Embeddable Widget vs API: Two Ways to Add Try-On to Your Store

Choose an embeddable widget if you want virtual try-on on your product pages quickly, with little or no development work. Choose an API if you want to build your own interface and control every step of the shopper's journey.

Both routes get the same result: shoppers see how an item fits before they buy. The difference is who builds the experience, you or the provider. This guide helps you pick the right one for your store.

What is the difference between a try-on widget and an API?

A widget is a ready-made piece of interface. You place it on a page, and it handles the buttons, the photo step and the display of results. Your team styles it and decides where it appears.

An API is a set of connections your developers use from your own code. You design the screens, the flow and the wording. The provider supplies the try-on and body sizing behind the scenes.

Think of it like buying a finished shopfront fitting versus buying the parts to build your own. Neither is better in general. They suit different shops.

ZeDaq.ai offers both: an API and an embeddable widget for adding AI Virtual Try-On and body sizing to product pages.

When should you choose an embeddable widget?

A widget suits most small and mid-sized fashion shops. Pick it when:

• You do not have a developer on hand, or your developer's time is tight.
• You want to test whether try-on helps your shoppers before investing heavily.
• Your product pages follow a standard template.
• You want the interface to be maintained for you.

Speed is the main benefit. You can add try-on to a product page, look at it on a phone, and adjust. If shoppers ignore it, you have lost little time.

A widget also reduces risk. Fewer custom parts means fewer things to break when your theme updates.

The trade-off is less control. You can fit it to your brand, but the flow itself stays largely as designed.

When does an API make more sense?

An API makes sense when try-on must feel like a native part of a bespoke experience. Pick it when:

• Your store is built on a custom or headless setup.
• You run a mobile app and want try-on inside it.
• You need try-on in a non-standard place, such as a lookbook, a styling quiz or a kiosk.
• You have developers who want to shape the whole flow.

The benefit is freedom. You decide exactly when a shopper sees a try-on and how sizing advice is presented.

The cost is effort. Your team designs, builds, tests and maintains the interface. That includes error states, slow connections and small screens, which matter a great deal for mobile shoppers.

How do the two options compare side by side?

Question	Embeddable widget	API
Who builds the interface?	The provider	Your developers
Developer time needed	Low	Higher
Design control	Moderate	Full
Works in a mobile app	Depends on your setup	Yes, you build it in
Best for	Shopify and standard themes	Custom, headless and app builds
Ongoing maintenance	Mostly handled for you	Mostly yours
Good for testing an idea	Very	Less so

If most of your answers land in the left column, start with the widget. If several land on the right, talk to your developer about the API.

Which one fits a Shopify store?

For most Shopify merchants, the widget is the natural starting point. ZeDaq.ai is available on the Shopify App Store, so you can add it the way you add other store apps.

If you run a heavily customised Shopify theme or a headless storefront, the API may still be worth a look. A headless build has no standard theme to place a widget in, so you might connect to the API directly.

Many shops start with the widget and move to the API later if they outgrow it. That is a sensible path, because you learn what your shoppers actually use first.

What should you check before you decide?

Use this checklist before committing to either route.

• Product photos: Are your images clear and consistent? Try-on results depend on good source images.
• Languages: Do your shoppers use more than one language? The ZeDaq.ai storefront widget speaks 10 languages.
• Currencies: Do you sell in pounds, naira, dollars or euros? ZeDaq.ai supports multi-currency, including USD, NGN, GBP and EUR.
• Mobile experience: Most fashion browsing happens on phones, so test on a real handset with a real connection.
• Developer capacity: Be honest about who will maintain a custom build in six months.
• Returns and sizing questions: Note which products cause the most "will this fit?" messages. Start try-on there.

Write down one goal before you launch. For example, "fewer sizing questions on our top ten products." A clear goal lets you judge the result fairly, without leaning on guesses.

What if you are a tailor or made-to-measure business?

Your needs may differ from a ready-to-wear shop. You may care less about a storefront button and more about capturing accurate client measurements and keeping orders organised.

Every ZeDaq.ai subscription also includes tools for tailors and made-to-measure businesses:

• A client CRM with contact details, delivery address and fit preferences.
• Orders with deposits, plus a delivery calendar with automatic reminders.
• Invoicing with your logo and bank details, sent by email or WhatsApp.
• Measurement capture by auto-capture, voice-guided posing or manual entry. Clients do not need to install an app.

If you have years of client records in paper books, you can photograph a page. ZeDaq.ai reads the client's details and measurements into a digital profile. That saves retyping and protects records that could otherwise be lost or damaged.

So a tailor with an online shop can combine both worlds: try-on and sizing on the storefront, and a tidy client system behind it. You can read more on the tailors page.

How can you test before you commit?

Start small. Add try-on to a handful of products rather than your whole catalogue. Watch how shoppers use it for a couple of weeks, then widen it.

ZeDaq.ai has a free plan and a 3-day free trial with no card required. Paid plans differ by monthly try-ons, measurements and invoices. For current details, see the pricing page.

A short trial is enough to answer the practical questions. Does it look right in your theme? Is it clear on a phone? Can your team manage it without stress?

FAQs

Do I need a developer to add a try-on widget?

Not necessarily. A widget is designed so a store owner can add it without building the interface. If your theme is heavily customised, a developer may help with placement and styling.

Can I start with the widget and switch to the API later?

Yes, this is a common path. Starting with the widget lets you learn how shoppers respond. If you later need a custom flow or an app, you can move to the API.

Is an API better for large stores?

Not automatically. Size matters less than how custom your setup is. A large store on a standard theme may be perfectly served by a widget, while a small headless store may need the API.

Does try-on work if my customers speak different languages or pay in different currencies?

The ZeDaq.ai storefront widget speaks 10 languages, and the platform supports multiple currencies such as USD, NGN, GBP and EUR. That helps if you sell across the UK, Nigeria and beyond.

How do I try ZeDaq.ai?

You can sign up here. There is a free plan, and the 3-day free trial needs no card, so you can test before deciding.