Shopify Theme Update Guide

Project: ArtBlendArt (artblendart.com) Last Updated: 2025-11-16 Status: Reference guide for updating base theme while preserving customizations

Understanding Shopify Theme Architecture
Current Theme Status
Your Custom Files
When to Update
Theme Update Process
Testing Checklist
Rollback Procedures
Alternative: Treat as Custom Theme

Understanding Shopify Theme Architecture

How Shopify Themes Work

Each theme is a complete, independent copy:

When you start with Dawn theme v1.0 and customize it, you create YOUR version
Your customizations create a frozen snapshot - you don't automatically receive updates
If Shopify releases Dawn v2.0, you must manually merge updates
Only ONE theme can be "live" at a time

Theme Independence:

Theme #189302341896 "Coaching Pages" (currently live) - YOUR customized version
Theme #149756051720 "Dawn" (inactive/broken) - Previous version
Theme #149756084488 "Dawn" (inactive backup) - Old backup version
Each has its own complete file set - no sharing between themes

What's in a theme:

templates/ - Page templates (JSON files defining which sections appear)
sections/ - Reusable page components (Liquid files)
snippets/ - Reusable code fragments (Liquid files)
layout/ - Master layout files (header, footer, theme.liquid)
assets/ - Images, CSS, JavaScript
config/ - Theme settings (colors, fonts, logo)
locales/ - Translation files

Current Theme Status

Live Theme:

Name: Coaching Pages
ID: 189302341896
Base: Dawn (unknown version - customized heavily)
Status: Production, actively customized

Customization Level: Heavy

Custom coaching page with 7 sections
Custom coaching forms page
Custom images and branding
Logo configuration
Navigation modifications

Git Status: ✅ Fully tracked

All theme files in /Users/linus/Workspace/artblendart.com/shopify-theme/
Commit history shows all customizations
Can restore from git at any time

Your Custom Files

These files are completely yours and won't conflict with Dawn updates:

Custom Sections (8 files)

sections/coaching-contact.liquid       # Contact form section
sections/coaching-about.liquid         # About section with bio
sections/coaching-hero.liquid          # Hero section with CTA
sections/coaching-process.liquid       # Process explanation
sections/coaching-forms-hero.liquid    # Forms page hero
sections/coaching-forms-list.liquid    # Forms list section
sections/coaching-who.liquid           # Target audience section

Custom Templates (2 files)

templates/page.coaching.json           # Coaching page template
templates/page.coaching-formular.json  # Coaching forms page template

Custom Assets

assets/coaching-hero-background.jpg    # Hero background image
assets/coaching-creative-collage.jpg   # Creative collage image
assets/coaching-exploration-image.jpg  # Exploration image
assets/therese-portrait.jpg            # Portrait photo

Files That Need Manual Merging

These are shared with Dawn and will require careful merging during updates:

config/settings_data.json              # Logo, colors, fonts, social links
layout/theme.liquid                    # If you modified header/footer
assets/*.css                           # If you added custom styling
snippets/beae_*.liquid                 # Beae Page Builder snippets (third-party)

When to Update

✅ Update When:

Shopify announces a security vulnerability in Dawn
New Dawn feature solves a specific problem you have
Bug in current Dawn version affects your site
Shopify platform changes require newer Dawn version
Performance improvements are significant

❌ Don't Update When:

"Just to have the latest version" (risk > reward)
You're in a busy sales period
You don't have 4-8 hours for testing
Current theme is working perfectly
No specific benefit identified

Update Frequency Recommendation:

Check for updates: Quarterly (every 3 months)
Actually update: Only when necessary (1-2 times per year max)
Emergency updates: Immediately for security issues

Theme Update Process

Prerequisites

Before starting:

At least 4-8 hours available for testing
No major sales events in next 48 hours
Git working tree is clean (git status)
Full backup of current live theme
List of specific benefits from update

Step 1: Create Test Environment

# Navigate to project directory
cd /Users/linus/Workspace/artblendart.com

# Verify git status - should be clean
git status
# Output: "nothing to commit, working tree clean"

# Create a backup branch
git checkout -b theme-update-backup
git checkout main

Step 2: Download Fresh Dawn Theme

In Shopify Admin:

Go to Online Store → Themes
Click "Add theme" → "Visit Theme Store"
Find "Dawn" (free Shopify theme)
Click "Add to theme library"
Note the new theme ID (e.g., #123456789)

Or via CLI:

# List available themes
shopify theme list --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com

# Note the ID of the new Dawn theme
# Example output: #123456789 | Dawn | (unpublished)

Step 3: Pull New Dawn Locally

# Create directory for new Dawn version
mkdir /tmp/dawn-new

# Pull the fresh Dawn theme
shopify theme pull --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com \
  --theme <new-dawn-theme-id> \
  --path=/tmp/dawn-new

# Verify download
ls -la /tmp/dawn-new
# Should see: assets/ config/ layout/ sections/ snippets/ templates/ etc.

Step 4: Copy Custom Files to New Theme

# Copy custom sections
cp shopify-theme/sections/coaching-*.liquid /tmp/dawn-new/sections/

# Copy custom templates
cp shopify-theme/templates/page.coaching*.json /tmp/dawn-new/templates/

# Copy custom assets
cp shopify-theme/assets/coaching-*.jpg /tmp/dawn-new/assets/
cp shopify-theme/assets/therese-portrait.jpg /tmp/dawn-new/assets/

# Verify files copied
ls /tmp/dawn-new/sections/coaching-*
ls /tmp/dawn-new/templates/page.coaching*

Step 5: Merge Configuration Settings

# Compare settings files
diff shopify-theme/config/settings_data.json \
     /tmp/dawn-new/config/settings_data.json

# Look for YOUR customizations:
# - logo: "shopify://shop_images/Logotype_black.png"
# - logo_width: 90
# - social media links (Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest)
# - Any color scheme changes
# - Font selections

Manually merge settings:

Open both files side-by-side and copy your customizations:

Logo settings
Social media links
Color schemes (if customized)
Typography (if customized)
Navigation settings (if customized)

# Edit the new theme's settings
# Use your text editor to manually merge settings
code /tmp/dawn-new/config/settings_data.json

Step 6: Check for Layout Changes

# Compare layout files
diff shopify-theme/layout/theme.liquid \
     /tmp/dawn-new/layout/theme.liquid

# If you see differences, determine:
# - Are they YOUR changes? → Keep them
# - Are they Dawn improvements? → Keep them
# - Are they Beae snippets? → Probably keep them (third-party)

If layout was modified:

Review each difference carefully
Beae snippet references (e.g., {% render 'beae_header' %}) should be preserved
New Dawn features should be kept if they don't conflict
Document what you changed and why

Step 7: Push to Test Theme

# Push ALL files to the new theme for testing
cd /tmp/dawn-new

shopify theme push --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com \
  --theme <new-dawn-theme-id> \
  --only='sections/coaching-*.liquid' \
  --only='templates/page.coaching*.json' \
  --only='assets/coaching-*.jpg' \
  --only='assets/therese-portrait.jpg' \
  --only='config/settings_data.json' \
  --allow-live

# If you modified layout:
shopify theme push --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com \
  --theme <new-dawn-theme-id> \
  --only='layout/theme.liquid' \
  --allow-live

Step 8: Test Thoroughly

Preview the new theme:

# Get preview URL
echo "https://artblendart.com/?preview_theme_id=<new-dawn-theme-id>"

# Or use CLI
shopify theme dev --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com \
  --theme <new-dawn-theme-id>

Testing Checklist (see Testing Checklist section below)

Step 9: Publish New Theme

Only after thorough testing:

# Publish the new theme
shopify theme publish --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com \
  --theme <new-dawn-theme-id> \
  --force

# Verify it's live
curl -I https://artblendart.com | head -1
# Expected: HTTP/2 200

Step 10: Update Local Repository

# Replace old theme directory with new one
cd /Users/linus/Workspace/artblendart.com

# Backup old theme
mv shopify-theme shopify-theme-old-$(date +%Y%m%d)

# Copy new theme into place
cp -r /tmp/dawn-new shopify-theme

# Commit to git
git add shopify-theme/
git commit -m "Update to Dawn v[VERSION] with coaching customizations

- Updated base Dawn theme from v[OLD] to v[NEW]
- Preserved custom coaching sections (7 files)
- Preserved custom coaching templates (2 files)
- Merged custom settings (logo, social links, colors)
- Tested all pages and functionality

Theme ID: <new-dawn-theme-id>
Previous theme ID: 189302341896
"

git push origin main

# Clean up old backup
rm -rf shopify-theme-old-*
rm -rf /tmp/dawn-new

Step 11: Update Documentation

Update CLAUDE.md with new theme ID:

- **Live Theme ID**: `<new-dawn-theme-id>` (updated 2025-XX-XX from Dawn v[VERSION])

Testing Checklist

Before Publishing

Test the preview theme thoroughly:

Homepage Tests

Homepage loads without errors
Logo displays correctly (image, not text)
Hero image displays
Category buttons work (Original art, Posters, Artprints)
Featured products display correctly
Navigation menu works (Home, Products, Contact, About, Coaching)
Footer displays (newsletter, social links)
Mobile responsive layout works

Coaching Page Tests

Coaching Forms Page Tests

/pages/coaching-formular loads
Google Forms embed displays
Layout matches design
Mobile responsive

Product Pages Tests

Cart & Checkout Tests

Cart page loads
Checkout flow works
Payment options display

Browser Testing

Console Errors

No JavaScript errors in console
No 404 errors for assets
No Liquid errors
Performance is acceptable (load time < 3 seconds)

Rollback Procedures

If Issues Found After Publishing

Immediate Rollback (Production is Down):

# Re-publish the old working theme
shopify theme publish --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com \
  --theme 189302341896 \
  --force

# Verify site is back
curl -I https://artblendart.com | head -1

Restore from Git (Local Files Lost):

cd /Users/linus/Workspace/artblendart.com

# See recent commits
git log --oneline -10

# Restore to previous working state
git checkout <commit-hash> -- shopify-theme/

# Or restore entire directory
git reset --hard <commit-hash>

# Re-push to Shopify
cd shopify-theme
shopify theme push --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com \
  --theme 189302341896 \
  --only='sections/coaching-*.liquid' \
  --only='templates/page.coaching*.json' \
  --allow-live

Restore Specific Files:

# Restore just coaching files
git checkout HEAD~1 -- shopify-theme/sections/coaching-*.liquid
git checkout HEAD~1 -- shopify-theme/templates/page.coaching*.json

# Push restored files
cd shopify-theme
shopify theme push --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com \
  --theme 189302341896 \
  --only='sections/coaching-*.liquid' \
  --only='templates/page.coaching*.json' \
  --allow-live

Alternative: Treat as Custom Theme

Why You Might Choose This

Your theme is heavily customized:

7 custom coaching sections
2 custom templates
Custom navigation
Custom branding
Beae Page Builder integration

At this level of customization:

You're no longer really using "Dawn"
You're using "ArtBlendArt Custom Theme" (based on Dawn)
Updates become more work than benefit

How to Adopt This Approach

# 1. Rename your theme in Shopify Admin
# Go to: Online Store → Themes → "Coaching Pages"
# Click "..." → "Rename" → "ArtBlendArt Custom"

# 2. Accept that it's YOUR theme now
# - You own maintenance
# - You cherry-pick Dawn updates only when needed
# - You focus on YOUR features, not Dawn's

# 3. Only pull critical updates
# - Security patches only
# - Features you specifically need
# - Not "just to update"

Security Update Strategy

When Shopify announces a security issue in Dawn:

# 1. Check what files are affected
# (Shopify will specify in security advisory)

# 2. Pull ONLY those files from latest Dawn
shopify theme pull --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com \
  --theme <latest-dawn-theme-id> \
  --only='affected/file.liquid' \
  --path=/tmp/security-patch

# 3. Compare with your version
diff shopify-theme/affected/file.liquid \
     /tmp/security-patch/affected/file.liquid

# 4. Manually merge the security fix
# Keep your customizations, apply only the fix

# 5. Test and deploy

Feature Update Strategy

When Dawn releases a feature you want:

# 1. Identify which files contain the feature
# (Check Dawn changelog/documentation)

# 2. Pull those specific files
shopify theme pull --store 82e997-6e.myshopify.com \
  --theme <latest-dawn-theme-id> \
  --only='path/to/feature-file.liquid' \
  --path=/tmp/feature-update

# 3. Extract the feature code
# Study how it works in the new file

# 4. Adapt it to YOUR theme
# Copy the functionality, not the entire file
# Maintain your customizations

# 5. Test thoroughly

Best Practices Summary

DO:

✅ Keep git commit history clean and descriptive
✅ Test on unpublished theme before publishing
✅ Document what customizations you made and why
✅ Budget adequate time for testing (4-8 hours)
✅ Update only when there's a clear benefit
✅ Keep backups of working themes
✅ Follow atomic deployment pattern (template + sections together)

DON'T:

❌ Update "just because there's a new version"
❌ Test directly on live theme
❌ Skip testing checklist
❌ Update during busy sales periods
❌ Assume new version is always better
❌ Forget to commit to git before pushing to Shopify
❌ Push templates without sections or vice versa

Version History

Date	Document Version	Changes
2025-11-16	1.0.0	Initial theme update guide created

Questions & Troubleshooting

"How do I know what version of Dawn I'm using?"

# Check package.json or version files in theme
cat shopify-theme/package.json | grep version

# Or check git history to see when you started customizing
git log --reverse --oneline shopify-theme/ | head -5

"Should I update Dawn every time there's a new version?"

No. Only update when:

Security vulnerability announced
Specific feature you need
Bug affecting your site

"What if the new Dawn version breaks my customizations?"

This is why we:

Test on unpublished theme first
Keep old theme available for instant rollback
Track everything in git
Follow thorough testing checklist

"Can I mix files from different Dawn versions?"

Not recommended. Files from different Dawn versions may have dependencies on each other. Stick with one base version and cherry-pick specific fixes if needed.

Support: For issues with theme updates, consult this guide, review git history, and check deployment-guide.md for safe push procedures.

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