Getting started with Theme Kit

Theme Kit is a cross-platform command line tool that you can use to build Shopify themes. To get up and running quickly with Theme Kit, follow the steps in this guide.

Anchor to RequirementsRequirements

• You have access to a Shopify store.
• You're familiar with the basics of the command line.

Anchor to Step 1: Install Theme KitStep 1: Install Theme Kit

You can install Theme Kit using the command line on the following operating systems:

• Linux
• macOS
• Windows

Anchor to LinuxLinux

Use the following installation script to automatically download and install the latest version of Theme Kit:

Anchor to macOSmacOS

Use Homebrew to install Theme Kit by running the following commands:

The Apple M1 architecture is not yet natively supported, but Theme Kit will work if you start the terminal with the Open using Rosetta option.

Anchor to WindowsWindows

Install Theme Kit with Chocolatey by running the following command:

Anchor to Step 2: Get a Theme passwordStep 2: Get a Theme password

After you install Theme Kit, you need to get a Theme password to connect Theme Kit to your store and manage your template files. The store owner or a staff member with the appropriate permissions can create a Theme password for you using the Theme Access app.

Anchor to Steps:Steps:

1. Ask the store owner or a staff member with the appropriate permissions to create a Theme password for you using the Theme Access app.
2. Go to your email inbox and open the invitation containing your Theme password.
3. In the invitation, click Get Theme password.
4. Copy the password. You'll use it in the next step.

The link expires after 7 days or after you have viewed the password. You can only view the password once.

Anchor to Step 3: Connect to an existing themeStep 3: Connect to an existing theme

To connect to an existing theme, you'll need the theme's ID. The easiest way to get your theme's ID is to use the theme get command, which returns a list of themes and IDs that exist on the store.

The following is an example of the theme get command, where your-password is your Theme password from step 2 and your-store is your store's Shopify domain name:

Anchor to Using PowerShellUsing PowerShell

If you're using PowerShell, then you need to include quotations around the URL if it follows a single dash. This is especially important if you're using the short form in the command. For example, the following shows one example that will work, and one that won't:

Anchor to Step 4: Set up your config fileStep 4: Set up your config file

A config.yml file creates a local connection to your Shopify store's theme. You can use the previous information you collected (Theme password and theme ID) to create a config.yml file in your theme, and then download the theme locally.

Anchor to Steps:Steps:

1. Create a directory for your theme:

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   mkdir [your-theme-name]

2. Navigate to the new directory:

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   cd [your-theme-name]

3. To download a specific theme, and create the config.yml file that connects this theme with a local version in the directory you just created, run the following command:

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   theme get --password=[your-password] --store="[your-store.myshopify.com]" --themeid=[your-theme-id]

Anchor to Step 5: Create a new themeStep 5: Create a new theme

To create a new theme, run the following command:

Running the theme new command does the following:

• Generates a basic theme template locally
• Creates a new theme in your Shopify store
• Uploads the new files to your Shopify store
• Creates or updates your config.yml file with the configuration for your new theme

Anchor to Step 6: Push updates to your themeStep 6: Push updates to your theme

Now that you've established a connection to a Shopify theme, you can run the following command in your theme directory:

The theme watch command instructs Theme Kit to watch for any changes made to your local files, and automatically pushes changes to your theme in the connected Shopify store. To close the watch connection, type Control+C.

Anchor to Next stepsNext steps

• Build and customize your themes faster using component-based Liquid examples.
• Use the Liquid Cheat Sheet as a quick reference while you build your themes.
• Access our comprehensive Liquid reference for detailed documentation on Liquid tags, objects, and filters.
• Learn about the different commands that you can use in Theme Kit to execute key operations.
• Familiarize yourself with the configuration variables and their accepted values in Theme Kit.
• Learn how to identify and resolve common issues in Theme Kit.