--- title: "Shopify Canvas: what it changes for your store design" description: Shopify Canvas puts every page of your store in one editable workspace with Sidekick. What it does, what it can't do yet, and when to use it. slug: shopify-canvas date: 2026-10-06 updated: 2026-10-06 service: shopify-builds categories: - support faqs: - question: What is Shopify Canvas? answer: Canvas is a new design surface in the Shopify admin. It lays out every page of your store in one workspace, so you can edit elements directly or ask Sidekick to make changes. You see the working store, with real products, interactions and screen sizes. - question: Can I use Canvas with my Theme Store theme? answer: Not at the moment. Shopify says Canvas works with themes developed by Shopify and with custom themes. Third-party themes from the Theme Store aren't supported. - question: Will my theme still get updates if I edit it in Canvas? answer: No. Shopify says a theme edited in Canvas doesn't receive theme updates. Work on a duplicate first, so your live theme keeps its update path while you test. --- Most design changes we see on live stores start the same way. Someone opens the theme editor, works on one template, then finds the change looks wrong on another page. The editor shows one page at a time, but customers see the whole store. Shopify Canvas is a new way to design your store with every page laid out together. You can pan across the whole store, click any element to edit it, or ask Sidekick to make the change. It's rolling out now. It works with Shopify's own themes and custom themes, not Theme Store themes, and has a few limits to plan around. ## What has Shopify launched? Shopify announced Canvas in its [changelog on the 1st of October 2026](https://changelog.shopify.com/posts/design-a-fully-bespoke-store-with-canvas). It describes Canvas as a new design surface where every page sits in one interactive, infinite workspace. Inside Canvas you can do four things. - Pan across every page of your store and zoom in on any detail. - Click an element to edit it directly, or tell Sidekick what you want in the chat. - Watch Sidekick's changes land in real time, from one section to a store-wide redesign. - Preview the real, working store, with interactions, animations, different products, collections and screen sizes. You'll find it under Online Store, then Themes. From there you can create a new theme in Canvas or duplicate an existing Shopify or custom theme into it. Shopify says it's rolling out to existing stores over the coming days. The help centre still describes it as early access, so it may not show on your store yet. ## Who can use Shopify Canvas? Shopify's [Canvas help centre guide](https://help.shopify.com/manual/online-store/themes/canvas) sets out the requirements. - You need a desktop. Canvas isn't available on mobile. - Your plan has to include theme customisation. - Your theme has to be developed by Shopify or be a custom theme. - Staff need the permission to edit theme code. That third point matters for a lot of stores. If you bought your theme from the Theme Store, Canvas won't open it. Stores on a custom theme, like the ones we build, are in scope. ## What can't Canvas do yet? This is the part to read before you try it on your live theme. Shopify lists several limits at launch. - A theme you edit in Canvas doesn't receive theme updates. - You can't download the theme files for a Canvas-edited theme. - You can't add or configure app blocks or app embeds. - Customising the theme by market isn't supported. - Translations need the Translate and Adapt app rather than Canvas itself. - New blocks are added through Sidekick, not by hand. - Rollouts can use a Canvas theme as a replacement theme, but can't edit it. For a simple single-market store, most of these won't get in the way. For an international or B2B store, several of them will. If you've set up [theme and checkout settings by market](/insights/shopify-theme-and-checkout-by-market), Canvas can't manage those yet. If your reviews, loyalty or subscriptions run through app blocks, you'll still configure them in the standard editor. The theme updates point is the one we'd weigh most. Once a theme is edited in Canvas, it's on its own path. That's normal for a custom theme, but it's a real change for a store on a Shopify theme that relies on updates. ## How should you try Canvas safely? Treat Canvas like any other theme project. Keep your live theme untouched until you're sure. 1. Duplicate your live theme and open the copy in Canvas. 2. Pick one job, such as a new homepage layout or a seasonal campaign page. 3. Check every template the change touches, on desktop and on a phone size. 4. List the app blocks and market settings on your live theme, so nothing goes missing. 5. Preview with real products and collections, including your longest names and largest images. 6. Publish only when the copy matches your live theme on everything Canvas can't edit. If you want to test the result against live traffic, [Shopify Rollouts](/insights/shopify-rollouts-schedule-theme-changes) can put a Canvas theme in front of part of your audience as a replacement. That gives you numbers before you switch. With peak trading close, we'd keep Canvas experiments off the live store until after your code freeze. Our [Black Friday Shopify checklist](/insights/black-friday-shopify-code-freeze) covers that week in detail. ## When does a custom build still make sense? Canvas is a big step for teams who want to design without waiting on a developer. That's exactly the outcome we aim for on every build. It doesn't replace the decisions underneath the design. How your catalogue is structured still decides what navigation and filters have to do. Integrations with your ERP, trade pricing for B2B buyers and market-specific setups still need planning. Speed, accessibility and clean code still need someone to own them. We see Canvas and custom builds working together. We build the theme around your catalogue and integrations. Your team then uses Canvas to shape campaigns and pages day to day. That's the same goal we had with [Bosie](/work/bosie), a theme the team could merchandise every day without fighting it. If you're weighing up a bigger change, our post on [when to redesign your Shopify store](/insights/shopify-store-redesign) will help you decide between a rebuild and steady improvements. ## Where parallel helps We can check whether your theme is ready for Canvas, set up a safe duplicate and map the app blocks and market settings it can't edit. For stores on a custom theme, we'll show your team how to use Canvas without losing what the build already does. See how we approach [Shopify design and build](/services/shopify-builds), or [book a call](https://calendar.app.google/ZiyqCtwHo1qSboN36) and we'll look at your theme with you.