The Shopify Theme Updater app is an exclusive tool developed and maintained by Out of the Sandbox.
View our full list of Theme Updater FAQs here.
A bit of background: Shopify does not currently provide an easy way to update any themes when a new version of it is released.
You would normally need to obtain, then upload, a new zip file, then reconfigure all your theme settings — including resetting all of your colors, typography, images, text and more.
The Shopify Theme Updater app lets you not only upgrade to the latest available version of your Out of the Sandbox or Pixel Union theme, without losing any of your configured theme settings. In some cases, it may even be able to carry over basic customizations that you or your developer have made directly to the theme code.
- Install the app (no changes will be made yet).
- Access the app dashboard to see if your theme needs updated.
- When you're ready, click "Update" to update your theme.
- If you have not registered your theme, you will need to do so before you can update it.
- The app does not affect your live store or make modifications to your existing theme code.
- Instead, the app installs an unpublished copy of the latest version of your theme.
- If the app finds any custom code or modifications to the original files, it will attempt to replicate them in your new updated version. If the customizations are complex and the app is unable to carry them over fully intact, it will identify the files in question and notify you, so that you have the opportunity to apply your past customizations to the updated templates manually.
- You should then preview and thoroughly test the new unpublished theme.
- You should consider keeping the old version on your store or downloading a backup.
- When you have fully tested your store and you're ready to go live with the new version, click "Publish" to switch over to the new version.
- If you find an issue with the new version even after publishing it, you can revert back to the old version.