Shopify theme upgrade

How a theme update works

For themes from the Shopify Theme Store, Shopify's documentation explains that the updated version is added to your draft themes free of charge, named with the prefix 'Updated copy of'. Adding it does not affect your current theme. You can then check the updated copy, fix anything that needs attention and publish it when ready.

Because the live theme is untouched until you publish, an update can be prepared and tested without any risk to the trading store.

What carries over

Based on Shopify's documentation on updating themes. Shopify advises saving a copy of customised code before updating.

A safe upgrade, step by step

1. 01

   Record customisations

   List code edits and save copies of customised files.

   Output: Customisation record

2. 02

   Add the update

   Updated version added as a draft beside the live theme.

   Output: Updated copy

3. 03

   Compare and re-apply

   Check pages against the live theme; re-apply missing code changes.

   Output: Matched updated copy

4. 04

   Test and publish

   Apps, forms, tracking and a test order checked; publish at a quiet time.

   Output: Updated live theme

Why upgrades are worth doing

• Fixes

  Updates often fix display or compatibility problems you may already be living with.

• New features

  Newer versions may add sections or settings that replace apps or custom code.

• Support

  Theme developers generally support current versions more readily than old ones.

• Smaller future updates

  Regular small updates are easier than one large jump after years.

Update or replace

Older themes without flexible sections

Some stores still run older themes built before sections could be added to every page through JSON templates. These cannot simply be updated into a modern theme; moving to a current theme is effectively a theme change, with templates reconfigured and custom code rebuilt. The benefit is a store your team can edit far more flexibly, and a theme that continues to receive updates.

Make updates routine

Stores that apply theme updates every few months rarely face a painful upgrade. Each update is small, customisations are fresh in memory and the record of code changes is current. A simple calendar reminder to check for theme updates each quarter, plus a customisation log, turns upgrades from a project into maintenance.

Read the release notes

Theme developers usually publish release notes describing what each version changes. Reading them before updating tells you which pages to check most carefully, whether any setting has been renamed or removed, and whether a new feature could replace an app or a piece of custom code. For large jumps across several versions, reading every set of notes in between is worth the time.