Migration Guide

Switching to Brave from another theme? This guide helps you migrate smoothly without losing content or breaking your store.

📖 Guide⏱️ 30-60 min

Overview

Migrating themes can feel daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Your product data, collections, and customer information are stored in Shopify—not your theme. Changing themes is primarily about rebuilding your layout and design.

ℹ️

Your data is safe. Products, customers, orders, and collections are stored in Shopify's database. Switching themes won't affect this data.

Before You Start

What Migrates Automatically

These are stored in Shopify and carry over to any theme:

  • ✅ Products and variants
  • ✅ Collections
  • ✅ Customers
  • ✅ Orders
  • ✅ Pages (content)
  • ✅ Blog posts
  • ✅ Navigation menus
  • ✅ Store settings

What Needs Rebuilding

These are theme-specific and need to be recreated:

  • ❌ Section layouts and settings
  • ❌ Hero images and slideshows
  • ❌ Custom sections
  • ❌ Theme-specific customizations
  • ❌ Custom CSS (may need updates)
  • ❌ App integrations (may need reconnecting)

Migration Checklist

Pre-Migration

1

Document Your Current Store

Take screenshots of every page (homepage, collections, product pages). Note what sections you're using and their order.

2

Backup Custom Code

If you have custom code in your current theme, copy it to a text file. Check:

  • theme.liquid
  • Any custom CSS files
  • Custom Liquid snippets
3

List Your Apps

Make a list of all apps that integrate with your theme. Note which ones may need theme-specific setup.

4

Gather Your Assets

Download any images or files you'll need:

  • Logo files (PNG with transparency)
  • Hero images
  • Collection banners
  • Lifestyle photos
5

Install Brave on a Duplicate

Don't publish Brave immediately. Install it and customize on a duplicate theme first.

Step-by-Step Migration

Phase 1: Basic Setup (1-2 hours)

1

Install Brave Theme

Go to Shopify Admin → Online Store → Themes → "Add theme" → Upload Brave.

2

Open Theme Editor

Click "Customize" on Brave (not "Publish" yet).

3

Configure Theme Settings

Set up:

  • Logo (upload both light and dark versions)
  • Color schemes (match your brand colors)
  • Typography (choose fonts)
  • Social links
4

Build Header

  • Add your logo
  • Set up navigation (uses your existing menus)
  • Configure sticky behavior
  • Set up transparent header if desired
5

Build Footer

  • Add menu blocks
  • Configure newsletter signup
  • Add social links
  • Set up payment icons

Phase 2: Homepage (2-3 hours)

1

Match Your Hero

Look at your old hero and recreate it:

  • Slideshow: Add Slideshow section, upload images, configure transitions
  • Static hero: Use Hero Banner section
  • Split layout: Use Hero Split section
2

Recreate Product Sections

Map your old sections to Brave sections:

  • Featured products → Best Sellers or New Releases
  • Product grid → Editorial Grid or Collection Product Grid
  • Collection links → Featured Collection Row
3

Add Trust Elements

  • Add Benefits section
  • Add Reviews section
  • Add FAQ if you had one
4

Final Homepage Sections

  • Newsletter section
  • Social proof
  • Any other sections from your old design

Phase 3: Collection Pages (1 hour)

1

Configure Default Collection Template

Go to a collection page in the editor and customize:

  • Choose Editorial Grid or Product Grid
  • Configure filtering options
  • Set up pagination
2

Create Custom Collection Templates

If you had special layouts for certain collections, create new templates in Brave.

Phase 4: Product Pages (1-2 hours)

1

Choose Layout

Select your preferred product layout:

  • Runway (vertical scroll gallery)
  • 50/50 Split
  • 60/40 Split
2

Configure Product Options

Set up:

  • Gallery behavior
  • Variant selectors (swatches, dropdowns)
  • Add to cart button style
  • Sticky add-to-cart bar
3

Add Cross-Sell Sections

Add Product Recommendations or Related Products section.

Phase 5: Other Pages (30 min)

1

Page Templates

Review About, Contact, and other pages. Customize as needed.

2

Cart & Checkout

Configure Cart Drawer settings and checkout appearance.

App Reconnection

Common Apps That Need Reinstallation

| App Type | Action Needed | |----------|---------------| | Reviews | May need code reinstall or embed block | | Wishlists | Check if app block works, reinstall if needed | | Size guides | Add to product template using app blocks | | Chat widgets | Usually auto-work, test to confirm | | Email popups | May conflict with Brave's popup—choose one | | Instagram feeds | Use Brave's Social Highlights or app embed |

⚠️

Test all apps after migration before publishing. Some apps inject code that may need to be re-added.

Custom Code Migration

CSS Customizations

If you had custom CSS in your old theme:

  1. Open the old theme and go to Assets → custom.css or similar
  2. Copy the CSS code
  3. In Brave, add a new CSS file or use the Code Editor
  4. Paste and update selectors as needed (class names may differ)
ℹ️

Class names change between themes. Custom CSS targeting specific classes will likely need updates. Test thoroughly.

Liquid Customizations

Most Liquid customizations won't transfer directly because:

  • File structures differ
  • Variable names and objects may differ
  • Section schemas are different

Options:

  • Hire a developer to adapt your customizations
  • Check if Brave has built-in equivalents
  • Use app block integrations where possible

Testing Before Launch

Quality Checklist

1

Desktop Testing

Review every page type on desktop:

  • Homepage
  • Collection pages
  • Product pages
  • Cart
  • About/Contact pages
2

Mobile Testing

Test on actual mobile devices (not just browser preview):

  • Navigation works
  • Images display correctly
  • Text is readable
  • Buttons are tappable
3

Checkout Flow

Complete a test purchase using Shopify's Bogus Gateway:

  • Product selection
  • Cart functionality
  • Checkout process
4

App Testing

Test every app integration:

  • Reviews display
  • Wishlist functionality
  • Chat widget appears
  • Email capture works

Publishing Your New Theme

When You're Ready

1

Final Review

One last check of all pages, mobile, and checkout.

2

Publish During Low Traffic

Publish at a time when traffic is lowest (usually late night/early morning).

3

Take Screenshots

Document your new design for reference.

4

Monitor After Launch

Watch for:

  • Customer complaints
  • Checkout issues
  • Broken functionality
  • Speed issues

Rollback Plan

If something goes wrong after publishing:

1

Quick Rollback

Go to Themes and publish your previous theme immediately. Brave will become unpublished but preserved.

2

Diagnose Issues

Investigate problems in the unpublished Brave theme.

3

Fix and Retry

Make corrections and publish again when ready.

💡

Keep your old theme for at least 30 days after migrating. This gives you a safety net if issues emerge.

Getting Help

If you encounter migration issues:

  1. Documentation — Check these docs for feature guidance
  2. Support — Email support@bravetheme.com with specific questions
  3. Developer Hire — Consider hiring a Shopify Expert for complex migrations