Theme Trial checklist

Previewing a theme before purchase is one of the most important steps in choosing the right fit for your store. Shopify makes this easy with unlimited free trials through the Shopify Theme Store—meaning you can test a theme using your own products, branding, and content before committing to buy.

During the trial, you’ll have full access to the theme’s features, sections, settings, and templates. This checklist will guide you through what to look out for as you explore the theme and decide whether it’s the right match for your business.

Design and Aesthetics

Check if the design suits your brand

Does the theme’s look and feel align with your brand’s identity? Whether your store is minimal, image-heavy, or product-focused, choosing a theme that fits your aesthetic will make customisation easier later on.

Explore layout and section options

Start with the homepage—especially the header, as it sets the tone for the rest of your store. Themes include a variety of layout styles that you can toggle in the Theme Editor to find the structure that works best for your content.

Test different fonts and typography

Typography is a powerful part of your store’s voice. All Shopify themes support a wide selection of fonts, including Google Fonts, system fonts, and licensed fonts. Choose fonts that support your brand while keeping readability in mind.

Customise your colour palette

In the Theme settings > Colours, try adjusting your background colours, text overlays, link styles, and image treatments. This is a great way to see how your brand colours integrate across various sections.

Check responsiveness on all devices

Themes are designed to respond automatically to different screen sizes. Be sure to preview your store on desktop, mobile, and tablet to test how images and layouts adjust. Pay special attention to large banners, image overlays, and menus—you may need to tweak image focal points depending on the device.

Functionality

Build and test key pages

Use your real products, collections, and homepage content to test the theme in context. Create a realistic layout using your brand images and descriptions—this is the best way to assess performance and visual balance.

Review site speed and performance

Theme performance is key for both SEO and user experience. All themes in the Shopify Theme Store are tested to meet Shopify’s performance standards. You can check speed by publishing a version of the theme and testing it with Shopify’s built-in Online Store Speed Report.

Ensure SEO readiness

Themes meet Shopify’s SEO best practices, including:

• Automatic generation of structured data (JSON-LD)
• Canonical URLs
• Editable meta titles and descriptions
• Customisable robots.txt.liquid    

You can also reference Shopify's official SEO checklists:

Test the navigation experience

Good navigation is critical—especially for stores with larger inventories. Test:

• Mega menus or dropdowns (if available)
• Search functionality
• Mobile navigation behaviour

Make sure it's easy for customers to move between products, collections, and other pages.

Customisation Options

Explore theme settings

You can adjust colours, fonts, spacing, layout styles, animations, and more—without any coding required. Take time to explore each section and see what flexibility is available within the Theme Editor.

Try out template types

Each theme includes templates for products, collections, blog posts, FAQs, contact pages, and more. These templates are pre-configured to support common store needs—see how they adapt to your content and if any adjustments are needed.

Customise the header and footer

Headers and footers are often overlooked, but they’re essential parts of your site’s design. Our themes offer powerful customization options for both. Be sure to test these features to see how they can boost time on page and conversions.

Support and Documentation

Use your access to theme support

Even during the trial period, you can contact our support team for help understanding features or setup steps. While we can’t assist with custom code changes, we’re happy to guide you through theme functionality.

Browse theme documentation

All of our themes include a dedicated Help Centre with:

• Setup guides
• Frequently asked questions
• Feature overviews
• Best practices for speed and SEO

Use 24/7 self-service help

Our AI support bot is available 24/7 to assist you with quick questions and point you to the right documentation. You can access it any time at help.eightthemes.com.

Before You Buy

Your free theme trial is unlimited—you can take as much time as you need to customise and preview the theme. However, to publish the theme to your live store, a one-time purchase is required.

We recommend finalising your homepage layout, core navigation, and a sample product or collection page during your trial to be confident in your choice before purchase.

By working through this checklist, you’ll get a clear picture of the theme’s capabilities and whether it aligns with your goals—giving you confidence to move forward with a theme that supports both your brand and your growth.