How to handle updates for the Baseline theme?

Store Design
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Topic summary

A store owner questions whether theme updates are mandatory and expresses concern about the effort required to restore customizations after updating the Baseline theme.

When updates are necessary:

  • Theme features are broken due to original code issues (not custom modifications)
  • Security-related changes are released, especially critical for stores handling payment information
  • Otherwise, staying on the current version is acceptable until web standards change

Cost considerations for hiring help:

  • Varies significantly based on customization extent and developer quality
  • Some developers may simply copy old code files (except version file) without proper testing
  • Risk: Cheap solutions may create broken stores that cost more to fix later
  • Custom code may not integrate properly with new theme changes, requiring adjustments beyond simple copying

Key takeaway: Updates aren’t always mandatory unless addressing security issues or broken functionality. When updating, ensure developers properly test compatibility rather than just transferring old code, as customizations may conflict with new theme architecture.

Summarized with AI on November 12. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hello, Could someone tell me how to think regarding updates of themes.
It looks like it will be a huge work in restoring all the customizations in order for the website to look at it used to in the old version.

-will I experience more issues with staying on the previous version? In other words, do I HAVE to update?

-is it generally expensive to hire someone to help with restoring the website in the new version?

Thanks,
Anton

2

If your store has multiple market then please make sure you change image to correct main market

Screenshot 2024-02-06 at 15.17.49.png
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3

Hey @TheAnyTony ,

Do you HAVE to update? That depends.

  • If a feature in your theme is broken (Which was caused the original theme, not the customizations you do), then you update. If not you can stay on the same theme until the rules of the world wide web change and that look no longer sells.
  • Read the theme changes, are they security related? Then better update, cause you sell stuff on the internet, and people’s payment information are at risk.

-is it generally expensive to hire someone to help with restoring the website in the new version?

That depends on how much customizations you’ve done and who you hire.

  • Some people can just update the theme and put it all the old code files except for the file that has the theme version, and charge you less saying it’s a quick job. To you it looks like the theme is updated because the file with the theme version is untouched, but for the rest of the files, it’s the same old code from the same old theme. Then why update in the first place?
  • Sometimes your customizations may not sit well with code changes that come with the new theme. So it may not be as easy as copying everything, sometimes code needs to be changed to play well with the rest of the code’s default theme. Again, hire someone cheap and they’ll just paste the code, not read the changes of the theme’s log, not test it, nothing and then tell you, “job well done” and disappear and you’re stuck with a broken store. Eventually it’ll cost you more to fix them.

That’s just a few points to consider.