What this means

Your theme controls how your online store looks. The theme library lets you safely keep one design live while preparing another.

Live theme

The theme marked Live is the one customers currently see. Editing it does not instantly change the public store; your edits remain a draft until you publish them.

Draft themes

These are themes added from the gallery or created as copies but not currently live. You can edit and preview them without replacing the live theme.

Edit theme

Opens the theme editor for that theme. Use it to change layout, content, colours, typography, images, and other settings supported by the theme.

Publish design

Makes that theme's prepared design the current public storefront. Publishing a draft theme replaces the previous live theme, but does not delete the previous theme from your library.

Duplicate theme

Creates an unpublished copy using the same theme version and current design settings. Duplicate before a large redesign when you want a safe working copy.

Rename theme

Changes the private name shown in your admin. It does not change your store name, domain, or customer-facing page titles.

Delete theme

Removes a draft theme from your library. A live theme cannot be deleted; publish another theme first. Deleting a draft does not change the current live storefront.

Theme update

When a newer official theme version is available, Update creates a separate updated copy. Your live theme stays unchanged until you review and publish that copy.

Simple example

Your live theme is “Regal Jewellery 2.” Duplicate it, rename the copy “Diwali redesign,” make changes, and preview them. Customers keep seeing the original until you publish the redesign.

What you need to know

  • Use Open gallery to add another official theme.
  • A theme version is the theme maker's underlying design code. Your settings and content are your store's design changes.
  • Updating safely creates a copy instead of silently changing the live store.
  • Developer access is not part of normal merchant theme editing and is intentionally not covered in these merchant guides.