Staging
- Duplicate your live theme.
- Rename copy (
Scout vX.Y – Staging). - Customize and test.
- Publish during low traffic. Keep the previous version for rollback.
Updating
- If Shopify offers Automatic update, accept only on unedited themes.
- Otherwise Add to theme library → re-apply small custom CSS/JS in dedicated assets → test → publish.
Troubleshooting
- Missing filters: configure in Search & Discovery; theme reads from admin.
- Selectors not showing: publish languages/enable markets first.
- Metafield not bindable: type mismatch; redefine or change the target setting.
- Large LCP: compress hero; confirm overlay contrast; avoid 4K PNG photos.
- Schema errors: remove SEO apps that inject duplicate Product/Article/Breadcrumb JSON-LD.
Release hygiene
- Keep RELEASE_NOTES.md updated (date, version, changes, migration notes).
- Update external documentation on each release; match setting labels exactly.
- Run theme-check locally before shipping; remove demo-store references from JSON templates.
Use this guide as the single source of truth when configuring Scout.
