Shopify Theme Development & Publishement

Shopify Discussion
1

I am a Shopify developer and I’m planning to develop and publish my own theme on the Shopify Theme Store.

While researching and exploring inspiration from existing themes, I came across a theme called “Trademark.” It appears frequently in articles and is often ranked as a top theme, but I couldn’t find it on the Shopify Theme Store. This makes me think it may have been removed.

I would like to understand:

  • Was the “Trademark” theme removed from the Shopify Theme Store?

  • If yes, what were the reasons behind its removal?

  • What mistakes should I avoid to ensure my theme is not rejected or removed?

Additionally, I would appreciate guidance on:

  • The official Shopify guidelines and best practices for theme approval

  • The recommended coding structure, architecture, and layout standards

  • Key requirements to successfully publish a theme on the Shopify Theme Store

  • Which niche or type of theme would be best to focus on in today’s market

Any detailed insights or resources would be greatly helpful.

3

Hello,

When it comes to developing your own theme, I recommend simply going through the Shopify documentation ( Themes ). It covers just about everything you need to know about best practices, coding structure, architecture, and more.

They also have a list of requirements for submitting a theme to the Shopify Theme Store ( Theme store requirements ).
Important: your theme must be developed using the skeleton theme or be built with fully original code. Otherwise, it will not be accepted ( GitHub - Shopify/skeleton-theme: A minimal, carefully structured Shopify theme designed to help you quickly get started. Designed with modularity, maintainability, and Shopify's best practices in mind. · GitHub ). Themes based on Dawn or Horizon are not accepted. I developed a theme myself, and since I created it based on Dawn, it was not accepted.