Reference
Mobile AR try-on glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms used across this site for adding mobile AR shoe try-on to ecommerce stores — from WebAR and App Clip to occlusion and the REST API.
Terms
Augmented reality (AR)
Technology that overlays computer-generated content onto a live view of the real world. In shoe try-on, it renders a virtual shoe onto the shopper's foot seen through the phone camera.
Mobile AR shoe try-on
An experience that lets a shopper see a pair of shoes on their own feet through their phone camera. It launches from a product-page button, a link, or a QR code and runs in the mobile browser with no app install.
WebAR
Augmented reality delivered through the mobile web browser rather than a downloaded native app. It is the basis for the no-install try-on, running as an App Clip from the web on iOS and via WebXR on Android.
iOS App Clip
A lightweight, on-demand slice of an app that runs without a full App Store install. On iPhone and iPad the try-on launches as an App Clip from the web, giving a native-quality AR experience triggered straight from a link or QR code.
WebXR
The browser standard for augmented and virtual reality. On Android the try-on runs through WebXR inside the mobile browser session, using the phone's camera and motion sensors for tracking, with no app install.
Occlusion
Correctly deciding which parts of the virtual shoe should be hidden by the real world. Strong occlusion handling hides the shoe behind the foot, ankle, and leg and renders it over a shopper's existing footwear, so it looks placed on the foot rather than as a flat overlay.
QR code launch
Starting the try-on by scanning a QR code shown on a desktop product page. The scan hands the session off to the phone that has the camera, so the shopper does not need to type a URL or find an app.
No-install (no-app) experience
A try-on that opens in one tap or one QR scan without the shopper downloading any app. Running in the browser — App Clip on iOS, WebXR on Android — keeps friction low during a purchase.
Theme app block
A Shopify building block that a merchant adds to the product template in the theme editor to place the Try-on button, without editing theme code.
Block / shortcode embed
On WooCommerce and WordPress, the plugin registers a block and a shortcode that a merchant places on the single-product template to add the Try-on button to shoe product pages.
REST API
An interface that drives the try-on from any front-end, including custom and headless React or Vue storefronts. It offers the most control over placement and flow but requires developer integration.
3D / image fallback
What the experience shows on a device that cannot run AR. Instead of failing, it falls back to a 3D or image-based view of the shoe, so every shopper still gets a richer look than a flat photo.
Related
Last updated June 2026 · arviewer editorial