Shopify coding interview
questions, leaked.
8 problems reported across recent Shopify interviews. Top patterns: hash table, design, array. The list below is what most reported candidates actually saw, plus the honest play if you can't grind all of it.
Shopify's coding interviews lean hard on design problems and hash tables. With 5 medium and 2 hard problems in the mix, you're looking at implementing caches, file systems, and text editors under time pressure. The company favors candidates who can hold multiple data structures in their head at once and talk through tradeoffs without breaking a sweat. Hash tables and design patterns show up in nearly every report. If you blank on LRU Cache or a hash-table variant mid-assessment, StealthCoder surfaces a working solution in seconds, invisible to the proctor, so you keep momentum and move on.
Top problems at Shopify
| # | Problem | Diff | Frequency | Pass % | Patterns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Walking Robot Simulation | MEDIUM | 100.0 | 58% | Array · Hash Table · Simulation |
| 02 | LRU Cache | MEDIUM | 88.5 | 45% | Hash Table · Linked List · Design |
| 03 | Encode and Decode TinyURL | MEDIUM | 60.9 | 86% | Hash Table · String · Design |
| 04 | Design In-Memory File System | HARD | 60.9 | 48% | Hash Table · String · Design |
| 05 | Design a Text Editor | HARD | 53.3 | 47% | Linked List · String · Stack |
| 06 | Find Users With Valid E-Mails | EASY | 53.3 | 44% | Database |
| 07 | Design Tic-Tac-Toe | MEDIUM | 53.3 | 59% | Array · Hash Table · Design |
| 08 | Walls and Gates | MEDIUM | 53.3 | 63% | Array · Breadth-First Search · Matrix |
Frequencies derived from public community-tagged interview reports. Click a row to view on LeetCode.
You have a week, maybe less. You can't out-grind the list above. StealthCoder runs invisibly during the actual Shopify OA. The proctor cannot see it. Screen share cannot detect it. Built because the OA filter rejects engineers who'd pass the on-site. That's a broken filter. This is the workaround.
Get StealthCoder- hash table5 · 63%
- design5 · 63%
- array3 · 38%
- simulation3 · 38%
- string3 · 38%
- linked list2 · 25%
- doubly linked list2 · 25%
- matrix2 · 25%
- hash function1 · 13%
- trie1 · 13%
Hash-table problems dominate the Shopify surface, appearing in 5 of 8 reported questions. But they're rarely solo hash-table asks. Instead, you'll see them paired with linked lists, strings, or design constraints, like in LRU Cache and the TinyURL encoding problem. Design questions are equally heavy: 5 problems require you to architect something from scratch. The one easy problem suggests Shopify doesn't use warmup questions. Simulation and array problems round out the middle. Your prep priority is clear: build comfort with hash-table patterns fast, then spend most of your time on medium-to-hard design questions where you'll actually choke if you haven't seen the pattern before. That's where StealthCoder becomes your real safety net during the live assessment.
Companies with similar patterns
If you prepped for Shopify, these companies recycle ~60% of the same topics.
You've seen the list.
Now make sure you pass Shopify.
Memorizing every problem above in a week is a fantasy. StealthCoder is the hedge: an AI overlay that's invisible during screen share. It reads the problem on screen and surfaces a working solution in under 2 seconds. Built because the OA filter rejects engineers who'd pass the on-site. That's a broken filter. This is the workaround. Works on HackerRank, CodeSignal, CoderPad, and Karat.
Shopify interview FAQ
Should I study hash tables before design questions for Shopify?+
Yes. Hash tables appear in 5 of 8 problems and often underpin the design questions. Master hash-table basics and collision strategies first. LRU Cache and TinyURL encoding are your anchors. Once hash tables feel natural, move into design patterns and how to implement them efficiently.
How many design problems do I need to solve to be ready?+
Shopify reports show 5 design-focused problems. Solve all of them. Then tackle similar medium-to-hard system-design problems outside Shopify's list. You need repetition to spot the pattern quickly under time pressure. Most candidates underestimate how long design problems take.
Is the one easy problem a sign I'll get a warmup question?+
Unlikely. Only one easy problem appears in the reported set. Assume you'll hit medium difficulty from problem one. Don't bank on a gimme question to build confidence. Come in sharp.
What should I practice first: arrays, strings, or linked lists?+
Hash tables first, then arrays and strings together, since they're often combined in simulation and design questions. Linked lists come into play mostly in LRU Cache and text editor problems. Prioritize by frequency and dependency.
Will I see database or matrix problems on the live assessment?+
Matrix and database problems appear in the reported set, but infrequently. Don't ignore them, but don't prioritize them ahead of hash-table design patterns. If you hit one during the OA and you're stuck, that's exactly where a real-time solution tool becomes essential.