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Shopify Theme Migration Checklist

Switch themes without breaking your store or losing conversions

20 items

A theme migration touches every visible element of your store. Apps, custom code, design elements, and conversion optimizations can all break if the transition is not managed carefully.

This checklist ensures your theme migration preserves functionality, performance, and the conversion rate you have worked hard to achieve.

Pre-Migration Preparation

Document current theme customizationshigh

List all custom code, CSS modifications, and third-party scripts added to your current theme. These need to be replicated or replaced.

Screenshot all key pageshigh

Capture screenshots of homepage, product pages, collections, cart, and checkout. These become your visual reference.

Record current performance benchmarkshigh

Run Lighthouse audits and note Core Web Vitals, conversion rate, and bounce rate. These are your comparison baselines.

List all installed appshigh

Document every app and verify compatibility with the new theme. Contact app support for any uncertain integrations.

Backup current themehigh

Download a full copy of your current theme files. This allows rollback if anything goes wrong.

New Theme Setup

Set up theme on unpublished versionhigh

Install and customize the new theme without publishing it. Use the theme preview to test while your live store runs uninterrupted.

Replicate brand customizationhigh

Configure colors, fonts, logos, and branding elements to match your established brand identity.

Rebuild navigation menushigh

Set up header and footer navigation in the new theme. Verify all links point to correct destinations.

Configure homepage sectionshigh

Rebuild your homepage layout with the new theme sections. Match or improve upon your current homepage design.

Set up product page layouthigh

Configure product page sections, review widget placement, and conversion elements in the new theme.

App and Integration Testing

Test Eevy AI review widgethigh

Verify the review widget renders correctly in the new theme. Check on product pages, collection pages, and homepage.

Test all app embed blockshigh

Enable each app embed in the new theme and verify functionality. App blocks may behave differently between themes.

Check custom code compatibilityhigh

Test any custom JavaScript or CSS in the new theme. Theme-specific selectors may need updating.

Verify analytics trackinghigh

Confirm GA4, Meta Pixel, and all tracking scripts fire correctly in the new theme.

Test checkout customizationshigh

Verify any checkout customizations or scripts work with the new theme. Checkout issues directly impact revenue.

Launch and Monitoring

Test on all devices and browsershigh

Check the new theme on mobile, tablet, and desktop across Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge before publishing.

Publish during low-traffic hourshigh

Switch to the new theme during your lowest-traffic period to minimize the impact of any unexpected issues.

Monitor conversion rate for 48 hourshigh

Watch conversion rate closely after the switch. A significant drop indicates something needs immediate attention.

Check for 404 errorshigh

Monitor for broken links or missing pages that may result from URL changes in the new theme.

Run post-migration speed testhigh

Compare Lighthouse scores to your pre-migration benchmarks. Address any performance regressions immediately.

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