Online Store / New feature

Canvas
Design every page of your store on one infinite canvas

A new design surface that lays out every page in a single interactive workspace. Pan and zoom to see your whole store, click elements to edit them directly, or chat with Sidekick, and changes appear in real time.

What's on this page
  1. What's changing (30-second overview)
  2. 4 things you can do with Canvas
  3. How it works: from editing to preview
  4. Getting started (3 steps)
  5. Unsupported features and limitations at launch
  6. Classic theme editor vs. Canvas
  7. 5 key points for developers
  8. 3 practical use cases
  9. One-line summary for proposals

1What's changing

Until now, editing a theme meant opening and fixing pages one at a time.
Canvas lays out every page of your store in a single infinite workspace, giving you a new design surface where you can edit any part in context while keeping your whole store's look and feel in view.

Before: page-by-page editing

The current theme editor. You switch between pages and edit each one separately. After you adopt Canvas, your original theme stays here.

Canvas: every page at a glance

Every page sits side by side. Pan to move around, zoom in for detail. Click elements to edit them directly, or chat with Sidekick.

24 things you can do with Canvas

Pan & zoom
Move across every page and zoom in on any detail
Click-to-edit
Click an element and edit it in place
Ask Sidekick
Changes appear in real time, from a single section to a full store redesign
Live store preview
Interactions, animations, products/collections, and screen-size switching

3How it works: from editing to preview

Merchant Designer Click-to-edit Select an element and edit it in place Sidekick chat Describe what you want to do Canvas (infinite workspace) Changes appear in real time Preview of your actual store Interactions Animations Switch products / collections Switch screen sizes From fixing a single section to redesigning the entire store, all in one place
The preview is not a static mockup but "a real, working store" , as the article states. Sidekick can make changes ranging from "a single section" to "a full store redesign." The article doesn't give specific Sidekick prompt examples or limitations.

4Getting started (3 steps)

1

Online Store > Themes

Open Online Store > Themes in the admin.

2

Create a theme in Canvas

Create a new theme in Canvas, or duplicate a Shopify theme or custom theme into Canvas.

3

Your original theme stays as is

The original theme remains in the current theme editor.

For existing stores, it's rolling out gradually over the coming days. Because Canvas works on a duplicate, you can try it without breaking your current theme. The article doesn't mention eligible plans or pricing.

5Unsupported features and limitations at launch

Not supported

Third-party themes from the Theme Store

Third-party themes from the Shopify Theme Store can't be used in Canvas.

Not supported

Markets

Markets aren't supported at launch.

Not supported

Rollouts

rollouts aren't supported at launch.

Not supported

Translations

Translations aren't supported at launch.

Not supported

App blocks / App embeds

App blocks and app embeds aren't supported at launch.

Note

No theme updates

Themes edited in Canvas don't receive theme updates.

The article doesn't say when or whether unsupported features will be added. It only notes these limits apply "at launch."

6Current theme editor vs. Canvas

ItemCurrent theme editorCanvas
Workspace One page at a time All pages at a glance Infinite workspace
Editing method Not stated in the article Two ways Direct click + Sidekick chat
Preview Not stated in the article A live, working store (interactions, animations, products/collections, screen sizes)
Third-party themes — Not supported(at launch)
Markets / Translations / Rollouts / App blocks — Not supported(at launch)
Theme updates — Not received

75 key points for developers

1. Built around duplicating and migrating

Canvas themes are created from scratch or by duplicating an existing theme. The original theme stays in the current editor, so you can test alongside your live theme.

2. Cut off from theme updates

Themes edited in Canvas don't receive updates. You'll need a separate process to pick up fixes and new features from the theme developer.

3. App blocks / App embeds not supported

If your store relies on apps (reviews, CRM, tracking tags, etc. added via app embeds), assume those features will be missing when you switch to a Canvas theme.

4. Not yet suited to multilingual or multi-market stores

Markets, translations, and rollouts aren't supported. For cross-border or multilingual stores, sticking with the current editor is the safer choice at launch.

API ?

5. No developer-facing specs mentioned

The article doesn't cover the impact on Liquid or theme file structure, how it works with Shopify CLI or GitHub integration, or whether a Canvas theme can be moved back to the current editor.Before touching a theme under version control, use a duplicate theme to see what changes it produces.

83 practical use cases

Revamp the whole store
USE CASE 1

Run a full-store redesign quickly during a rebrand

Challenge
You want to change the store's look and feel as part of a rebrand, but editing page by page makes overall consistency hard to check and adds more rounds of revisions.
Approach
Duplicate your current theme into Canvas → view all pages side by side and ask Sidekick to redesign the entire store → fine-tune details by clicking directly.
Impact
You can work while seeing how the whole store looks at once, which helps you catch inconsistencies between pages early. The original theme is kept, so it's easy to compare and roll back.
Technical notes
Once you edit a theme in Canvas, it no longer receives theme updates. Audit app embeds and translation usage before you start.
Canvas
USE CASE 2

Run client "design review sessions" on a live store

Challenge
Static design mockups can't convey animations, mobile layouts, or how pages look with real products, which leads to rework after launch.
Approach
Show all pages side by side in Canvas, switch products, collections, and screen sizes in the preview, and click to edit on the spot to reach agreement.
Impact
Reviewing on a working, live store reduces misunderstandings and lets you settle more decisions per review.
Technical notes
Use a duplicated theme for reviews and keep the live theme in the current editor. The article doesn't cover collaborative editing or permissions.
USE CASE 3

Offer a Canvas migration "fit assessment" as a service

Challenge
When merchants ask whether they should switch to Canvas, there are too many unsupported features to give a quick answer.
Approach
Assess with a checklist: ① Is it a third-party theme from the Theme Store? ② Does the store use Markets, translations, or rollouts? ③ Does it rely on app blocks or embeds? ④ Does the merchant want to keep receiving theme updates?
Impact
You can prioritize recommending Canvas to single-market stores with few app dependencies and avoid missing-feature issues after migration.
Technical notes
All unsupported items are limitations "at launch." Support may change, so check the latest Help Center information when running each assessment.

9One-line summary for proposals

"A new design surface that lays out every page of your store at once, lets you edit by clicking or with Sidekick, and lets you check the results on a working, live store.
You can try it on a duplicate, so your live theme stays untouched. However, Markets, translations, app blocks, and third-party themes aren't supported, and theme updates won't be delivered.
The practical approach is to start with single-market stores that have few app dependencies."