# What should you back up before editing a Shopify theme? | Theme Stack Guide

Source: https://themestackguide.com/backup-before-editing-shopify-theme/

Never edit the live theme. Duplicate it first, download a dated copy of the files, write down which templates and sections carry custom code, and note which apps inject code into the theme. That checklist turns every edit into something you can undo in minutes.

## Duplicate the live theme, then leave it alone

Shopify lets you duplicate any installed theme, and that duplicate is your working copy. Edit the copy, preview it, publish it only when it passes your tests. The live theme stays untouched until the moment you are ready, which means a bad edit cannot take down the store at 2 a.m.

Give duplicates dated names, like "Dawn, edits Sep 26". After a few rounds of edits, old duplicates pile up. Keep the last two published versions and the current working copy; delete the rest. A theme library full of "Dawn copy copy 3" is not a backup strategy.

## Download the theme files as a dated archive

Shopify also lets you download a theme as a zip. Do this before any substantial edit: sections, templates, snippets, assets, config, and locale files all come down. Store the zip with a date in the filename somewhere outside Shopify, in a shared drive or a repo your team controls.

The zip is your offline fallback. If an app installer or an auto-update corrupts the theme, you can re-upload the archive and restore in minutes. It also gives you a diff baseline: compare the archive against the current theme to see exactly what changed.

## Record where your custom code lives

Write down every file you or an app has touched: which Liquid sections carry custom blocks, which snippets were added, which templates have custom code, and which settings in the theme editor deviate from defaults. Custom CSS in the editor and custom Liquid blocks are the two things people forget, and they are the two things that break a theme migration.

If your edits are more than a few tweaks, keep the custom code in a repo or at least a dated document. Rebuilding "that snippet the developer added in March" from memory is expensive.

## Note the app dependencies

Many apps inject code, snippets, or app embeds into the theme. Before editing, list which apps touch the theme and how. If you remove or rewrite the section an app depends on, the app's feature can silently stop working: reviews vanish, the upsell widget disappears, the loyalty points widget goes blank.

When testing your edited copy, walk through every app-powered feature, not just the native theme features. The theme can look perfect while the store quietly loses its reviews section.

## Test the money pages on the working copy

A backup only proves its worth if you can restore from it confidently. After each edit round, preview the working copy and test the product page, cart, and checkout on a phone. Add to cart, change variants, apply a discount code, and reach the payment step. If the backup ever has to become the live theme, it should already be tested.

Reviewed September 26, 2026.

Is duplicating the theme enough of a backup?
:   It protects against bad edits on the live theme, but it does not protect against account-level problems or app damage. A downloaded zip plus written notes covers those cases.

Do app embeds need backing up too?
:   Their code lives with the app, so reinstalling the app restores them. What you need to record is which embeds should be on and where their blocks sit in the theme, because a fresh install does not recreate your layout.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a line item property in Shopify?

A line item property is extra information attached to a single item in the cart, like an engraving name or a gift message. It travels with that item into the order, unlike a cart note, which applies to the whole order.

### Where should upsells live, product page or cart?

Simple, low price, clearly related add ons work in the cart, where the buying decision is already made. Considered purchases belong on the product page, where there is room to explain them.