As an e-commerce business owner, keeping your online store up-to-date is crucial for success. This includes not only updating your products and inventory, but also your website's design and functionality. In the world of Shopify, this means regularly updating your Shopify theme to the latest version.
Why Update Your Shopify Theme?
Before we dive into the steps of updating your Shopify theme, let's first understand why it's important to do so. Just like any software or platform, Shopify regularly releases updates for their themes.These updates often include bug fixes, security patches, and new features that can improve your website's performance and user experience. By keeping your Shopify theme up-to-date, you ensure that your website is running smoothly and efficiently. It also helps to prevent any potential issues or glitches that may arise from using an outdated version of the theme.
Step 1: Check Your Current Theme Version
The first step in updating your Shopify theme is to check which version you are currently using. To do this, log into your Shopify account and go to the "Online Store" tab. From there, click on "Themes" and then click on the "Actions" button next to your current theme.Select "Edit code" from the drop-down menu. In the code editor, look for a file called "theme.liquid". This file contains information about your current theme, including its version number. The version number will be listed at the top of the file, next to "theme_version". Make a note of this number as you will need it later.
Step 2: Check for Theme Updates
Now that you know your current theme version, it's time to check for any available updates.In the code editor, click on the "Actions" button again and this time select "Edit languages" from the drop-down menu. In the language editor, click on the "Locales" tab and then click on "English (United States)". This will open a list of all the text strings used in your theme. Scroll down until you find a string called "theme_version". If the number next to it is higher than your current version, then there is an update available. If there is no update available, you can stop here.
However, if there is an update, continue to the next step.
Step 3: Create a Backup
Before making any changes to your Shopify theme, it's important to create a backup. This will ensure that you have a copy of your current theme in case anything goes wrong during the update process. To create a backup, go back to the "Themes" page and click on the "Actions" button next to your current theme. This time, select "Duplicate" from the drop-down menu. This will create a duplicate of your current theme, which you can use as a backup.Step 4: Update Your Theme
Now that you have a backup, it's time to update your Shopify theme.Go back to the "Themes" page and click on the "Actions" button next to your current theme. Select "Edit code" from the drop-down menu. In the code editor, click on the "Actions" button again and this time select "Edit languages" from the drop-down menu. In the language editor, click on the "Locales" tab and then click on "English (United States)". Scroll down until you find the "theme_version" string again.
This time, click on the "Edit" button next to it. In the pop-up window, change the number to the latest version available. This number should match the one you noted down earlier. Click on "Save" and then click on "Publish changes". This will update your Shopify theme to the latest version.
Step 5: Test Your Theme
After updating your Shopify theme, it's important to test it to make sure everything is working correctly.Go to your website and navigate through different pages to check for any issues or glitches. If everything looks good, then congratulations, you have successfully updated your Shopify theme!
Additional Tips
Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind when updating your Shopify theme:- Check for compatibility: Before updating your theme, make sure that it is compatible with the latest version of Shopify. You can check this by going to the theme's page in the Shopify Theme Store.
- Update regularly: It's important to update your theme regularly to ensure that your website is running smoothly and efficiently.
- Make a note of changes: If you have made any customizations to your theme's code, make sure to note them down before updating. This will help you easily reapply them after the update.
In Conclusion
Updating your Shopify theme is a simple process that can greatly benefit your online store.By following these steps and keeping your theme up-to-date, you can ensure that your website is running smoothly and providing the best user experience for your customers.
