Shopify Theme Glossary

Base Theme

The primary version of a Shopify theme that serves as the foundation for all preset variations. Base themes are the main listing in the Shopify Theme Store and contain the core functionality and design system. Examples include Dawn, Prestige, Brooklyn, and Debut.

Related: Presets, Theme Family

Presets (Style Presets)

Pre-configured variations of a base theme with different color schemes, typography, layouts, or styling options. Presets allow merchants to start with a customized look without manual configuration. For example, Dawn's presets include Sense, Crave, Taste, and Craft. Each preset is built on the same codebase as the base theme but with different default settings.

Also known as: Style variations, theme variations

Theme Store ID

A unique numerical identifier assigned to each theme in the Shopify Theme Store. This ID is used in theme URLs (e.g., themes.shopify.com/themes/dawn?id=887) and for tracking themes across updates. Base themes have their own IDs, while presets typically reference the base theme's ID in the Shopify ecosystem.

Example: Dawn's Theme Store ID is 887

Developer

The individual or company that created and maintains a theme. Developers range from Shopify's in-house team (creator of Dawn, Debut) to independent agencies and solo developers. Some developers specialize in specific industries or design aesthetics.

See all developers: Browse by Developer

Demo Store

A live preview store showcasing a theme's features, layout, and functionality with sample products and content. Demo stores allow merchants to interact with themes before purchasing, testing navigation, mobile responsiveness, and checkout flows. Available directly from theme listing pages on the Shopify Theme Store.

Theme Version

The current release number of a theme, typically using semantic versioning (e.g., 15.8.1). Version numbers indicate major updates, new features, or bug fixes. Themes in the Shopify Theme Store are regularly updated by developers to improve performance, add features, and maintain compatibility with Shopify platform updates.

Version Date

The date when the current version of a theme was released or last updated. Recent version dates indicate active maintenance and ongoing development. Themes updated within the last 6 months typically have better compatibility with the latest Shopify features.

Online Store 2.0 (OS 2.0)

Shopify's modern theme architecture introduced in 2021, featuring improved customization through sections and blocks throughout the entire store (not just the homepage). OS 2.0 themes offer merchants greater flexibility without requiring code changes. All new themes use this architecture, while older themes may be labeled as "Vintage" or "Classic."

What is a Mega Menu?

An advanced, multi-column dropdown navigation menu that displays multiple categories, subcategories, featured products, and promotional images all at once. Instead of showing a simple list of links, mega menus expand to show a full-width panel with organized sections, making it easy for customers to see all available options without multiple clicks.

Best for: Large catalog stores (fashion, electronics, home goods), multi-department stores

What is a Sticky Header?

A navigation header that remains fixed at the top of the screen as users scroll down the page. Also called a "fixed header" or "floating header," this feature ensures the main navigation menu, search bar, and shopping cart icon stay visible and accessible at all times without requiring users to scroll back to the top of the page.

Best for: All store types, especially those with long content pages or extensive catalogs

What are Breadcrumbs?

A navigational trail that shows users their current location within your site's hierarchy (e.g., Home > Women's Clothing > Dresses > Summer Dresses). Breadcrumbs appear near the top of a page and provide clickable links back to parent categories, helping users understand where they are and easily navigate to higher-level pages.

Best for: Stores with deep category structures (3+ levels), large product catalogs

What is Quick View?

A feature that allows customers to view key product details, images, variants, and add-to-cart functionality in a popup or overlay without leaving the collection page. Instead of navigating to individual product pages, customers can quickly browse multiple products and make purchase decisions from the collection view, significantly speeding up the shopping process.

Best for: Fashion stores, accessory shops, any store with visually similar products

What are Color Swatches?

Visual color options displayed as clickable colored circles, squares, or images rather than a text dropdown menu. Color swatches show exactly what each color variant looks like, allowing customers to see all available colors at a glance and select their preferred option with a single click. Often includes product image updates when hovering over or selecting different color options.

Best for: Apparel, furniture, any products with 3+ color variants

What is Product Filtering?

Advanced search and filtering system (also called "faceted search") that allows customers to narrow down product collections by multiple criteria such as price range, size, color, brand, material, or custom attributes. Customers can apply multiple filters simultaneously to quickly find exactly what they're looking for without browsing through irrelevant products.

Best for: Large catalogs, multi-category stores, any store with diverse product attributes

What is Predictive Search?

An auto-suggest search feature that displays instant results as customers type their search query. Also called "search-as-you-type" or "instant search," this feature shows product suggestions, categories, and search term completions in a dropdown below the search bar, allowing customers to find products without finishing their query or viewing full search results pages.

Best for: All store sizes, particularly valuable for stores with complex product names

What is Sticky Add to Cart?

A fixed "Add to Cart" button that stays visible as customers scroll down product pages, ensuring the purchase action is always accessible without scrolling back to the top. The button typically includes product variant selection and remains anchored to the bottom of the screen (mobile) or follows the page scroll (desktop), removing friction from the buying process.

Best for: All stores, especially those with detailed product pages and mobile traffic

What is an Ajax Cart (Slide-out Cart)?

A shopping cart drawer that slides in from the side of the screen when customers add items, allowing them to view and modify cart contents without leaving the current page. Also called a "mini cart" or "cart drawer," this feature provides instant feedback on additions and lets customers continue shopping seamlessly or proceed directly to checkout from any page.

Best for: All store types, especially multi-product purchases and fashion stores

What are Cross-Selling and Upselling?

Product recommendation features that suggest complementary items (cross-selling) or premium alternatives (upselling) to increase average order value. Cross-selling shows related products ("Customers also bought" or "Complete the look"), while upselling highlights upgraded versions or bundles. These recommendations appear on product pages, in cart, or during checkout to encourage additional purchases.

Best for: All stores, particularly effective in fashion, electronics, and beauty

Retired

Themes that have been intentionally discontinued by the theme developer. Developers typically retire themes when launching newer versions with improved features, transitioning to updated architectures, or focusing their product portfolio. Retired themes are no longer available for new purchases in the Shopify Theme Store, but stores currently using retired themes can continue to do so. Developer support may be limited or unavailable for retired themes.

Distinction: Retired themes are deliberately discontinued by their developers as a business decision.

Core Web Vitals (CWV)

A set of standardized performance metrics developed by Google to measure user experience on websites. Core Web Vitals include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). These metrics directly impact search engine rankings and conversion rates. Faster themes generally provide better user experiences and higher search visibility.

Learn more: Theme Vitals Partnership

Mobile/Desktop Performance Rankings

Numerical rankings indicating how a theme performs relative to other Shopify themes on mobile and desktop devices. These rankings are based on real-world Core Web Vitals data collected from thousands of live stores. Lower numbers indicate better performance (e.g., #1 is the fastest). Mobile rankings are particularly important as most ecommerce traffic comes from mobile devices.

Pro Feature: Performance rankings are available to Pro and Team tier users on shopinfo.app. Data provided by Theme Vitals.

Theme Vitals Tracked

A badge indicating that a theme is included in Theme Vitals' performance tracking dataset. Being tracked indicates significant real-world usage and market presence. Theme Vitals tracks approximately 200-300 themes with the highest market share, representing the most widely used themes in the Shopify ecosystem. Not all themes have performance data available.

Current Price

The current one-time purchase price for a theme in the Shopify Theme Store. Theme prices range from $0 (free themes like Dawn, Sense, Craft) to $400+ for premium themes with extensive features. Most premium themes are priced between $180-$350. The price is a one-time payment with no recurring fees, and includes unlimited usage and updates.

Price History

Historical record of a theme's pricing over time, including increases, decreases, and promotional periods. Price changes can indicate updates to feature sets, market positioning adjustments, or special promotions. shopinfo.app tracks price history with visual charts showing trends over time.

Pro Feature: Detailed price history charts are available to Pro and Team tier users on individual theme pages.

Price Change Indicators

Visual symbols showing recent price movements in theme listings. Up arrow (↑) indicates a price increase, down arrow (↓) shows a decrease, and bidirectional arrow (↕) means the price changed but returned to the original amount. These indicators help identify themes with volatile pricing or recent promotions.

List View vs Grid View

Two different ways to browse themes on shopinfo.app. List View displays themes in a sortable table format with detailed information in columns (name, developer, version, price). Grid View shows themes as visual cards with screenshots, ideal for browsing themes by appearance. Both views offer filtering and search capabilities.

CSV Export

Feature allowing Pro and Team tier users to export theme data as CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files for analysis in spreadsheet applications. Exports include all theme information: names, developers, versions, prices, dates, and IDs. Useful for research, comparison analysis, or building custom tools.

🔒 Pro Feature: CSV export with complete theme database is available to Pro tier users. Upgrade to Pro for just $5/month.

Saved Themes

Personal collection feature allowing users to save themes of interest with notes and tags. Basic users can save 1 theme, while Pro and Team users have unlimited saves. Use saved themes to build shortlists during theme selection, track competitors' themes, or organize research projects.

📊 Pro Feature: Unlimited saved themes with notes and tags for comprehensive theme research. Upgrade to Pro to save unlimited themes.

Theme Changelog

Automated tracking system that monitors and records theme changes including price updates, version releases, and new theme launches. Pro, Team, and ShopDev Alliance members can view the full changelog with filtering by change type, date range, and theme name. Helps merchants stay informed about theme updates and market changes.

💰 Pro Feature: Full access to automated theme changelog with price tracking and version updates. Upgrade to Pro to track theme changes.

View changelog: Theme Changelog

Shop Discovery

Feature showing which real-world Shopify stores use specific themes. Basic users can see limited examples, while Pro users get full access to all tracked stores. Useful for seeing how themes perform in production environments across different industries and use cases.

🔍 Pro Feature: See all tracked stores using each theme to understand real-world implementation. Upgrade to Pro for full shop discovery access.

Sections

Modular building blocks in Shopify themes that contain specific content or functionality. Sections can be added, removed, reordered, and customized through the theme editor without touching code. Examples include header sections, product galleries, testimonials, and footer sections. Online Store 2.0 themes allow sections on all pages, not just the homepage.

Blocks

Smaller customizable units within sections. Blocks allow fine-grained control over content layout and appearance. For example, a featured collection section might contain blocks for heading, description, and product grid. Merchants can add, remove, and rearrange blocks within sections to create custom layouts.

App Blocks

Special blocks provided by Shopify apps that can be added to Online Store 2.0 themes through the theme editor. App blocks allow seamless integration of third-party functionality (reviews, size guides, loyalty programs) without code modifications. Only supported in OS 2.0 themes, making them more flexible and easier to customize.

Theme Customizer

Shopify's visual editor interface for modifying themes without coding knowledge. The customizer provides real-time preview of changes and controls for colors, typography, layout, sections, and blocks. Accessed through the Shopify admin under Online Store → Themes → Customize.