Shopify Canvas: design your entire store in one view

The way you design a Shopify store has fundamentally changed. With Shopify Canvas — introduced in the Fall ‘26 Edition — you see your entire store in one editable overview and work with Sidekick to translate ideas into a functional design at speed.

Merchants launch an average of 20% faster with Canvas than with the classic editor.

What makes Canvas different?

The classic Shopify editor works page by page. You open the homepage, adjust a section, close the editor, open another page. Canvas reverses that:

	Classic editor	Canvas
Overview	Per page	Full store in one view
AI integration	Limited	Full Sidekick integration
Bulk changes	Not possible	Via Sidekick
Design memory	None	Via markdown files
Speed to launch	Standard	~20% faster
Available via AI agent	No	Yes (ChatGPT, Claude)

How Canvas works

Step 1 — Open Canvas

Go to Online Store → Themes in your admin and select Canvas as your editor. Your full store appears as one scrollable, editable overview.

Step 2 — Navigate and zoom

Canvas works like a design tool:

• Zoom out → see all pages and their relationships
• Zoom in → edit specific sections, text or images
• Click any element → edit it directly

Step 3 — Work with Sidekick

For larger changes, use Sidekick via the floating chat:

“Give the homepage a summer feel: more white space, light blue accents and larger product images”

Sidekick queues the changes. You review and approve. Only then are they applied.

What Sidekick can do via Canvas:

• Add, move or remove sections
• Apply style changes across multiple pages at once
• Remember your design preferences via markdown files in the theme

Step 4 — Save design preferences

Canvas supports markdown files that record your design decisions. Set your colour palette, typography and layout principles once — Sidekick applies them automatically in future sessions.

Canvas via AI agents

Canvas is also available outside the Shopify admin: via AI agents like ChatGPT and Claude. You can design your Shopify store without leaving your browser.

In ChatGPT: "Update my Shopify homepage: 
 move the hero section down and 
 add a trust strip at the top"
 
→ Shopify Canvas processes the instruction
→ Preview appears in your admin
→ You approve → goes live

Who benefits most from Canvas?

New stores Canvas is the recommended starting point for new Shopify stores. No theme knowledge required; Sidekick guides you from a blank canvas to a complete, personalised store.

Existing stores ready for a refresh Switch to Canvas for future edits without losing your current theme. Ideal for seasonal refreshes or a full redesign.

Agencies and developers Canvas speeds up the design process by ~20%. Markdown files make it possible to save design systems and reuse them across multiple stores.

Getting started with Canvas

Canvas is built into every Shopify plan — no additional cost.

1. Go to Online Store → Themes → Canvas
2. Explore your store in the new overview
3. Try one change via Sidekick: “Add a section featuring our three bestsellers to the homepage”

Curious what Canvas could look like for your store? Schedule a call — we’ll show you the possibilities live.