GitHub theme integration - theme duplication

Store Design
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Topic summary

  • Issue: Duplicating a Shopify theme that was installed via GitHub integration breaks the link to the GitHub repository; the copied theme becomes independent and no longer tracks the repo.

  • Current workaround: Instead of using Shopify’s “copy theme,” create a new Git branch in GitHub and connect that branch to Shopify as a separate theme. This preserves the Git link and allows merging changes through GitHub.

  • Requests/questions:

    • Is there a better workflow for managing multiple theme copies while keeping GitHub connections?
    • Feature request: When duplicating a GitHub-connected theme in Shopify, automatically create a new branch in the linked repository and link the duplicate to that branch.

  • Clarifications: “Repo” (repository) is the code store on GitHub; a “branch” is a parallel version of the code used for isolated changes that can be merged back.

  • Community sentiment: Others express surprise there’s no official solution yet and bump the thread for visibility.

  • Status/outcome: No official answer or built-in solution identified. Discussion remains open; the feature request stands. No images or code are central to the thread.

Summarized with AI on December 15. AI used: gpt-5.
1

I have been getting more into theme development using Shopify’s GitHub integration which is pretty great. I have run into an issue I’ve been working around and would like to ask if anyone has found a better way of doing this. If not, I have a feature request.

So, If I install my theme using the GitHub integration, it all works fine however as soon as that theme is copied in Shopify, the copy is no longer connected to the Repo and appears to be completely independent. What I’ve been doing to get around this is instead of copying theme’s in Shopify, I branch my theme in GitHub and then add that branch to Shopify. That keeps everything connected and I can easily merge changes through the branches in GitHub.

So, first question, does anyone have a better workflow than this? Second question, I think it would be really amazing if when someone copies a theme in Shopify, if that theme is connected to a GitHub repo, a new branch is created in that repo automatically, containing the new theme. If that’s already possible, please tell me how. If not, Shopify, let’s add that functionality.

3 Likes
2

I’m shocked there is no solution from shopify yet.

3

Unfortunately, this doesn’t surprise me much.

Bump.