Keep themes understandable for merchants, agencies and AI

Upstorr Design Control serves three readers. Founder Mode needs clear visual controls. Agency Mode needs one understandable section file. Developer Mode needs an organized complete theme.

Founder Mode

Use simple labels, sensible defaults and short explanations. Group related settings. Hide a control only when another choice makes it irrelevant. Do not expose a technical implementation detail as a merchant setting.

Agency Mode

Keep a section's unique HTML, CSS, Liquid logic, controls and local block definitions in that section file. An agency should be able to give one file to an AI and understand the returned change.

Reuse a complete recognizable piece, such as a button block or box control pack. Avoid clever chains of tiny helpers that reduce line count but make the visible design impossible to follow.

Developer Mode

Keep files narrow and name them by storefront job. Put global foundations in shared assets and platform actions behind the SDK. A custom theme should never depend on Casa or another theme's source.