---
title: Themes
description: Themes shape the online store experience for merchants and their customers. Build fast, flexible themes at scale using Liquid, Shopify's theme templating language, along with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JSON.
source_url:
  html: https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes
  md: https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes.md
---

# Build Shopify themes

Build fast, flexible themes at scale using Liquid, Shopify's theme templating language, along with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JSON.

[Build a new theme\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/getting-started/create)

[Create a new theme based on Shopify's Skeleton theme](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/getting-started/create)

[Customize a theme\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/getting-started/customize)

[Update the look and feel of an existing theme to tailor it to a merchant's unique needs](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/getting-started/customize)

## Theme fundamentals

Understand how a Shopify theme fits together before you build. These fundamentals cover the theme architecture, the Liquid templating language, and the practices that keep a theme maintainable.

[Key concepts\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture)

[See how template files, building blocks, and assets fit together into a modular theme.](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture)

[Liquid\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/liquid)

[Load dynamic storefront content with Shopify's templating language, and extend it with metafields.](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/liquid)

[Best practices\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices)

[Follow Shopify's recommendations for developing themes and setting up your toolchain.](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices)

***

## APIs and references

Reach for these references while you build. They cover the APIs that make themes dynamic, along with quick guides and ready-made Liquid examples.

[Ajax API for themes\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/ajax)

[Interact with your theme through Shopify's Ajax endpoints.](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/ajax)

[Section rendering API\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/ajax/section-rendering)

[Update page content without reloading the whole page.](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/ajax/section-rendering)

[Liquid cheat sheet\
\
](https://www.shopify.ca/partners/shopify-cheat-sheet)

[An interactive reference to the Liquid templating language.](https://www.shopify.ca/partners/shopify-cheat-sheet)

[Liquid code examples\
\
](https://shopify.github.io/liquid-code-examples/)

[A library of ready-to-use Liquid components.](https://shopify.github.io/liquid-code-examples/)

***

## Optimize and build faster

Keep your theme fast and flexible as it grows. Migrate to the latest architecture and lean on Shopify's tooling to move quicker.

[Migrate your theme to Online Store 2.0\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/os20)

[Add and remove sections from any template, and prepare your theme for app blocks.](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/os20)

[Build fast with Shopify tools\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools)

[Collaborate and build themes faster with Shopify's tools.](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools)

***

## Developer tools

Set up a local workflow that scales. Shopify's developer tools help you build, version, and validate theme code.

[Shopify CLI\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools/cli)

[Initialize, preview, test, and share themes locally.](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools/cli)

[Shopify GitHub integrations\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools/github)

[Manage your theme code with GitHub in the Shopify admin.](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools/github)

[Theme Check\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools/theme-check)

[Catch errors and enforce best practices as you code.](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools/theme-check)

***

## Sell on the Shopify Theme Store

Turn your themes into a business. Publish to the [Shopify Theme Store](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/store) and reach millions of merchants looking for a great storefront.

![A selection of purpose-built themes featured on the Shopify Theme Store.](https://shopify-assets.shopifycdn.com/shopifycloud/shopify-dev/production/assets/assets/images/storefronts/themes-mdx/theme-store-wip878L9.png)

***