--- 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. [![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/pickaxe-2.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/pickaxe-2-dark.png)](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/getting-started/create) #### [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) [![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/themes.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/themes-dark.png)](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/getting-started/customize) #### [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) ![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/key.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/key-dark.png) #### Key Concepts Shopify themes are a package of template files, building blocks, and supporting assets. Use these building blocks to create modular, customizable themes. [Learn about key theme concepts](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture) ![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/liquid.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/liquid-dark.png) #### Liquid The Liquid templating language is the backbone of Shopify themes, and is used to load dynamic content on storefronts. Extend Liquid objects to store and present custom data using metafields. [View the Liquid reference](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/liquid) ![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/blocks.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/blocks-dark.png) #### Best Practices To optimize your theme development experience, Shopify has established a set of best practices that you can refer to when developing your theme and setting up your toolchains and processes. [Follow Best Practices](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices) [![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/clicode.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/clicode-dark.png)](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/ajax) #### [Ajax API for themes](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/ajax) [Learn about the endpoints that Shopify provides to interact with your theme.](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/ajax) [![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/clicode.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/clicode-dark.png)](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/ajax/section-rendering) #### [Section rendering API](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/ajax/section-rendering) [Review our AJAX API that lets you update page content without reloading an entire page.](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/ajax/section-rendering) [![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/liquid.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/liquid-dark.png)](https://www.shopify.ca/partners/shopify-cheat-sheet) #### [Liquid cheat sheet](https://www.shopify.ca/partners/shopify-cheat-sheet) [Consult this interactive reference guide to the Liquid template language.](https://www.shopify.ca/partners/shopify-cheat-sheet) [![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/liquid.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/liquid-dark.png)](https://shopify.github.io/liquid-code-examples/) #### [Liquid code examples](https://shopify.github.io/liquid-code-examples/) [Build Shopify themes faster with this library of ready-to-use Liquid components.](https://shopify.github.io/liquid-code-examples/) ![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/flag.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/flag-dark.png) #### Migrate your theme to Online Store 2.0 Make your theme more flexible and easier to maintain by migrating it to the new architecture. Using Online Store 2.0, you can add and remove sections from any template, and prepare your theme for [app blocks](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/online-store/theme-app-extensions). [Learn more about Online Store 2.0](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/os20) ![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/pickaxe-2.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/pickaxe-2-dark.png) #### Build fast with Shopify tools Shopify provides a range of tools to help you to collaborate and build themes faster. [Learn more about Shopify's tools for themes](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools) ![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/cli.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/cli-dark.png) #### [Shopify CLI](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools/cli) Initialize, preview, test and share themes in your local development environment. ![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/github.png)![](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/github-dark.png) #### [Shopify GitHub integrations](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools/github) Integrate GitHub into your Shopify admin to manage your theme code. ![Theme Check](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/check.png)![Theme Check](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/48/check.png) #### [Theme Check](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools/theme-check) Detect errors and enforce best practices as you code, or as part of your CI pipeline. #### Shopify Theme Store Design beautiful, purpose-built themes for different markets, and sell them to millions of merchants on the Shopify Theme Store. [Learn how to start selling](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/store)