Starting July 30, 2026, new themes and updates to existing themes submitted to the Theme Store must include the shopify-account component in the header, visible on both desktop and mobile. Legacy customer accounts are also deprecated, so bundling their template files is no longer required.
shopify-account component has been promoted toa mandatory requirement for themes submitted to the Theme Store.Include shopify-account in the theme header. The placement is explicitly specified.
It must be visible on both desktop and mobile. Showing it on only one, or hiding it inside the hamburger menu, does not meet the requirement.
Legacy customer accounts are deprecated, and the requirement to include their template files in a theme has been removed.
Introduced in February 2026, astorefront sign-in and account managementcomponent. The article explicitly names the following three features, plus one.
* The diagram visualizes what the article describes (sign in on the storefront → after signing in, reach account pages from the account menu). The internal authentication sequence and token handling are not stated.
| # | Requirement | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | shopify-account Includes the component |
Required A custom-built login link is not listed as an acceptable substitute |
| 2 | Placement is header | Required Footer or account pages only is not acceptable |
| 3 | Both desktop and mobile— must be visible | Required Watch out for responsive implementations where one of them disappears |
Brand-new themes headed for the Theme Store. Build it into the header from the start.
Even for themes already published,at the time you submit an updatethe requirement must be met. The key point is that this isn't "new themes only."
| Item | Until now | From July 30, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| shopify-account | Optional Introduced February 2026; up to you whether to use it | Required Must be included in the header |
| Display devices | No constraints | Both desktop + mobile — must be visible |
| Legacy customer accounts | Bundling the template file was a requirement | Deprecated The bundling requirement is dropped |
| Sign-in experience | Varied from theme to theme | A consistent experience across every theme (the article's aim) |
| Grace period / migration deadline | — | Not stated |
You no longer need to include the legacy customer accounts template file in your theme. That much can be trimmed from the theme's file structure.
"No longer required to include" is not stated as "safe to delete right away." As for the impact on existing stores still operating with legacy accounts: not stated. Check how it is actually used on live stores before deleting it.
Place the shopify-account component in your theme's header.
Visually confirm that it actually shows up at both desktop and mobile widths.
Decide whether you still need the legacy customer account templates before you submit.
The wording of the requirement is include ... in their header, visible on both desktop and mobile. Even if it exists in the DOM, hiding one of them with CSS goes against the intent.Designs that drop header icons at responsive widths need to be revisited.
This is not just about new themes.updates to existing themes are also in scope, so even if you only intend to ship an update with a single bug fix, you will need shopify-account support first. That affects the order of your development plan.
Passwordless login, automatic Sign in with Shop detection, and social sign-in are all features provided by the component.Building your own login form into the theme costs you twice: on meeting the requirement and on duplicated maintenance.
Since bundling them is no longer mandatory, you can reduce your theme's file count and maintenance surface. That said, deleting them is not a requirement.not "you may delete them" but "you no longer have to carry them"is the safe reading.
The article's purpose is customers get a consistent experience on any device. In other words, Shopify istaking account-related UI out of each theme's discretion and moving it into shared platform components. Going forward, custom theme design assumes you check the Theme Store requirements each time to see "how far you are free to change things." Note that how freely the component can be styled and how far it can be customized are not stated.