Tips: Updating your theme - Migrating your homepage sections and theme settings to a new version of Pipeline
Here are some tips for migrating your homepage sections and theme settings to a newer version of Pipeline.
- 1
-
Download the new version of Pipeline
It's important to remember, when you download the latest version of Pipeline, you won't be updating your current live theme that's running the store. Downloading the new version will simply add a new theme into your list of draft themes. Draft themes are unpublished (not visible to the public) and can be setup/tested while your live theme runs the store.
Use the following link to begin the download process from the Theme Store:
Click this link:
Step 1 - Update Pipeline from Theme Store
Tip: Be sure to be logged-in to your Shopify Admin with the account the originally purchased Pipeline. If a staff member or other account is logged-in to Shopify Admin, the Theme Store might as you to pay/purchase the theme.
Click on the button "Add latest theme version":
Tip: You must be logged-in to the account that purchased the original theme.
If you see "Try theme" and "Buy theme" options, logout and log-in again with the account that purchased the theme. Be sure the main button has "Add latest theme version".
To learn more about updating themes from Shopify, here is a link to their support article:
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/using-themes/managing-themes/updating-themes
The newly added theme will sit in a section below your main live theme. This helps you differentiate your published theme theme from non-published themes. The big one on top with the preview image of your homepage is the live/published theme (your current and older version of Pipeline) and the ones below are non-published themes.
Tip: Rename the newly added theme, it's grouped with the non-published themes:
You can now start customizing the Pipeline New theme while your live website is still running the older version of Pipeline.
- 2
-
Copy your theme settings and homepage sections
This step will allow you to copy over all your current homepage sections and theme settings that you've made to the live theme. This is the quickest method of setting up your new theme.
From your list of themes, choose the Actions button on the main live theme and then Edit code:
Open the following file from the Config folder:
settings_data.json
Tip: In the left folder column, type-in "data" to filter and find settings_data.json in the Config folder:
Click on the settings_data.json file to view the code.
Next,
Copy all the code from the right code section:
1. Use Command-A (Mac) or Control-A (Win) to select all.
Example:
2. Then Command-C (Mac) or Control-C (Win) to copy all the selected code.
We will now paste all that code code to the same file in the new updated version of Pipeline.
Return to the main Themes list.
in your drafts section, below the live theme find the new version of Pipeline. Use the Actions link and choose Edit code for the new theme, Pipeline New.
Example:
Tip: Remember, you are now using the Actions link from the newly downloaded version of Pipeline.
Next, in the Code Editor - Type in data in the top filter bar and search for data:
(similar to the earlier step but now on the new theme)
Click on settings_data.json in the Config folder to see the code.
Next, replace all the code in this file from the code from your live theme.
3: Use select all (Command-A on Mac or Control-A in Win) to highlight all the code:
4. Then replace all the code by using paste (Command-V on Mac or Control-V in Win).
Tip: If your clipboard is empty, start the entire step again - Copy the code from your live theme and then replace all the code on the new version of Pipeline, same file.
Save the file:
Errors: If you are unable to save your file in the Theme Editor, see the troubleshooting tips below - Click here.
- 3
-
Preview your theme
You can now Preview your new version of Pipeline.
You'll be able to see that your homepage sections and theme settings will now be copied over to the new theme.
- 4
-
Apps and Code Customization
At this point your new theme has all the main content and settings and is ready to modify. We recommend you look at any new features you might want to use or take advantage of features and settings that were unavailable in older versions of Pipeline.
INSTALLED APPS
Apps that you have installed on your live theme may need you to reinstall their app code. Some apps will work fine without any code but others need code added to the new theme in order for them to function correctly.
Tip: Visit your Apps section in the Shopify Admin and go through all the apps you have installed:
For each app, we recommend you visit their support page and inquire about how to install when using a new theme. All app developers handle this differently so it's important that you get the installation instructions direct from their support documentation or contact the app developer for instructions.
CSS OVERRIDES
If you have added custom CSS override code to your theme from our support articles or online help, we always recommend that you add your CSS code snippets to the bottom of theme.scss.liquid or for older versions of Pipeline, styles.scss.liquid. If you've added CSS code snippets, you can easily find and copy over those snippets to your new theme. Verify that it's still something you need before you copy over. Some sections may have changed so test before and after copying over your CSS snippets.
Important: Be sure not to copy all the CSS from the old theme to the new theme - That will break your theme. Only copy the overrides that you might have added from tutorials (if they still apply).
CUSTOM CODE CHANGES
Custom code changes that you've done or a developer has done for you will have to be manually added back into your theme. These do not migrate over. The settings_data.json file only holds your homepage sections and site settings. Any custom code done by yourself or a developer will still be in your live theme. You can start to recreating those files and snippets into the new theme. Use the live theme as a reference point. We recommend that you document all the custom code changes you've made in order to assist with any theme update.
Tip: If you've created custom sections on the homepage (example, custom banner for mobile and desktop), then create those files first on your new theme and then copy over the content of settings_data.json from Step 2. That way those settings will come over. If you copy over settings_data.json before creating the files, the content won't migrate over.
Publishing your theme
Once you have the new theme looking good, you can publish it from the themes list in the Actions menu:
Troubleshooting - Update errors
If you experience an error when saving your copied settings_data.json code like this:This will prevent you from saving your file. If that's the case, contact us with a screenshot of the error. We will need access to your theme and can remove that section of code which is not able to be migrated over. When you contact us, please include your xxxxxx.shopify.com domain name, we need this to request access to your theme. Send that information to: help@groupthought.com