You can use it before making theme changes, installing app code, updating templates, or testing changes on a live or unpublished theme. If you need the backup later, Theme Backup can restore it as a new unpublished theme in Shopify.

Theme Backup does not overwrite your current live theme when restoring. Restores are uploaded as unpublished themes, so you can review them in Shopify before publishing.

Theme Backup can:

Use Theme Backup before:

It is also useful if you want to keep a snapshot of a theme before a major update.

Open Theme Backup in Power Tools.

Select the “Back Up Theme” tab.

You will see a list of themes from Shopify. The live theme is marked as “Live theme”. Each theme also shows when it was last updated and whether Power Tools has a previous backup for it.

Click “Backup to Files” beside the theme you want to back up.

Power Tools will read the theme files, build a zip archive, and upload the backup to Shopify Files.

When the backup is complete, you will see the backup filename and file URL.

Theme backups are stored in Shopify Files as zip archives.

The file name uses this format:

For example:

You can open Shopify Files from your Shopify admin if you need to view or download the backup file.

Open Theme Backup in Power Tools.

Select the “Restore Theme” tab.

You will see successful backups that are available to restore.

Click “Restore Theme” beside the backup you want to restore.

Power Tools will upload the zip backup back into Shopify Themes.

The restored theme is created as an unpublished theme. It does not replace your live theme automatically.

After the restore finishes, click “View Themes” to open Shopify Themes and review the restored theme.

When a backup is restored, Shopify creates a new unpublished theme from the backup zip.

The restored theme name is based on the original theme name and includes “Restored”.

For example:

You can preview, customize, rename, or publish the restored theme from Shopify.

Theme Backup backs up theme files. It does not back up products, collections, orders, customers, navigation, Shopify settings, or app data.

Restoring a theme does not automatically publish it.

Restoring a backup creates a new unpublished theme instead of overwriting the current live theme.

The backup must complete successfully before it can be restored.

If the backup file is missing from Shopify Files, Power Tools may not be able to restore it. Create a new backup if needed.

Large themes may take longer to back up or restore.

If a backup fails, try running the backup again.

If the app says the backup file is missing, create a new backup of the theme.

If the restore fails, check that the backup completed successfully and that the backup file still exists in Shopify Files.

If the theme list looks incorrect, open Shopify Themes from the button in Theme Backup and confirm the theme exists in Shopify.