1/14/2025

Diagnosing & Fixing Theme Issues in Shopify

When running a Shopify store, one of the most essential aspects is your online store's THEME. A visually appealing, well-functioning theme is CRUCIAL for providing a seamless shopping experience for your customers. However, sometimes unexpected problems can arise, leading to frustration and lost sales. In this blog post, we’ll dive into diagnosing & fixing theme issues in Shopify, providing you with actionable steps to ensure your store runs smoothly.

Common Causes of Theme Issues

Every Shopify merchant may encounter theme issues at some point. These problems might range from simple visual glitches to more complex functionality failures. Here’s a glance at some common causes:

Third-party App Conflicts: Sometimes the code from third-party apps can cause conflicts with your theme. For instance, a new app may use code that interferes with how a specific component of your theme works.
Custom Code Modifications: If you’ve made modifications to the theme's code, even a small error can lead to significant functional issues.
Settings Configuration: Incorrect settings within the Shopify admin dashboard can lead to themes not displaying as intended. For example, translated content or product collections might not appear properly.
Template Issues: Sometimes the issue lies in specific templates assigned to products or pages. If they aren't set up correctly, you may see missing information.

Step 1: Locating the Source of the Issue

1. Check Shopify Status Page

The first step to diagnosing any issue is to check the Shopify Status Page for any known outages or issues affecting storefront functionality. If a widespread issue is happening, it may save you time to wait for Shopify to resolve it.

2. Clear Local Device Issues

Sometimes, the problem may not even be with your store but with your device. Here’s how to rule out local issues:

Clear your browser cache & cookies. Just a heads up, if you’re logged into your Shopify account, clearing these might log you out.
Use incognito mode or the Shopify app to see if the issues persist.
Try a different browser or device. Sometimes browsers can cause display issues.
Make sure your browser's date and time are set correctly. An out-of-sync clock can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior on websites.

3. Replicate the Issue with Different Temptates

If the issue seems to persist across different devices and browsers, you may want to check if the problem exists in an uncustomized version of your theme. To do this:

Visit the Theme Store to install the latest version of your theme.
Alternatively, consider switching to a different theme (you can try a free Shopify theme) which can help determine if the issue lies with your specific theme.

Once you install or switch themes, here’s what to evaluate:

If the issue disappears with the new theme, you may need to contact the support team for your currently used theme.
If the same issue continues, the issue might lie with the Shopify admin settings or with a third-party app.

Step 2: Debugging Visual Issues

Images Not Displaying Correctly

If images in your store aren’t displaying perfectly, there could be a few things to check:

Ensure the image dimensions match the required size for your theme. Uploading incompatible images can lead to display issues.
Check if the images are saved in the standard RGB format. If the images are saved in a different color profile, they might not display correctly in your theme.
If GIFs are involved, ensure their dimensions conform to the specifications of the theme editor.

Products & Collections Not Displaying

If products or collections are missing, make sure to:

Review the Sales Channels & Publishing section in your Shopify admin to ensure the products and collections are set to be visible on your online store.
Check the Tags within your collections. Sometimes conflicts at this level can cause products to be filtered out of views.

Step 3: Check Translated Content

If your store serves multiple markets, it’s crucial that all translated content displays correctly. If translations aren’t appearing as needed:

Make sure to update translations manually whenever new content is added in the default language. This helps avoid issues with outdated translations.
Review the Translation settings in your templates to confirm that everything is correctly linked.

Step 4: Use the Theme Editor for Troubleshooting

In some cases, using the Shopify Theme Editor can assist in isolating problems:

By visiting the theme editor, you can check if updates reflect on the storefront as expected. In cases where they don't, verify that the correct template is used for each product.
Make sure to inspect the context settings of your theme editor. Sometimes modifications are made in a specific market, affecting what is viewed in the editor versus the live site.

Step 5: Review Rich Text Editor Issues

If your store has display problems on a particular page or blog post:

Sometimes extra HTML code added through the rich text editor can conflict with theme code, causing issues.
You can review the HTML code. Click on the </> Show HTML button to expose the underlying code, removing any unnecessary or problematic HTML snippets.

Troubleshooting Code Errors

Finally, if you're encountering code error messages:

HTML error found or Theme error messages indicate that there’s a syntax error in your theme code.
Use the theme code editor to scroll through the .liquid files and look for red-highlighted syntax errors. Look out for missing closing tags or other common HTML issues.

Seeking Help

If you’re still unable to resolve the issues after following these troubleshooting steps, don’t hesitate to contact Shopify’s support team. They can provide personalized help and guidance for your specific scenario.

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In Summary

In conclusion, diagnosing & fixing theme issues in Shopify doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With the proper steps and resources at your fingertips, you can pinpoint issues, address them effectively, & ensure your store is performing at its best. Utilize the resources available to you like Shopify’s Help Center or leverage powerful AI technology like Arsturn to supercharge customer engagement!

Here's to a seamless SHOPIFY experience!