THE CLUB DEEP DIVE SHOPIFY WATCH

SHOPIFY CANVAS IS HERE.

Here's how to use it without breaking your store.

On October 1, Shopify introduced Canvas: a new visual workspace where you design your storefront with Sidekick, Shopify's built-in AI assistant. It's one of the biggest changes to how Shopify stores get built in years. It's also very early. Here's what it does, what it can't do yet, and a step-by-step guide to trying it safely.

BUY. BUILD. GROW. TOGETHER.

01 WHAT IT IS

YOUR WHOLE STORE ON ONE SCREEN.

The classic theme editor shows you one template at a time. Canvas lays out every template in your store side by side on one zoomable surface: homepage, collections, product pages, cart and more.

From there, you can click and edit things yourself, or describe what you want and let Sidekick build it. And it isn't a mockup tool. Canvas renders your store's actual theme code, so what you see is what your customers get.

THREE WAYS TO WORK IN CANVAS:

① Edit it yourself. Click any block, setting or piece of text and change it directly.

② Ask Sidekick. Describe the change in plain English, including things your theme's settings don't offer, and Sidekick writes the code.

③ Start from scratch. Describe your brand and have Sidekick build a brand-new theme, or experiment on a copy of an existing one.

02 WHY IT MATTERS

CUSTOM DESIGN JUST GOT CHEAPER.

Until now, anything your theme didn't support meant a developer, an app, or living without it. Canvas changes that. Shopify says Sidekick made more than 25 million theme edits in the first half of 2026 alone, and its product team claims a merchant can now build a fully custom store in about twenty minutes.

Treat that number as a best case. But the direction is clear: the cost of trying a design idea is heading toward zero. That makes good judgment about which ideas to ship more valuable than ever.

03 READ THIS FIRST

WHAT CANVAS CAN'T DO (YET).

Shopify itself calls Canvas early. Before you move your live theme into it, know the gaps:

→ App blocks and embeds don't work yet. Themes created or duplicated in Canvas won't include your apps' blocks and embeds for now. Shopify says support is coming within weeks.
→ Third-party themes aren't fully supported. Shopify says it's working on compatibility.
→ No Markets, Translations or Rollouts. Selling internationally or in multiple languages? Wait.
→ Desktop only, and in early access for certain stores, so you may not see it yet.
→ It may be a one-way door. Early reviews report that themes edited in Canvas stop receiving automatic theme updates.

The good news: Canvas is optional. Your existing themes keep working in the regular theme editor, and so do your apps.

04 THE CLUB PLAY

STEP BY STEP: HOW TO GET STARTED WITH CANVAS.

Play with it this week. Just don't play with your live store. First, make sure you can use it:

BEFORE YOU START: CAN YOU USE IT?

☐ Your store has early access. Canvas is rolling out gradually. If you don't see it on your Themes page, you don't have it yet.
☐ You're on a desktop computer. Canvas doesn't work on mobile.
☐ Your plan includes theme customization.
☐ You're using a Shopify-made theme or a custom theme. Themes bought from third-party developers aren't supported yet.
☐ Your staff account can edit code. You need the Online Store > Themes > Edit code permission.

THEN FOLLOW THESE STEPS:

Go to Online Store > Themes in your Shopify admin.
Click New, then choose Duplicate in Canvas. This makes a Canvas copy of your theme, so your live store stays untouched. Starting fresh? Describe your brand and let Sidekick build a new theme instead.
Write down your app blocks and embeds (reviews, upsells, subscriptions, bundles). They won't carry over to the Canvas copy yet.
Find your way around. Every template sits side by side, so pan and zoom to the page you want. Start with one page, ideally your best-selling product page, and one clear goal.
Ask Sidekick for a plan before any changes. Use the prompt below, review its suggestions, and approve before it builds.
Make your edits. Click any element to change it yourself, or type a request into the Sidekick chat. Changes appear as they're made.
Preview on a real phone. Canvas is desktop-only, but most of your customers shop on mobile.
Test before you go live: checkout, apps, tracking and any discounts.
Click Publish when you're ready. Made more changes later? Click Update on the published theme to push them live. Avoid publishing during your busiest weeks.

Coming back later? On the Themes page, find the theme with the Canvas badge and click Edit theme.

05 AI IRL

STEAL THIS SIDEKICK PROMPT.

Copy. Paste. Get a plan before you get changes.

I'm testing Canvas on a duplicate of my live theme.

Before changing anything, review my homepage and my best-selling product page from a mobile shopper's perspective.

Identify the 5 changes most likely to improve conversion. For each one, tell me:
1. What you would change
2. Why it should help
3. Which templates it affects
4. Whether it touches any app blocks or embeds

Rank them by expected impact. Do not make any edits until I approve the plan.

06 OUR TAKE

EXCITING. NOT READY FOR EVERY STORE.

TRY IT NOW IF:
You're launching a new store, run a simple app stack, sell in one market and language, or want to prototype ideas fast.

WAIT IF:
Your store depends on app blocks, you sell internationally, you use a third-party theme, or you're heading into your busiest season.

Either way, start learning it now. The merchants who get good at directing AI design tools early will move faster than everyone else when Canvas becomes the default.

NEED A HAND? WORK WITH THE CLUB

NOT SURE IF CANVAS IS RIGHT FOR YOUR STORE?

Whether you want help testing Canvas, rebuilding your theme, or getting custom work done by a Shopify developer, tell us about your project and someone from our team will reach out to help you.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROJECT →