Protect your theme changes from theme updates
Your design tweaks survive theme updates, so you never pay twice for the same change.
What it replaces: 1-2 h of developer time
What you write to Claude
„before we change anything in the theme, set up a child theme so updates of the parent don't overwrite our edits”
The problem
We bought a theme and want to tweak it, but the next theme update would wipe every change we make.
What Claude does
- Claude checks your current theme.
- It explains how a 'child theme' works: your changes live in a separate layer on top of the original.
- After your yes it creates that layer.
- From then on, changes go into your layer, and Claude checks the shop still looks right.
What you get
Your changes live in their own layer, and the original theme can be updated without losing them.
You stay in control
You see every change before it is saved, nothing happens without your yes, and you can undo it later. Changes to the shop's look use a separate, extra-protected connection, usually set up by whoever looks after your shop. Every file is backed up before it changes.
Related use cases
- Change the colour of the add-to-cart button
- Change how an add-on looks without losing it on the next update
- Try risky changes on a test copy of the shop first
For developers
- Area
- 3 · Appearance & deployments
- Connector
- service connector
- In the free Audit
- no, paid version only
- For
- Developer, Agency / freelancer
- Tools
- ps_get_shop_info, ps_list_theme_files, ps_create_child_theme, ps_inspect_page
Step by step
- Checks the active theme and whether it already is a child theme (ps_get_shop_info, ps_list_theme_files).
- Explains what moves to the child theme and what stays inherited from the parent.
- Calls ps_create_child_theme without confirm and shows the preview. Parameters: name and display_name. The tool does not activate the child theme; you switch to it in Design > Theme & Logo.
- After your approval, creates it. From then on, ps_write_theme_file edits go to the child theme.
- Checks the homepage and a product page with ps_inspect_page.
Safety
Block 3 works only through the service connector: a separate token accepted only from allowlisted IP addresses, off after installation. Preview and approval as for every write. Switching the shop's theme changes what visitors see, so do it on a staging domain first; staging domains are free on every licence.
Last updated: 2026-10-05