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Editor - Publishing

Publishing makes your theme changes live on your store. This guide covers the publishing process, versioning, and activation.

Publishing Overview​

Publishing involves:

  • Uploading theme to tenant repository
  • Creating version backup
  • Making theme available
  • Activating theme (optional)

Publishing Process​

Before Publishing​

  1. Review Changes

    • Check all modifications
    • Test in preview
    • Verify functionality
    • Test responsive design

  2. Save All Files

    • Ensure all files saved
    • Check for unsaved changes
    • Verify file integrity

  3. Test Thoroughly

    • Test all pages
    • Test all viewports
    • Test functionality
    • Check for errors

Publishing Steps​

  1. Click Publish Button

    • Located in toolbar
    • Validation automatically starts
    • Shows progress

  2. Theme Validation (New - January 2025)

    • Security validation popup appears
    • Theme files are scanned for security issues
    • Progress bar shows validation status
    • Results displayed with any errors or warnings
    • Critical errors block publishing - must be fixed before proceeding
    • Warnings don't block - publishing can continue after review

  3. Upload to Tenant Repository

    • Files uploaded to tenant repository (only if validation passes)
    • Progress shown
    • Completion confirmed

  4. Version Created

    • Version backup created
    • Version number assigned
    • Version history updated

  5. Publishing Complete

    • Theme published
    • Available for activation
    • Success message shown

Theme Validation (New - January 2025)​

Overview​

Before publishing, themes are automatically validated for security vulnerabilities and code quality issues. This ensures themes meet security standards before going live.

Validation Process​

  1. Automatic Trigger

    • Validation starts automatically when clicking "Publish Theme"
    • No manual validation step required

  2. Security Checks

    • Scans all theme files for security vulnerabilities
    • Checks for XSS vulnerabilities
    • Validates Liquid template safety
    • Checks for unescaped user input
    • Validates API call security

  3. Progress Display

    • Progress bar shows validation status
    • Real-time feedback on validation progress
    • File count and scan status displayed

  4. Results Display

    • Success: Theme passes all checks, publishing proceeds
    • Errors: Critical issues found, publishing blocked
    • Warnings: Non-critical issues found, publishing can continue

Validation Results​

Validation Passed​

If validation passes:

  • Summary shows success message
  • File count displayed
  • Publishing proceeds automatically
  • No action required

Validation Failed​

If validation fails:

  • Critical errors are displayed with:
    • Error category (XSS, Security, etc.)
    • Error message
    • File location
    • Line number (if available)
  • Publishing is blocked until errors are fixed
  • Fix errors and retry publishing

Validation Warnings​

Warnings are displayed but don't block publishing:

  • Non-critical issues
  • Code quality suggestions
  • Best practice recommendations
  • Review warnings but publishing can proceed

Fixing Validation Errors​

  1. Review Errors

    • Check error list in validation popup
    • Note file locations and line numbers
    • Understand error categories

  2. Fix Issues

    • Open files with errors
    • Fix security vulnerabilities
    • Update code to meet security standards
    • Save changes

  3. Retry Publishing

    • Click "Publish Theme" again
    • Validation runs again
    • Repeat until all errors resolved

Validation Best Practices​

  1. Test Before Publishing

    • Review theme code before publishing
    • Check for common security issues
    • Validate user input handling

  2. Fix Errors Immediately

    • Don't ignore validation errors
    • Fix security issues before publishing
    • Review warnings for code quality

  3. Regular Validation

    • Validate themes regularly
    • Keep themes up to date
    • Review warnings periodically

Version Management​

Automatic Versioning​

Each publish creates a version:

  • Version number assigned
  • Timestamp recorded
  • Changes tracked
  • Backup maintained

Version History​

View version history:

  1. Open version panel
  2. See all versions
  3. Compare versions
  4. Restore if needed

Version Format​

Versions use format:

  • v1.0.0 - Major version
  • v1.1.0 - Minor version
  • v1.1.1 - Patch version

Theme Activation​

Activating Published Theme​

  1. Publish Theme

    • Complete publishing process
    • Theme uploaded to tenant repository

  2. Activate Theme

    • Click "Activate" button
    • Confirm activation
    • Theme becomes live

  3. Previous Theme Backed Up

    • Current theme backed up
    • Can be restored
    • Version maintained

Activation Process​

  1. Current theme backed up
  2. New theme activated
  3. Storefront updates
  4. Changes go live

Publishing Options​

Publish All​

Publish entire theme:

  • All files uploaded
  • Complete theme published
  • Full backup created

Publish Selected​

Publish specific files:

  • Select files to publish
  • Only selected files uploaded
  • Partial update

Publishing Status​

Status Indicators​

  • Unpublished Changes: Orange indicator
  • Published: Green indicator
  • Live Theme: Blue indicator
  • Publishing: Progress indicator

Status Badges​

Toolbar shows:

  • Live Theme: Currently active theme
  • Unpublished Changes: Unsaved changes
  • Publish Status: Publishing state

Publishing Best Practices​

1. Test Before Publishing​

Always test:

  • All pages
  • All functionality
  • All viewports
  • All browsers

2. Publish Frequently​

Publish often:

  • Create versions
  • Maintain backups
  • Track changes
  • Easy rollback

3. Document Changes​

Document what changed:

  • Keep changelog
  • Note modifications
  • Track versions
  • Reference issues

4. Backup Before Major Changes​

Backup before:

  • Major redesigns
  • Significant updates
  • Breaking changes
  • Large modifications

Rollback Process​

Restore Previous Version​

  1. Open version history
  2. Select version to restore
  3. Click "Restore"
  4. Confirm restoration
  5. Version restored

Restore from Backup​

  1. Access backups
  2. Select backup
  3. Restore files
  4. Verify restoration

Publishing to Tenant Repository​

Themes are published to the tenant repository where they are stored and managed.

Publishing Errors​

Common Errors​

Upload Failed:

  • Verify network connection
  • Check file sizes
  • Review error messages
  • Check tenant repository access

Version Creation Failed:

  • Verify storage space
  • Review logs
  • Contact support

Error Resolution​

  1. Check error message
  2. Verify permissions
  3. Check network
  4. Retry publishing
  5. Contact support if needed

Publishing Checklist​

Before publishing:

  • All changes tested
  • All files saved
  • Preview verified
  • Responsive design checked
  • Functionality tested
  • No errors in console
  • Performance acceptable
  • Documentation updated

Publishing Workflow​

Development Workflow​

  1. Make Changes

    • Edit files
    • Configure settings
    • Add widgets

  2. Test Changes

    • Preview in editor
    • Test functionality
    • Verify design

  3. Publish

    • Click publish
    • Upload to tenant repository
    • Create version

  4. Activate (Optional)

    • Activate theme
    • Make live
    • Monitor

Next Steps​