Shopify Themes

How To Update A Shopify Theme

Last modified: April 15, 2026

Shopify theme updates are one of those things most store owners forget about until something breaks. But keeping your theme current matters more than you might think - it affects your store’s security, speed, and whether certain apps keep working properly.

The good news is that updating a Shopify theme isn’t hard. The bad news is that if you skip the backup step, you could lose customizations you spent hours setting up.

This guide walks you through the entire process: checking for updates, backing up your current theme, applying the update, and making sure nothing broke afterward.

Key Takeaways

Always duplicate your current theme before applying any update - this is your safety net if something goes wrong.

Shopify notifies you in the admin when a theme update is available, but only for themes bought through the Shopify Theme Store.

Custom Liquid code and app-injected snippets will need to be re-applied after a theme update, so document everything before you start.

Test your store on both desktop and mobile after updating - check the checkout flow, navigation, and any custom sections.

Why Shopify Themes Need Updating

Theme developers release updates for three main reasons, and all of them affect your store directly.

Security patches. Outdated code is the most common way stores get compromised. When a theme developer finds a vulnerability, the fix goes out in an update. If you’re running an old version, you’re exposed.

Bug fixes and compatibility. Shopify regularly updates its platform - new checkout features, updated APIs, changes to how sections work. Theme developers push updates so their themes stay compatible. Skip too many updates and you’ll start seeing things break, especially with apps that rely on theme integration.

New features and performance improvements. Updates often include speed optimizations, new section types, better mobile layouts, or support for Shopify’s latest features like predictive search or enhanced filtering. These are the updates that actually make your store better, not just keep it running.

A good rule of thumb: if an update is available, apply it. The longer you wait, the bigger the gap between your version and the current one, and the harder it gets to update without issues.

How To Check for Theme Updates

Shopify makes this straightforward if your theme came from the Shopify Theme Store.

For Shopify Theme Store Themes

Log in to your Shopify admin and go to Online Store > Themes.
If an update is available for your active theme, you’ll see a notification banner at the top of the page or a badge next to the theme name.
Click the notification to review what’s included in the update - Shopify shows release notes so you can see what changed.

Shopify checks for updates automatically. You don’t need to do anything special to trigger the check. If there’s no notification, your theme is current.

For Third-Party Themes

If you bought your theme outside the Shopify Theme Store (from ThemeForest, Out of the Sandbox, Pixel Union, etc.), Shopify won’t notify you about updates. You’ll need to:

Check the theme developer’s website or dashboard for new versions
Sign up for their email list or changelog notifications
Some developers offer update notification apps you can install in your store

Third-party themes usually come with documentation explaining their specific update process. Follow that rather than the generic Shopify flow.

Step-by-Step: How To Update Your Shopify Theme

Step 1: Back Up Your Current Theme

This is the most important step, and the one most people skip. If anything goes wrong with the update, your backup is how you get back to a working store in minutes instead of hours.

Go to Online Store > Themes in your Shopify admin.
Find your active theme and click the three-dot menu (…).
Select Duplicate.
Wait for the copy to appear in your theme library - it will show as “Copy of [your theme name].”

This duplicate is an exact copy of your current theme with all your customizations intact. If the update causes problems, you can publish this backup to restore your store immediately.

Extra precaution: If you’ve added custom Liquid code, also download your theme files. Go to the three-dot menu and select Download theme file. This gives you a local ZIP backup you can re-upload if needed.

Step 2: Document Your Customizations

Before you apply the update, take stock of what you’ve changed. This is especially important if you’ve made changes beyond the theme editor:

Custom Liquid code - Note which files you edited (theme.liquid, product.liquid, header sections, etc.) and what the changes do
App-injected code - Some apps add code snippets to your theme files. Write down which apps modified your theme
Custom CSS - Copy any custom CSS you added through the theme editor or directly in the code
Third-party tracking scripts - Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or other scripts added to theme files

Take screenshots of your homepage, product pages, and collection pages. After the update, you’ll compare these to make sure everything still looks right.

Step 3: Apply the Update

For Shopify Theme Store themes:

Go to Online Store > Themes.
Click the update notification on your active theme.
Shopify will add the updated version to your theme library as a new, unpublished theme.
The updated theme keeps your theme editor settings (colors, fonts, section layouts). However, any direct code edits are not carried over.

For third-party themes:

Download the latest version from the developer’s website.
In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes.
Click Add theme > Upload ZIP file and upload the new version.
The new theme appears unpublished in your theme library.

Don’t publish the updated theme yet. You need to customize and test it first.

Step 4: Re-Apply Custom Code

If you had custom Liquid edits, app-injected code, or tracking scripts, you need to add them back to the updated theme. Open both the backup (duplicate) and the updated theme in separate browser tabs using the code editor:

Click the three-dot menu on each theme and select Edit code.
Compare the files side by side.
Copy your custom code from the backup theme into the matching files in the updated theme.
For app-injected code, it’s often easier to uninstall and reinstall the app - many apps re-inject their code automatically.

Be careful here. If the developer restructured files in the update, your old custom code might not fit in the same place. Check the developer’s release notes for any file structure changes.

Step 5: Customize the Updated Theme

Open the updated theme in the theme editor (Customize button) and verify your settings:

Upload your logo if it didn’t carry over
Check your color scheme and typography settings
Review each section on your homepage, product pages, and collection pages
Make sure your navigation menus are connected

Most theme editor settings transfer automatically for Shopify Theme Store themes. For third-party themes, you may need to reconfigure more manually.

Step 6: Test Before Publishing

Preview the updated theme thoroughly before making it live. Use the Preview button to browse your store as a customer would.

Check these critical areas:

Homepage - All sections loading correctly, images displaying, slideshow working
Product pages - Variant selectors, add-to-cart button, product images, reviews
Cart and checkout - Add a product, go through the checkout flow (you can stop before payment)
Navigation - All menu links working, dropdown menus functioning, mobile menu opening
Mobile view - Resize your browser or check on your phone. Mobile layout issues are the most commonly missed problem after updates
Speed - Does the store feel slower? Run a quick PageSpeed Insights test on the preview URL

Step 7: Publish the Updated Theme

Once you’re satisfied everything works:

Go to Online Store > Themes.
Find the updated theme in your theme library.
Click the three-dot menu and select Publish.
Confirm the publish action.

Your old theme moves to the unpublished section automatically. Keep it there for at least a week as a fallback.

What Happens to Your Customizations During an Update

This is the question every store owner asks, and the answer depends on what kind of customizations you’re talking about.

Theme editor settings (colors, fonts, section layout, uploaded images) - these are usually preserved when updating a Shopify Theme Store theme. Shopify handles the migration of these settings.

Direct code edits (changes to .liquid files, custom Liquid sections, modified templates) - these are not preserved. The update replaces the theme code files with the new version. Any code you added or changed is overwritten. This is why the backup step is critical.

App-injected code - also lost during the update. Most apps can re-inject their code when you reinstall them, but some require manual setup.

Custom CSS added through the theme editor - usually preserved, since it’s stored separately from the theme files. But verify after updating.

Updating vs. Switching Themes

Updating and switching are different things, and it’s worth understanding the distinction.

Updating means moving to a newer version of the same theme you’re already using. Your settings mostly carry over, and the look of your store stays consistent. This is routine maintenance.

Switching means changing to a completely different theme. Nothing carries over automatically - you’re starting fresh with layout, settings, and any custom code. This is a bigger project that requires planning.

If your current theme still meets your needs and the developer actively maintains it, update. If the developer has stopped updating the theme, or if your business needs have outgrown what the theme can do, that’s when you consider switching.

Recommended: 18 Best Converting Shopify Themes 2026

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1		Booster
2		Satoshi
3		Debutify
4		Symmetry
5		Korando
6		Atlantic
7		Mavon
8		Grid Theme
9		Everything
10		Flow - Timeless
11		Envy - Luxe
12		Expanse - Classic
13		Palo Alto
14		Sahara - Sahara
15		Prestige - Couture
16		Testament - Deliverance
17		Yuva - Classic
18		Pipeline - Clean
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FAQs

Will updating the Shopify theme affect my store’s SEO?

In most cases, a theme update won’t hurt your SEO as long as your URL structure and page content stay the same. However, watch out for changes to heading tags, meta tag handling, or structured data markup - some theme updates modify how these are rendered. After updating, check that your title tags and meta descriptions still appear correctly, your sitemap is accessible, and any custom schema markup is intact. If the update changes your site speed significantly (faster or slower), that can also affect your search rankings over time.
How long does it take to update a Shopify theme?

A straightforward theme update with no custom code takes about 15 to 30 minutes, including the backup and testing steps. If you’ve added custom Liquid code, app-injected snippets, or tracking scripts, expect it to take one to two hours since you’ll need to re-apply those changes and test everything thoroughly. Schedule the update during a low-traffic period for your store - early morning or late evening - so any brief issues won’t affect many customers.
What should I do if I encounter issues after updating the theme?

Start by comparing your updated theme against the backup you made before the update. Most issues fall into a few categories: missing custom code that needs to be re-applied, app integrations that need reinstalling, or layout shifts from new section defaults. Check the theme developer’s release notes for known issues. If you can’t resolve it, publish your backup theme to restore your store immediately while you troubleshoot. For persistent problems, contact the theme developer’s support team with details about what broke and which version you updated from.
Does Shopify update themes automatically?

Shopify does not apply theme updates automatically to your live store. When a developer releases a new version, Shopify shows a notification in your admin under Online Store > Themes, but you have to apply the update yourself. This is intentional - automatic updates could overwrite custom code or break app integrations. You stay in control of when the update happens, which gives you time to back up your theme and plan for any re-customization work.
Do I need to update my Shopify theme if everything is working fine?

Yes, you should still update even if nothing seems broken. Theme updates often include security patches that fix vulnerabilities you can’t see from the front end of your store. They also maintain compatibility with Shopify platform changes - if Shopify updates its checkout system or APIs and your theme doesn’t keep up, things can break without warning. Think of it like updating your phone’s operating system: it might seem fine today, but skipping updates long enough creates real problems down the road.
Can I undo a Shopify theme update?

Yes, as long as you duplicated your theme before updating. The duplicate sits in your theme library as an unpublished theme with all your previous settings and code intact. To roll back, go to Online Store > Themes, find the duplicate, click the three-dot menu, and select Publish. Your store immediately reverts to the previous version. This is why backing up before every update is so important - without a duplicate, there’s no built-in undo button.

Keeping your Shopify theme up to date protects your store from security issues and gives you access to the latest features. The key is backing up first, applying the update, then testing everything before you consider it done. If you’ve added custom Liquid code, set aside extra time to re-apply those changes after the update. It’s a bit of work, but it beats dealing with a broken storefront or a security hole you didn’t know about.

Written by:

Lindsey Perry

I have 5+ years of experience with Shopify and 15+ years of experiences on other eCommerce platforms. My theme reviews are designed to help store owners find the best theme for them.