Previewing an unpublished product on an unpublished theme

[Solutions]

When you are launching a new product or holding a sale, you may want to preview a new product that you are releasing on a new theme to make sure that it looks the way you want it to.

To preview a product in an unpublished theme, you need to get the theme preview URL and the product preview URL. Combine these URLs to create a preview of your unpublished product in your unpublished theme.

Step 1: Get the theme preview URL

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online store > Themes.
2. On the theme you want to preview the product in, click on Actions, then Preview.
3. Click on Share preview. Your theme preview URL will look like this https://********.shopifypreview.com.
4. Click on Copy link.
5. Open a new browser tab and then paste the theme preview URL into the address bar. Press the enter key  to navigate to the theme preview.

Step 2: Get the product preview url

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.
2. Navigate to the product you want to preview.
3. Click on Preview to view the product in your currently published theme. You'll see a product preview page with a URL that looks like this ********.shopifypreview.com/products_preview?preview_key=********.
4. Copy the part of the URL starting at /products_preview. The part you copy will look like /products_preview?preview_key=********.
5. Navigate to the theme preview tab that you opened in part 1.
6. Append the product preview URL to the theme preview URL. Your final URL will look like this https://********.shopifypreview.com/products_preview?preview_key=********.

You can view your unpublished product on your unpublished theme using the URL you created by combining the theme preview and product preview URLs.

[BaileyPaserk]

This is actually pretty useful and I never thought this was possible!

[SofBor]

Hey!

I can't find the Preview button on the page where we manipulate images and information about the product. I only have the button that says View, and there's nothing that looks like "products_preview?preview_key=********" in the url after following that link. If I click on share link, that's what it gives me:  myshop.com/utm_source=copyToPasteBoard&utm_medium=product-links&utm_content=web

If I copy the bit after the domain and paste it into my unpublished theme url, it doesn't work 😞 

Any ideas why this is happening?

[Solutions]

Hi,

Can you confirm that the product that you're trying to preview is in a draft state? If the product is in an active state, then the preview option won't be available. You can find out whether the product is active or a draft in the Product status section of the product page in your Shopify admin.

Hope this helps!

[shukurlukamran]

Theme preview link doesn't look like this (https://********.shopifypreview.com) anymore. It just shows the website link but at the bottom it mentions a note that you're previewing an unpublished theme (with its name). So, it's changed I guess, and this tip doesn't apply to it anymore.

[lanmi123]

If you click on "Share preview" in the bottom bar you will get the "https://********.shopifypreview.com" link.

[lanmi123]

Hey, do you know if it's possible to preview a published product on an unpublished theme?

Also, is it possible to do that with an new template (not default product)?

[BaileyPaserk]

Yes to preview the product just go to the theme preview and click to the product page you want. Now if you want to preview a certain template with that product even if it is not assigned that template, add this to the end of your url: ?view=template-name

[inflamedia]

Hi, thanks for that! Unfortunately, this always ends up in a 404 error for me. The product first shows, then redirects to myshop.com/draft-product?preview_key=xxxx&shpxid=xxxxx. That's when I get the 404.