Submitting a theme to the Shopify Theme Store

When you submit a theme to the Shopify Theme Store, Shopify’s theme review team reviews your theme to make sure that it meets our Theme Store requirements. If your theme meets our requirements, then it's considered for approval.

Anchor to Theme review processTheme review process

The theme review process is broken down into 5 stages. Your theme must meet all of the following requirements in each stage to advance to the next stage of the review.

The following sections list the theme requirements that we check in each stage of the review process.

Anchor to Stage 1: Theme features and Online Store 2.0 (OS 2.0) compatibilityStage 1: Theme features and Online Store 2.0 (OS 2.0) compatibility

• Features
• OS 2.0 compatibility in the theme’s templates, sections, and blocks

Anchor to Stage 2: Lighthouse performance and accessibilityStage 2: Lighthouse performance and accessibility

• Lighthouse performance and accessibility requirements.

Anchor to Stage 3: Technical requirementsStage 3: Technical requirements

• Pages

• Consistency and functionality

• Browser compatibility

• Assets

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

• Accessibility

• Social media

  During the first three stages, the theme review team might identify design and UX issues, or provide suggestions around design or UX. However, this feedback isn't a complete design and UX review. The team provides in-depth feedback in stage 4 of the review process.

Anchor to Stage 4: Design and UXStage 4: Design and UX

• Theme design and UX
• Settings
• Font picker
• The color system
• Responsive images

Anchor to Stage 5: Pre-launch checksStage 5: Pre-launch checks

• Theme store exclusivity
• Naming themes and theme styles
• Demo stores
• Documentation and contact forms
• Supporting your theme

Anchor to Submit your theme for reviewSubmit your theme for review

1. Log in to your Partner Dashboard.
2. In the sidebar navigation, click Themes.
3. Click Submit a theme.
4. Add your theme ZIP file.
5. Select the check box to acknowledge that you have read and that you agree to the Shopify Partner Agreement.
6. Click Upload file.
7. On the Theme submission form, enter the listing information for your theme and theme presets that will be published to the Shopify Theme Store. Learn more about the Theme Listing page.
8. Click Submit.

Anchor to What to expect from Shopify when you submit your themeWhat to expect from Shopify when you submit your theme

After you submit your theme for review, Shopify’s theme review team tests your theme to ensure that it meets Shopify’s Theme Store requirements before your theme can be approved.

The Shopify theme review team might also access the Shopify admin of your demo store as a part of the theme review process.

If your theme submission doesn't meet our requirements, then your theme is rejected and you're notified by email. If your theme requires minor changes for approval, then you receive an email with a list of the required changes. The email outlines areas of the theme that require attention before continuing through the review process. You have the opportunity to discuss the feedback with the theme review team by replying to the email.

After the theme review team has fully reviewed your theme and ensured that it meets all of Shopify’s requirements, you can list your theme on the Shopify Theme Store.

Anchor to Contact throughout the review processContact throughout the review process

During the review process, we contact you at the email that you specified in the Theme submission contact email field when you completed your theme listing. To make sure that you receive emails from Shopify, add themes@shopify.com and noreply@shopify.com to your allowed senders list in your email service provider’s settings.

Anchor to Changing your theme during reviewChanging your theme during review

After you submit your theme for review, you can still submit changes to your theme as long as the theme review team hasn't initiated the review. To submit changes to your theme, do the following:

1. Log in to your Partner Dashboard.
2. In the sidebar navigation, click Themes.
3. Click the theme that you want to update.
4. Click Upload new zip and upload the changed version of your theme.

After the theme review team initiates a review, you won’t be able to make changes until the review has been completed and the assessment is sent to you.