Will Shopify Support edit your theme code for free?

Who qualifies for free theme help from Shopify Support?

If you use a free theme from Shopify on the Basic plan or higher, Support "might be able to help" with certain predefined customizations: up to 60 minutes of design time, tracked in 15-minute increments. Shopify's theme support pages and the plan pages we read on September 30, 2026 don't say whether the 60 minutes renew.

The Starter plan falls below that line. It comes with the Spotlight theme, where you can use the theme editor to add a logo, a brand introduction and social media links and to customize colors, and the Starter plan page says other themes and customization options aren't available on it. On Starter, the plan is the first step, not a theme request: Shopify's theme support page offers the 60 minutes of design time on the Basic plan or higher. Starter isn't available to new stores, so this applies only if you're already on it.

The customizations list gives each task's time — displaying the variant SKU on the product page takes 15 minutes, adding a language and country selector to the header 30 minutes.

Listed customizations need a theme with sections on every page. Support assesses customization eligibility "on a case-by-case basis" and might still help with a customization that isn't listed.

What won't Shopify Support change in your theme?

One rule of the design policy applies to every request:

The theme support page also lists nine tasks Shopify can't help with:

• Editing the checkout
• Themes with significant code changes
• Installing, removing or modifying third-party apps
• Third-party code, including code from forums, Shopify Partners and AI-generated theme blocks
• Content added in the rich text editor
• Adding new fonts
• Editing images
• Misleading or deceptive changes
• Custom translations

Should you update, ask Support or hire a Partner?

Check your theme version first, because newer free themes already include several listed customizations. On a free Online Store 2.0 theme older than version 8.0.0, asking for the variant SKU (15 minutes), variant inventory (15) and a header language and country selector (30) could use all 60 minutes. On version 8.x, the SKU and Inventory blocks are already built in, so only the header selector (30 minutes) could use design time. On version 9.0.0 or later, or a Horizon theme, the SKU and Inventory blocks are built in and the selectors can be added to the header by default, so the same three changes use no design time.

Updating a theme from the Shopify Theme Store is free and starts as a draft: the new version goes into your draft themes without touching the live one, and changes you made in the theme editor are copied over. Code edits, yours or an app's, come along only if they don't conflict with the update, so save a copy of any customized code first.

If the change still isn't possible in the theme editor once your store setup is complete, that's the point where Shopify says you can contact Support to review the request. The first three requests below should skip that step, because Shopify can't help or another party supports them; for the fourth, Shopify suggests other routes first:

• Your theme has significant code changes. Support can't customize or troubleshoot it. Among Shopify's other resources are a Shopify Partner and, if you edit HTML, CSS or Liquid yourself, the Shopify Design forum.
• The problem is an AI-generated theme block. Neither Support nor third-party theme developers help with that code; Shopify says you might need to delete the block, or you can hire a Shopify Partner.
• The code came from a third-party app. Adding app code to your theme is support the app's developer provides; for apps installed from the Shopify App Store, reach them from Settings > Apps.
• You want a new feature, such as a sidebar, image zooming, an extra slideshow or infinite scroll. Shopify suggests trying a different theme, or a Shopify App Store app that offers it.

Who customizes a paid theme, or after your 60 minutes?

On a paid theme, support comes from its documentation in your admin or its developer, but "Third-party theme developers don't provide customizations." For that work, Shopify points you to a Shopify Partner.

The same goes once you've used all 60 minutes on a free theme. For hiring costs, see what theme work costs by task.

In the Partner Directory, you can filter by services offered, price range in USD, location and languages, and contacting a Partner doesn't commit you to hiring them. Shopify suggests defining your budget, timeline and expected outcomes first so the Partner can quote accurately. The Partner bills you directly, and those charges don't appear on your Shopify bill.