Why You Should Keep Your Shopify Theme Updated
by Greg Johnson, Owner / Developer
Why You Should Keep Your Shopify Theme Updated
When running an online store, it’s easy to focus on your products, marketing, and sales. But there’s a technical side of your Shopify store that shouldn’t be ignored: your theme.
Recently, we worked with a business that hadn’t updated their Shopify theme in several years. When they finally applied a new version, they lost essential customisations—breaking their Google Analytics setup, removing SEO meta tags, and disabling some key third-party tools.
Let’s explore why keeping your Shopify theme updated is critical—and what you should know before clicking "update."
Outdated Themes Can Break Essential Functionality
Theme updates from Shopify and third-party theme developers often include:
- Bug fixes and security patches
- Improvements for Core Web Vitals (site speed)
- Better mobile usability
- New features like updated product filters or checkout enhancements
If your theme is outdated, you’re missing out—and you may be using features that are no longer supported.
Updating Can Remove Your Custom Code
This is where many businesses run into trouble. If your store has custom code added directly to the theme (rather than through custom apps or Shopify’s theme editor), updating your theme can wipe out:
- SEO meta tags
- Analytics and tracking scripts
- Custom fonts or styles
- Third-party integrations (like review platforms or email marketing tags)
How to protect your customisations:
- Audit your current theme for manual changes before updating.
- Work with a web developer to extract and reapply your code safely.
- Use Shopify’s Online Store 2.0 features where possible, which better separate custom code from theme updates.
Security & Performance Matter for E-commerce
An outdated theme can:
- Expose you to vulnerabilities if bugs are left unpatched.
- Slow down your site, harming your SEO and conversion rates.
- Break compatibility with newer Shopify apps.
Keeping your theme updated ensures you’re meeting best practices for security, accessibility, and speed.
What To Do Before Updating Your Theme
- Back up your current theme. Use Shopify's duplicate feature.
- Audit your customisations. Note where you’ve added code manually.
- Create a staging version. Test the updated theme before publishing it live.
- Check tracking and integrations. Make sure your Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and any other scripts are still present.
- Test your customer journey. From homepage to checkout, ensure everything works smoothly.
Final Thoughts
Updating your Shopify theme isn’t just a maintenance task—it’s essential for protecting your store's performance and your customers’ experience. But updates shouldn’t be rushed. Take the time to plan, test, and migrate your custom code.
If your store’s theme hasn’t been updated in a while, or if you’re unsure what customisations you might lose, get in touch. We help e-commerce businesses like yours keep their sites fast, secure, and ready for growth.