Shopify vs Theme issues
Support
Theme retirement | Context is no longer available on the Shopify theme store. Theme support and updates for current users will end after May 18, 2024. Learn more here.
It's important to know the difference between Shopify and theme issues to troubleshoot any problems that may arise and get the support you need
This guide will help you understand common issues and how to troubleshoot them, so you can quickly find settings and solutions efficiently.
Shopify | Look for "Shopify" banners like this one in our theme guides for information about Shopify settings with links to Shopify support.
Themes and Shopify
To start, here are some broad definitions of the Shopify platform and themes:
Shopify provides the core aspects of your business and online store, including: products, collections, pages, cart and checkout functionality, inventory and order management, discounts, payments, customers, and more.
Themes modify the layout and style of your online store. Themes provide templates and features sections to customize your store's pages.
Generally, Shopify settings are found in the admin dashboard (see guide), and theme features are customized in your theme editor.
That said, themes and the Shopify platform work closely together and sometimes overlap. For example: Shopify's checkout settings are located in the theme editor, and the default theme content editor is located in the Shopify admin.
Troubleshooting
Most often, Shopify issues are related to how your site functions as an online store and theme issues relate to the appearance and layout of your site.
When you encounter an issue on your site, we recommend that you:
Search Shopify and theme manuals.
Install an unmodified copy of the theme to test whether an issue is theme-related.
Test Shopify's free theme Dawn to see if an issue is platform-related.
If the issues continues, you can contact Shopify support or Theme support.
Issues with your site may also be caused by: apps, code customizations, web browsers, and desktop or mobile devices. When troubleshooting, it's important to keep in mind these other elements. For quicker support responses, you can mention whether issues occur on a certain device or browser, or relates to any customizations. If the issue might be app-related, contact the app developers.
Common issues
Listed below are examples of Shopify features or issues that we commonly see in theme support requests. Our theme support does not cover issues related to the Shopify platform. Please contact Shopify support for assistance.
Payment icons
In the footer and other sections, the theme automatically displays payment icons of the payment options enabled in your Shopify admin, depending on your customer's region and currency. Themes do not control which payment icons are shown.
Tip | To check whether the issue is theme-related, you can preview the payment icons in Shopify's free Dawn theme. If the same issue appears, then it is likely a platform issue and you will need to contact Shopify support.>
See Shopify’s Payments guide here, which includes some tips on manually changing payment icons.
Local pickup
If you've set up local pickup in your Shopify admin, the theme automatically displays a banner below the buy buttons that tells customers whether the product is available at your location. Local pickup is a Shopify feature and is not controlled by the theme.
See Shopify's Local pickup guide to learn more.
Dynamic checkout button
The Dynamic checkout button is a Shopify feature. The theme includes an option to enable the dynamic checkout button, but the settings, icons, and functionality are controlled by Shopify.
See Shopify's Dynamic checkout button guide here.
Checkout
The Checkout page and functionality is a Shopify feature. While Shopify includes Checkout style settings within the theme editor, the Checkout is not controlled by theme code.
Contact form
The Contact form section uses Shopify's built-in contact form. Shopify sends all contact form submissions to the sender email address of your store. You can change the sender email address in the Notifications settings of your Shopify admin.
You can test Shopify's free theme Dawn to see if an issue is platform-related. For assistance, you can contact Shopify support.
Filters and sorting
Sorting and filtering products are Shopify features. The theme provides the style of the filter options on collection pages, including features like product swatches. See Shopify's Filtering manual to learn more.
With Shopify's Search and Discovery app, you can customize your storefront filters. After downloading Search and Discovery, you can customize your filters.
Taxes and shipping message
Depending on your Shopify admin settings, default text for Shipping and Taxes appears on Cart and Product pages (for example, "Taxes include."). Shipping and taxes are controlled by Shopify.
You can, however, edit or remove the message text using the default theme content editor. Click Edit default theme content in the Actions ... menu at the top of the Theme editor. Search for "Shipping" or "Taxes" to find the default text to edit it.
Do not change any text that's inside curly brackets {{ }} or HTML tags < >. Changing this text will break the functionality of the theme.
Cheatsheet
The table below links to Shopify and theme guides for related features. This list is not comprehensive but can help you get a handle on the difference between Shopify and themes, and how they relate.
Related links
Support policy Store access requests Updating your theme Message us
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