By Steve Merrill, Founder of WRKNG Digital | June 13, 2026
Shopify releases major Editions twice a year. Without a pre-release audit, every update is a potential break. With one, you know what you have and what to watch. Here are the ten checks we run before each Editions release.
1. Export and Review All Active Scripts
Script Editor is deprecated. But Scripts is still the thing most likely to break on an Editions release. Before each release, export your active Scripts from the Script Editor app. Document exactly what they do in plain language. If an update touches checkout, know your Scripts state before and after.
2. Document Your Current Checkout Flow
Screenshot every step of your checkout: cart, information, shipping, payment, confirmation. Note every custom element — upsell apps, loyalty integrations, third-party trust signals. When an Editions update ships changes to checkout, you'll know exactly what changed.
3. Record Your Current Conversion Rate by Device
Pull 30-day conversion rate by device type from GA4 and from Shopify Analytics. This is your baseline. If an Editions update affects performance on mobile or desktop, you'll see it in the data within 48 hours of shipping the change.
4. Test Your Theme on Current Shopify Versions
If you're on a custom theme or a heavily modified theme, check the theme developer's compatibility notes before each Editions. Themes built on Shopify 2.0 (the current standard) generally handle updates well. Older themes don't. Know which one you have.
5. List Every Third-Party App That Touches Checkout
Checkout apps that aren't using the Checkout Extensibility framework can break on major Editions updates. Make a list of every app that modifies your checkout or shipping pages. After each Editions release, run through the list and verify each one still works. Upsell apps, review apps, and loyalty point display apps are the usual culprits.
6. Check Your Shipping Rate Configuration
Shipping logic is the second most common source of post-Editions breaks. Document your current shipping rates, zones, and conditions. If you have custom carrier-calculated rates or conditional logic, test them explicitly after each update. Run a test order through every shipping scenario you offer.
7. Verify Your Product Feed Submissions Are Current
Editions sometimes changes how Shopify surfaces product data to Google Merchant Center and other channels. Check your feed submission errors in Google Merchant Center before the release — knowing your pre-Editions error count makes post-Editions changes obvious.
8. Review Your robots.txt and AI Crawler Settings
Shopify has been updating how AI crawlers interact with storefronts in every recent Editions. Before each release, verify your yourstore.com/robots.txt is allowing the AI crawlers you want to allow (GPTBot, PerplexityBot, Anthropic-ai). Shopify's platform updates can sometimes reset or modify this file.
9. Snapshot Your Site Speed Score
Use Google PageSpeed Insights to capture your current scores on mobile and desktop before each release. Shopify's performance updates sometimes improve speed automatically — but some Editions introduce elements that hurt speed on specific theme setups. Know where you started.
10. Run a Quick AI Visibility Check
Ask ChatGPT and Perplexity about your top 5 products before each Editions. Note whether your store appears and how your products are described. This gives you a before snapshot you can compare after the release to see whether any Editions updates affected your AI visibility.
FAQ
How long before a Shopify Editions release should I run this audit?
Run it one to two weeks before the expected release date. Shopify announces Editions dates in advance. Use the window to document your baseline and address any existing issues before the update ships.
What should I do if an Editions update breaks something?
Roll back the specific change if possible, document what broke, and contact the relevant app or theme developer. Shopify's Editions changes are tested broadly but not against every custom configuration. The pre-audit documentation is what lets you diagnose quickly.
Do I need to run this checklist for minor Shopify updates?
No. Shopify ships updates continuously in the background. Run this checklist only for major Editions releases — Winter and Summer. Minor updates don't require a formal audit process.
Want to know where your store stands? We run a free AI Commerce Audit — it scores every product for ChatGPT, Google AI, Perplexity, and Copilot visibility. Results in 24 hours. Request yours here.
