Shopify Theme Migration Checklist
A comprehensive checklist for migrating Shopify themes. Covers pre-migration planning, execution steps, and post-migration verification.
Based on CommerceRank data: Analysis of 57,848+ stores across 2917 themes.
Use this checklist to ensure a smooth theme migration. Print it out or copy to your project management tool.
Pre-Migration Planning
Audit Current Theme
- Document current homepage layout and sections
- Screenshot all page templates
- List all custom code modifications
- Document custom CSS additions
- Note third-party script injections
- Export theme code as backup
Audit Apps
- List all installed apps
- Identify apps that modify storefront
- Check OS 2.0 compatibility for each app
- Note app block availability
- Document app settings
Document Content
- Export navigation menu structure
- Document header configuration
- Document footer content/links
- Note announcement bar content
- List all static pages
- Export blog posts (if changing platforms)
SEO Audit
- Export all page titles
- Export all meta descriptions
- Document URL structure
- List all 301 redirects
- Note canonical URL setup
- Screenshot current Google rankings
Performance Baseline
- Run PageSpeed Insights on homepage
- Run PageSpeed Insights on product page
- Run PageSpeed Insights on collection page
- Document current Core Web Vitals
- Note current mobile scores
Theme Selection
Research
- Review CommerceRank theme data
- Read theme documentation
- Check theme update frequency
- Verify developer support quality
- Use Theme Recommender
Requirements Check
- Theme supports required features
- Performance meets expectations
- Design matches brand
- Budget approved (if premium)
- Check demo stores for reference
Setting Up New Theme
Initial Setup
- Install theme (don't publish)
- Connect to development store (optional)
- Review theme settings thoroughly
- Note available sections and features
Brand Setup
- Upload logo
- Set brand colours
- Configure typography
- Set up favicon
- Configure social media links
Navigation
- Recreate main navigation
- Set up footer navigation
- Configure mobile menu
- Test all navigation links
- Set up mega menu (if applicable)
Content Migration
Homepage
- Set up announcement bar
- Configure hero/slideshow section
- Add featured collection(s)
- Add featured products
- Set up newsletter section
- Add trust badges/icons
- Configure testimonials/reviews
- Add any custom sections
Header/Footer
- Configure header layout
- Set up search functionality
- Add cart icon/drawer
- Configure account links
- Set up footer columns
- Add payment icons
- Add social media links
- Set up copyright text
Product Pages
- Configure product image gallery
- Set up variant selectors
- Add product description sections
- Configure add to cart button
- Set up quantity selector
- Add size guide (if applicable)
- Configure related products
- Set up review display
Collection Pages
- Configure collection grid
- Set up filtering options
- Configure sorting options
- Set up pagination
- Add collection description area
- Configure collection image
Cart Page
- Configure cart layout
- Set up upsell section
- Add trust badges
- Configure shipping calculator
- Test cart functionality
Other Pages
- Set up About page
- Configure Contact page
- Set up FAQ page
- Configure policy pages
- Set up 404 page
Technical Migration
Apps
- Reinstall necessary apps
- Configure app blocks (OS 2.0)
- Test each app functionality
- Remove legacy app code
- Update app settings
Custom Code
- Migrate necessary custom CSS
- Adapt custom Liquid code
- Update JavaScript customizations
- Test all custom functionality
SEO
- Verify page titles carry over
- Check meta descriptions
- Set up canonical URLs
- Configure robots.txt (if needed)
- Set up schema markup
- Verify sitemap generation
Analytics
- Connect Google Analytics
- Set up Facebook Pixel
- Configure other tracking
- Test event tracking
- Verify conversion tracking
Testing
Functional Testing
- Test homepage load
- Test product page add to cart
- Test variant selection
- Test collection filtering
- Test collection sorting
- Test search functionality
- Test cart functionality
- Place test order
- Test account creation
- Test account login
- Test password reset
- Test contact form
- Test newsletter signup
Visual Testing
- Check desktop display
- Check tablet display
- Check mobile display
- Verify image quality
- Check font rendering
- Verify colour accuracy
- Check spacing/alignment
Browser Testing
- Test Chrome
- Test Safari
- Test Firefox
- Test Edge
- Test iOS Safari
- Test Android Chrome
Performance Testing
- Run PageSpeed on homepage
- Run PageSpeed on product page
- Run PageSpeed on collection
- Compare to baseline
- Check mobile scores
Pre-Launch
Final Checks
- All content migrated
- All forms working
- All links working
- No broken images
- No console errors
- Analytics working
- Apps functioning
Backup
- Save backup of old theme
- Export theme settings
- Document any final changes
Team Notification
- Inform team of launch time
- Prepare support for questions
- Have rollback plan ready
Launch
Go Live
- Publish new theme
- Verify live site loads
- Test checkout on live site
- Check analytics firing
- Verify no critical errors
Immediate Post-Launch
- Monitor error logs
- Check customer support channels
- Watch conversion rates
- Test across devices again
Post-Migration (First Week)
Monitoring
- Check daily conversion rates
- Review Google Search Console
- Monitor site speed
- Watch for customer complaints
- Check for 404 errors
Optimization
- Address any issues found
- Fine-tune design elements
- Optimize based on data
- Remove old theme backup
Documentation
- Update internal documentation
- Note any issues and fixes
- Document new theme structure
Success Criteria
After one week, verify:
- Conversion rate stable or improved
- No significant drop in traffic
- Performance scores improved
- Customer complaints addressed
- All functionality working
Next Steps
- Review our post-migration optimization guide
- Learn about common migration mistakes
- Check your store performance
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I keep my old theme after migrating?
Keep your old theme for at least 30 days after migration. This gives you time to spot issues and roll back if needed. You can keep it indefinitely as Shopify allows multiple unpublished themes. Delete only when you're confident the new theme is stable.
Do I need to reinstall all my apps after a theme migration?
Apps stay installed but may need reconfiguration. Apps that modify your storefront need to integrate with the new theme. Check each app's settings and enable app blocks for OS 2.0 themes. Some older apps may need replacing with OS 2.0 compatible versions.
Will my product data transfer to the new theme?
Yes, all product data, collections, customers, and orders stay in your Shopify account. Only theme-specific settings like homepage layout and custom sections need rebuilding. Product descriptions, images, and variants transfer automatically.
Should I hire a developer for theme migration?
For simple stores, you can migrate yourself using a checklist. Complex stores with custom code, many apps, or heavy customisations benefit from professional help. If revenue depends on your store, professional migration reduces risk and downtime.
What is the best day and time to launch a new theme?
Launch during low-traffic periods: early morning on Tuesday or Wednesday works well. Never launch during Black Friday, holiday sales, or other high-traffic events. Have your team available to fix issues quickly after launch.
How do I know if my theme migration was successful?
Success means stable or improved conversion rates, better page speed scores, no increase in customer complaints, and all functionality working correctly. Monitor these metrics for at least one week. Any significant drops indicate issues to investigate.
Themes Mentioned
Ecommerce Strategist
Niko Moustoukas is an ecommerce strategist with over a decade of experience building and scaling high performance online stores across Magento, Hyvä and Shopify Plus. Through CommerceRank.ai, he analyses store data, platform trends and growth patterns to help brands make smarter technical and commercial decisions.
