A Foolproof Guide to Create a Shopify Theme from Scratch

Building a website that works and impresses your target audience is no mean feat, however. You only have to take one look at the variety of Shopify themes on offer to discover just how many options there really are. Sure, you could opt for one of the paid or free themes available but if you really want to stand out from the crowd, the answer is simple: you need to build a Shopify theme from scratch and we’re here to show you how.

Opting to create your own Shopify theme isn’t an easy task but it does bring with it a whole host of benefits. To get started, we’ve pulled together some essential advice.

Understand Shopify Theme Architecture

To create a Shopify theme from scratch, you need to have a basic understanding of how Shopify theme architecture works. This impacts how elements appear on your website or Shopify store and determines the overall look and feel of your site. They can break down into four areas:

• Layout. This is described as the base of a theme and includes headers and footers and is typically reused across the whole site.
• Templates. Every page on your eCommerce store will have a different template, which controls what is displayed and how.
• Sections. These elements break up your webpage and are classed as reusable modules of content. For example, it might be an ‘image with text’ section. You can customise this with certain colours, fonts, and placement.
• Blocks. Blocks are customisable modules within a section and can contain content such as text, images and videos. Merchants can add, remove and reorder dynamic blocks through the theme editor. A section can contain up to 50 blocks, although the theme developer can set a lower limit using the max_blocks attribute. Static blocks do not count towards this limit.

Shopify CLI (Command Line Interface)

Shopify CLI is a command-line tool for developers building custom Shopify themes. It supports common development tasks such as creating, previewing, testing, pushing and publishing themes. To use the current version of Shopify CLI, you need Node.js 22.12 or higher, Git 2.28.0 or higher, and a supported Node.js package manager such as npm, Yarn 1.x or pnpm installed on your computer.

Shopify Dawn Theme

Dawn is a leading free theme on Shopify. Users can adapt the layout, add cross-sell sections, and optimise product pages. Those that want to create a custom theme can use Dawn as a starting point or even just study its architecture to understand the anatomy of a successful Shopify theme. For more information, take a look at our complete guide on Shopify Dawn.

Use JSON Templates for Sections

Shopify introduced JSON templates as part of Online Store 2.0 in 2021, extending section-based layouts beyond the home page. These data files store a list of sections and their associated settings. Merchants can add, remove and reorder the sections using the theme editor. A theme can contain up to 1,000 JSON templates. Each JSON template can render up to 25 sections, with up to 50 blocks per section.

Shopify GitHub Integration

Another essential tool that makes it easier to create a Shopify theme from scratch is Shopify GitHub integration. By doing this, your Shopify store will be connected to your GitHub repository allowing you to edit theme code and manage any changes. This tool will also prove important in the case of any errors as you have a history of changes.

Understanding Liquid

Liquid, created by Shopify, is a coding language template that is crucial if you want to build a Shopify theme development from scratch. In basic terms, it allows themes to function and is the foundation of every Shopify website. Liquid simplifies several development tasks and makes it easy to create dynamic page templates without having to deep dive into the tricky parts of it. It’ll not only save you time but also level up your eCommerce store.

So now you understand a few of the basics surrounding the Shopify theme development, it’s time to put your knowledge into practice. To help you out, here’s our step-by-step guide.

1. Install Shopify CLI

As mentioned above, Shopify CLI is an essential tool for creating your own custom Shopify theme as it lets you test, preview, and share any changes. To benefit from it, you need to download it on either Windows, macOS, or Linux.

2. Initialise a New Theme using Dawn

Next, you need to create a new theme using Dawn. To do this, clone the DawnGit repository to your machine using Shopify theme init. Head to the Terminal and enter ‘Shopify theme init’, then enter a name for your theme. A folder of the same name will be created, ready for the next step.

3. Start a Local Development Server

Once you’ve created your new theme, you’ll have a link for local development. Be mindful that it only works on Google Chrome, however. Using this link, you can reload and preview changes. The first time you do this, you’ll have to login to Shopify. Run the command “shopify theme dev –store {store-name}” to serve your theme and switch – store for the name of your Shopify store.

4. Upload your Theme to a Store

Next, you need to upload your theme before publishing it. To do this, you need to push the theme code to Shopify using the theme push command. If it’s your first time doing this, you might want to run the command –unpublished. You’ll then be asked to create a name for your theme that will show in the theme library.

5. Publish your Theme to Online Store

To publish your theme, use the theme publish command. But before you do this, it’s important to make sure you’ve pushed all local changes to Shopify. To do that, simply use the theme push command. Enter Shopify theme publish into your terminal, and you’ll have published your very own custom theme. Don’t worry if any of the above sounds difficult as a Shopify theme developer can take care of the hard work for you.

AI-assisted tools can now support the traditional Shopify theme development process:

1. Set up Shopify CLI

Create the theme and run it locally using Shopify CLI.

2. Plan the theme architecture

Structure the theme using layouts, templates, sections, blocks, snippets and assets.

3. Build with Liquid

Use Shopify Liquid, HTML, CSS and JavaScript to create the storefront experience.

4. Install and use Shopify AI Toolkit

Connect a supported AI coding tool to Shopify’s developer documentation and validation tools. The coding tool can then assist with writing and reviewing code, while the Toolkit provides Shopify-specific guidance and validates Liquid templates.

5. Test the theme

Use Shopify Theme Check and other testing tools to assess Liquid and JSON errors, performance, responsiveness and accessibility. Test important eCommerce functions manually before launch.

6. Deploy the theme

Push the approved theme to Shopify and publish it after completing the final checks.

Developers should review and test all AI-assisted code before deployment. The Shopify AI Toolkit can improve the development workflow, but human oversight remains necessary.

There is another area to get to grips with during custom Shopify theme development and that’s Shopify Hydrogen. This is a type of framework, built by Shopify, to help eCommerce store owners build a shop front using Shopify’s infrastructure in the backend. It offers users a set of tools, functions, and examples to create powerful and dynamic websites based on Shopify best practices but hosting the store on your own. For more information, you can read our guide on building storefronts using Shopify Hydrogen.

A custom Shopify theme offers better experiences for your customers, an enhanced brand identity, and helps differentiate you from the competition. But it’s not easy. It takes time and can quickly become very challenging. That’s where the Shopify experts at Vsourz come in. Apart from being visually appealing, your theme must provide stable performance and encourage conversions, which is why it pays to invest in Shopify development services.

So, if you want to create a customised theme for your storefront, hire a Shopify theme developer. Not just that, if you have a unique business idea to bring to life, a tech partnership with Vsourz is just what you need. Drop us a line to partner with a dedicated team.