Shopify Theme Updates: What to Check

Learn essential steps for verifying and optimizing your Shopify theme after updates to enhance performance, security, and user experience.

Keeping your Shopify theme updated is essential for your store’s performance, security, and user experience. Outdated themes can cause broken features, security risks, and slow loading times. Here’s what to focus on after every update:

  • Test Core Features: Verify navigation, product pages, cart, checkout, and search functionality.
  • Check Design: Ensure layouts, fonts, colors, and custom code work consistently across devices.
  • Review App Integrations: Test installed apps for compatibility and resolve conflicts.
  • Optimize Content & SEO: Update page content, meta tags, and structured data for better visibility.
  • Measure Performance: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to ensure fast load times and smooth user experience.

Regular maintenance, including backups and testing in a development environment, keeps your store secure and functional. Always prioritize quarterly audits and compatibility checks to avoid disruptions.

How to Update Your Shopify Theme (without losing anything)

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Functionality Check: Verifying Core Features After Update

Focus on these key functional areas, prioritized by how they affect conversions:

Testing Navigation and Menus

  • Ensure the main menu works smoothly on both desktop and mobile.
  • Test dropdown menus for proper behavior and animations.
  • Verify that footer links are accurate and responsive.
  • Check mega menu layouts, if applicable.
  • Confirm the hamburger menu operates correctly on mobile devices.

Checking Product and Collection Pages

Element What to Verify
Product Images Gallery navigation, zoom function, and thumbnails
Product Details Variants, pricing, inventory, and add-to-cart functionality
Collection Grid Sorting options, product cards, and quick view features

Reviewing Cart and Checkout

  • Test adding and removing items, as well as adjusting quantities.
  • Confirm prices are calculated correctly, including subtotals, taxes, and shipping.
  • Verify discount codes work as expected.
  • Ensure all payment gateways are functional.

Evaluating Search and Filtering

  • Check that the search bar is visible and responsive.
  • Confirm search results are displayed accurately.
  • Test the functionality of filter options.
  • Verify that sort-by features and product tag filtering work seamlessly.

Assessing Mobile Responsiveness

  • Make sure layouts are consistent across different screen sizes.
  • Confirm tap targets are at least 48px for ease of use.
  • Test that pages load in under three seconds using tools like DevTools.

Thorough checks at this stage help maintain the high performance and security standards outlined earlier.

Design Check: Ensuring Visual Consistency

Reviewing Theme Layout

To make sure your design aligns with the security and performance goals mentioned earlier, focus on these layout elements:

Element What to Check Common Issues
Header Logo placement, menu alignment Misaligned logos, broken responsiveness
Content Blocks Section spacing, grid layouts Uneven margins, misaligned columns
Footer Widget arrangement, social icons Missing elements, layout issues
Sidebars Widget order, spacing Incorrect widths, overlapping content

Inspecting Custom CSS and JavaScript

Custom code can be tricky during updates since changes don’t carry over automatically. Pay attention to:

  • Testing interactive elements that depend on custom JavaScript.
  • Ensuring animations and transitions function as expected.
  • Checking the browser console for error messages that might signal conflicts.

Checking Font, Color, and Typography

Keeping your brand identity intact means paying close attention to typography and color usage:

Element What to Review
Primary Fonts Headings, body text, and special elements
Color Scheme Buttons, links, and accent colors
Text Spacing Line height and paragraph spacing
Font Sizes Responsive scaling across devices

Verifying Image Sizes and Quality

Optimized images are key for both performance and aesthetics:

  • Ensure product images are at least 2048x2048px.
  • Stick to a 1:1 ratio for grid images and 4:3 for banners.
  • Check that images don’t appear pixelated on mobile devices.
  • Use Chrome DevToolsLighthouse to measure loading times.

If your theme has extensive customizations or persistent visual issues, consulting professionals like E-commerce Dev Group can save time and effort.

Once your design is visually consistent, the next step is reviewing app integrations, which are often a source of conflicts after updates.

App Integration Check: Ensuring Compatibility and Functionality

Maintaining smooth workflows is just as important as keeping your design consistent for brand identity. App integrations play a key role in ensuring everything runs seamlessly.

Reviewing Installed Apps

Start by auditing your apps through Shopify Admin to check for compatibility:

App Category Key Check Points Priority Level
Core Business Apps Payment processors, inventory systems Critical
Marketing Tools Pop-ups, email capture forms, analytics High
Customer Service Chat widgets, help desk integrations Medium
Store Enhancers Product recommendations, reviews Medium

Testing App Features

Focus on testing features that directly affect your store’s revenue and operations:

  • Payment Gateways: Ensure all payment methods work smoothly.
  • Inventory Sync: Verify real-time updates between your store and inventory systems.
  • Marketing Automation: Test triggers and their impact on user experience.

Addressing App Conflicts

If you encounter conflicts, address them using a priority-based approach:

Issue Type Resolution Steps Alternative Solution
JavaScript Conflicts Update app versions, clear cache Temporarily disable conflicting features
Display Issues Check theme compatibility documentation
Performance Impact Monitor loading times Switch to lighter apps

For persistent issues, you may need professional help to balance app functionality and theme performance.

"Failing to check app compatibility can lead to broken functionalities, poor user experience, and potential loss of sales, as outlined in Shopify’s security best practices."

Content and SEO Check: Maintaining Store Visibility

Once you’ve integrated apps, it’s time to review content and SEO elements that influence your store’s visibility. Make sure your SEO setup aligns with the performance upgrades from earlier steps.

Reviewing Page Content and Navigation

Use the table below to ensure your pages and navigation are optimized for user experience and functionality:

Element Type What to Check
Product Pages Descriptions, variant info, pricing display
Collection Pages Category text, filters, sorting options
Blog Posts Image placement, formatting, media embeds
Static Pages Custom sections, widgets, contact forms
Navigation Menus, cross-links, footer links

Checking Meta Titles and Descriptions

  • Ensure titles are 50-60 characters and descriptions are 150-160 characters.
  • Double-check that the primary keyword is included naturally.
  • Maintain consistent use of your brand name across all meta tags.

Verifying Structured Data and Rich Snippets

Structured data helps search engines better understand your site. Review the following:

Data Type Key Elements Validation Tool
Product Schema Price, availability, reviews Google Rich Results Test
Organization Schema Company details, contact info Schema Markup Validator
Breadcrumb Schema Navigation hierarchy Google Search Console

Final Testing: Ensuring Optimal Performance

With your content and SEO in place, the last step is making sure your store works smoothly on all platforms and devices. The design consistency and app functionality you verified earlier play a big role in how well your store performs.

Cross-Browser Testing

Tools like BrowserStack can help you check your store’s functionality across different browsers. Focus on key areas such as the checkout process, navigation, and how well the design adapts to various screen sizes.

Device and User Experience Testing

Test the entire user journey on various devices, paying close attention to specific features:

Device Type Key Focus Areas
Desktop Wide-screen layouts, hover effects
Tablet Touch gestures, image scaling
Mobile Navigation menus, tap-friendly buttons

Make sure to evaluate:

  • Navigation flow and how smoothly pages transition
  • How easy it is to find and filter products
  • The efficiency of the checkout process
  • Search accuracy and relevance of results

Benchmarking Performance

"For ecommerce websites, anything above 2 seconds of page load time is considered sub-optimal."

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to track these critical metrics:

Metric Target Range Why It Matters
Initial Load Time Under 2.8 seconds Impacts first impressions
Time to Interact Under 9 seconds Affects user engagement
Total Page Size Under 2MB Influences loading speed
Total Requests Under 80 Affects server response time

If your page takes longer than 3 seconds to load, try compressing images or cutting down on unnecessary apps. Regularly checking these metrics ensures your store stays fast and user-friendly, which can boost both satisfaction and conversions.

Conclusion: Importance of Regular Maintenance

Keeping your store up-to-date and secure is key to staying competitive. After every theme update, thorough testing of functionality, design, and integrations is a must. A consistent maintenance routine helps you catch and fix issues before they affect your store’s performance.

Impact Area Benefits of Regular Maintenance Risks of Neglecting Maintenance
Security Prevents vulnerabilities proactively Risk of data breaches and system issues
Performance Maintains speed and efficiency Slower site and poor user experience
Compatibility Ensures smooth adoption of new features Conflicts and broken integrations
Customer Experience Provides a dependable shopping experience Loss of trust and revenue

E-commerce Dev Group offers expert audits and support to help you identify and fix issues effectively, ensuring your store runs smoothly.

Here are some tips for maintaining your Shopify store:

  • Schedule quarterly theme audits.
  • Document all customizations.
  • Use a testing environment before making changes live.
  • Regularly back up theme files.
  • Monitor performance metrics closely.

"For ecommerce websites, maintaining theme compatibility with the latest Shopify features is essential for leveraging new functionality and ensuring optimal store performance."

FAQs

Shopify themes receive both automated and manual updates, each serving specific purposes. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know:

Do Shopify themes update automatically?

Automated updates handle critical security patches and bug fixes while leaving your theme’s design, content, and settings unchanged. For new features or major changes, you’ll need to apply manual updates yourself.

Update Type Includes Unaffected Areas
Automated Security patches, Bug fixes Theme design, Content, Settings
Manual New features, Major updates Requires merchant action

If you’re using Online Store 2.0, your Theme Editor customizations are preserved during updates. However, any custom code changes will need to be reapplied manually.

How often are Shopify themes updated?

The frequency of updates depends on the theme’s type and stage of development:

Theme Type Update Frequency Purpose
New Themes Every 2 weeks (first 2 months) Adding features, Fixing bugs
Established Themes As needed Security updates, Compatibility
Online Store 2.0 Regular schedule New features, Platform updates

"For ecommerce websites, maintaining theme compatibility with the latest Shopify features is essential for leveraging new functionality and ensuring optimal store performance." [1]

Before applying updates, consider these steps to minimize disruptions:

  • Test updates in a development environment first.
  • Keep a record of any custom code changes.
  • Plan updates during off-peak hours.
  • Check app compatibility with the updated theme.
  • Backup your theme to easily revert if needed.

Staying on top of theme updates helps keep your store secure, functional, and aligned with Shopify’s newest features.

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