Working with a developer

Theme support covers the theme as it ships: bugs, questions, help with settings. A new feature for one store, or a change to the theme’s code, is custom development — that is a Shopify rule for every Theme Store theme. Here is how to get it done well.

Finding a developer

Shopify keeps a directory of vetted agencies and freelancers: the Shopify Partner Directory. Filter by service (theme customisation) and budget, and read the reviews.

Giving access safely

Never share your own login. A developer asks for collaborator access with a request from their Partner account; you approve it in Settings → Users and permissions and choose exactly which areas they can open — for theme work, Themes is usually enough. Remove the access when the job is done.

What to send them

• The theme’s name and version, and a link to its documentation (for Strata: Strata for developers).
• What you want, with a screenshot or a sketch.
• Whether it should survive theme updates — it usually should, which is a reason to use settings, Custom CSS and Custom Liquid before code edits.

Before they start

Ask them to work on a duplicate of your theme (see Duplicate, back up and preview) and to write down every file they change. You will need that list the next time you update the theme.