available in the Sales Channel API and make it possible to implement completely new sales concepts, as the interface can communicate with third-party providers such as Facebook or Instagram, for example.