Shopify
Shopify theme upgrades without losing your customisations
Move to the latest version of your theme, or to a modern Online Store 2.0 theme, and keep every customisation, app and setting that matters. All done on a copy, with your live store untouched until you approve it.
How it is priced
A fixed quote after a short call, scoped to what you actually need. No hourly billing.
No obligation
Sound familiar?
This is for you if
- Your theme says "update available" but you have been warned you will lose customisations
- You are on a vintage theme and newer apps, sections or checkout features will not work
- An app or developer edited the theme code years ago and nobody knows what they changed
- Page speed has fallen off and the theme is part of the problem
- You want new features like sections on every page, metafields or the new checkout without a full rebuild
Our take
Shopify theme upgrades are the most common problem we hear about from merchants. The banner in the admin makes it look like one click. In practice, any theme that has been customised, or has had apps installed over a few years, cannot be updated in place without losing those changes.
The fix is not complicated, but it does need to be methodical. Audit what is there, rebuild it on the new version the way Shopify now intends, test everything, then switch. That is what we do, and we do it on a copy so there is zero risk to your live store.
If you are still on a vintage theme (anything built before Online Store 2.0), the upgrade is also your chance to get sections on every page, faster load times and access to the newer checkout and app features. Most merchants find the store is easier to manage afterwards, not harder.
What is included
- 01
Audit of your current theme
A list of every customisation, edited file, installed app snippet and setting so nothing gets missed. You get the list too.
- 02
Upgrade on a duplicate
The new theme version is installed alongside your live theme. Your store keeps trading while we work.
- 03
Customisations rebuilt properly
Changes are moved across as theme settings, sections or blocks where possible, so the next upgrade is easy instead of painful.
- 04
Apps reconnected and tested
Reviews, subscriptions, bundles, wishlist, loyalty and the rest reinstalled the right way and checked on real product pages.
- 05
Full test before go live
Desktop and mobile, every template, cart and checkout, discounts and shipping. You review a preview link and approve.
- 06
Publish and handover
We publish at a quiet time, keep the old theme as a backup, and note what changed so your team is not guessing.
01Will my store go offline during the upgrade?
No. All work happens on an unpublished copy of the theme. Your live store trades as normal until you approve the new version and we publish it.
02What is the difference between a theme update and an Online Store 2.0 migration?
A theme update moves you to the latest version of the theme you already use. An Online Store 2.0 migration moves you from an older vintage theme to a modern theme with sections everywhere, better performance and support for current Shopify features. We will tell you which one you need.
03Can you keep the custom work a previous developer did?
In almost every case, yes. Sometimes the better move is to replace a hard-coded change with a built-in feature or a lighter app. We explain each decision before we make it.
04How much does it cost?
It depends on how much custom work and how many apps the current theme carries. A simple version update is the smaller job, a migration to a new theme with many customisations is the larger one. You get a fixed quote after the audit.
05Do I need to buy a new theme?
Only if you are moving to a different theme. If your current theme has a modern version, the update is usually free from the theme developer.
More Shopify services
Ready to talk about theme upgrades?
A short call, a fixed quote in writing, and a launch date agreed before anything starts.