Updating Your Theme

Policy

• Updates are lifetime-free for the store that owns a valid Theme Store license.
• Copies imported from unauthorized sources (ZIPs from Fiverr, Facebook groups, warez, “nulled” marketplaces) are not eligible. Install the legitimate Theme Store version to continue receiving updates.

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Types of updates

• Automatic update — Shopify applies the new version when your theme has no code edits.
• Manual update — You install the new version alongside your current theme and re-apply any custom code yourself.
• Unsupported direct upgrade — Very old versions require a clean re-download and fresh setup.

Automatic updates

Eligibility

• No code edits in Edit code (no modified Liquid/JS/CSS).
• No developer or app altered theme files.
• App Embeds and App Blocks don’t break eligibility; only file edits do.

Behavior

• Shopify adds the new version to your library and shows an “Update available” message. Your published theme remains live until you publish the updated copy.

Manual updates

Triggered when any theme file was edited or an app injected code.

Result

• Shopify duplicates the new version as an unpublished theme.
• Theme settings, sections, and templates copy over where compatible.
• Your custom code does not migrate. You must re-apply Liquid/JS/CSS changes.

Support

• Re-applying customizations is merchant responsibility. If you want help, hire a qualified Shopify Expert. Theme support covers bugs in the unmodified theme only.

Unsupported direct upgrade

• If your installed version predates our migration baseline (e.g., very old major versions), use a clean reinstall:
  1. Open the theme’s listing in the Shopify Theme Store.
  2. Click Add latest version to your library.
  3. Configure settings and content from scratch, then publish when ready.

Safe update workflow (recommended)

1) Pre-update checklist

• Duplicate your current live theme (Actions → Duplicate).
• Export a backup of theme files if you keep a private git repo.
• Note customizations you intend to keep (snippets, templates, CSS overrides).
• Record app integrations (App Blocks, App Embeds, app-added templates).
• Verify no developer preview flags are enabled on demo stores you plan to copy from.

2) Install the new version

• If eligible: accept Automatic update.
• If not eligible: click Add to theme library on the update notice or Theme Store.
• Do not publish yet.

3) Migrate settings and content

• Open Customize on the new theme.
• Compare section settings against live. Most settings carry over; verify color schemes, typography, spacing, and header/footer menus.
• Re-map any dynamic sources (metafields, metaobjects) on product/collection templates.

4) Re-apply custom code (only if needed)

• Recreate small CSS tweaks with the new version’s structure in mind.
• Re-implement custom snippets minimally; avoid editing core files if an extension point exists (App Blocks, theme settings, section blocks).
• Re-add translation keys to locales/*.json if you had custom strings.

5) Validate

• Templates: product, collection, search, cart, blog/article, pages.
• Facets/sorting on collections.
• Variant pickers, media gallery, 3D/video poster images.
• Cart drawer, notes, shipping bar (if provided by theme).
• Performance: run Lighthouse; ensure no oversized hero assets.
• Accessibility smoke-test: focus order, visible focus, labels, alt text.

6) Publish and monitor

• Publish the updated theme during a low-traffic window.
• Keep the previous version in the library for quick rollback.

7) Rollback (if required)

• Actions → Publish your previous theme copy to restore instantly.

What does and doesn’t carry over

Carries over

• Theme settings schema values (when keys match).
• Section/block structure on templates that exist in both versions.
• App Blocks and App Embeds placed via the editor.

Does not carry over

• Direct file edits (snippets, templates, assets).
• Removed/renamed settings or sections from older versions.
• Deprecated templates replaced by JSON templates with new blocks.

Common pitfalls

• Editing core theme files, then expecting automatic updates.
• Large custom CSS pasted into a core CSS file; place overrides in a dedicated custom CSS asset to simplify future diffs.
• Hard-coded URLs (e.g., shopify:// admin links) inside JSON templates; purge before migration.
• Missing translation keys after upgrade; sync locales/*.json carefully.

FAQs

Do I lose my content when I update?
No. Settings and section content migrate when keys and structure match. Custom code must be re-applied.

Can theme support migrate my customizations?
No. Support covers bugs in the unmodified theme. Custom migrations require a developer.

Why didn’t I get an automatic update?
Any edited file or app-injected code blocks automation. Use the manual flow.

Are updates free?
Yes, for the store holding a valid Theme Store license. Unauthorized copies receive no updates.

How do I know what changed?
Read the theme’s Changelog. Follow any listed migration notes or breaking changes.

Minimal manual update steps (condensed)

1. Add latest version to Theme Library.
2. Customize the new copy; confirm settings and sections.
3. Re-apply necessary custom code in a clean, minimal way.
4. Test key flows (add to cart, checkout test mode, filters, search).
5. Publish the new theme; keep the old one as backup.

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