Munich / Getting started
Updating the theme
How theme updates work, and what to do before you change any code.
DRAFT —The settings below are generated from the current state of the theme and are regenerated once its settings are frozen. The surrounding text is still being written.
Shopify tells you when a new version of Munich is available, and updating happens in the theme library — you do not reinstall anything by hand. Your settings and content carry over.
Before you change any code
Duplicate the theme first. Updating replaces the theme’s files. Any edit you made directly in the published theme is overwritten and cannot be recovered from within Shopify.
The safe order is always:
- Duplicate the theme in Online Store → Themes → … → Duplicate.
- Make your changes on the duplicate.
- Preview the duplicate, and publish it only when it is right.
Changes made through the theme editor — settings, sections, blocks, content — are not code changes. They are stored separately and survive an update untouched.
Custom code and support
Standard support does not cover custom code. Once a theme file has been edited by hand, we can no longer tell whether a problem comes from the theme or from the change, and supporting modified code is outside what a theme licence includes. See Support for what is covered.
If you need a change the theme settings cannot make, we recommend hiring a Shopify Partner to do the work on a duplicated theme. Ask them to keep a list of the files they touch — you will need it at the next update.
Applying an update
Tips
- Updates are free for as long as you own the theme. There is no subscription and no update fee.
- Keep a note of every file you edit. It turns a painful update into a short one.