Where is Liquid rendered in a Shopify theme?

Liquid is rendered on the server side in a Shopify theme. This is significant because it allows dynamic content to be processed and served to the client as fully rendered HTML. When a request is made to a Shopify store, the server interprets the Liquid code embedded within the theme files, processes it, and produces the final HTML output that is sent to the user's browser.

This server-side rendering helps optimize performance and security, as it reduces the amount of processing that needs to be done on the client side and keeps sensitive operations within the server environment. Consequently, the client receives static HTML rather than having to process the Liquid code directly. This distinction between server-side and client-side rendering is crucial for understanding how data and templates interact in Shopify's architecture, making it easier for developers to manage content dynamically without exposing sensitive data or processing to the client.

The other options would not fully capture how Liquid operates within the Shopify ecosystem. Client-side rendering, for instance, would require JavaScript to handle dynamic content, which is not the case for Liquid. Additionally, rendering Liquid only in the theme editor does not reflect its functionality in the live store environment where the server processes the Liquid to deliver content.