Shopify has announced a significant update to its Theme Store categorization: each theme will now feature only one primary industry tag. This update aims to enhance the way merchants search for and discover themes suited to their unique business needs.
Key Takeaways
- Each theme has only one industry tag moving forward
- Merchants benefit from more targeted theme search results
- Theme creators should ensure their primary tag best reflects their audience
Why the Change to One Industry Tag?
The Theme Store previously allowed themes to have multiple industry tags, which sometimes led to confusion or diluted search relevance. By limiting themes to a single industry tag, Shopify intends to make it easier for merchants to identify the most suitable theme faster and with greater accuracy.
How Merchants and Developers Are Affected
For merchants, this change means a more straightforward search and browsing experience. When exploring the Theme Store, users will now find themes clearly relevant to a specific industry, reducing the need to sort through options less suited to their sector.
For developers and theme partners, all secondary industry tags have been automatically removed. The remaining primary tag now serves as the only industry classification for each theme. Developers are advised to review and, if necessary, select the most relevant industry for their theme based on either the demo store’s products or their intended merchant audience.
Updating and Reviewing Your Theme Tag
Theme partners can check or update their primary industry tag via the Partner Dashboard. Shopify encourages developers to carefully consider which industry best matches both:
- The featured product types in their demonstration store
- The audience they aim to target
This strategic tagging should result in more accurate exposure to merchants seeking themes that align with their business model.
What Merchants Can Expect
With the new system in place:
- Browsing the Theme Store should yield more focused and relevant results
- Industry tags will provide merchants with a clearer sense of a theme’s suitability
- Reduced overlap in theme search results enhances the discovery process
This simplification is designed to save time and empower store owners to find their ideal theme efficiently.
Looking Forward
Shopify’s move to a single industry tag per theme reflects a broader commitment to improving the merchant experience through better organization and smarter search. Both theme developers and merchants stand to benefit as categorization becomes more precise, streamlined, and user-friendly.
