October 1, 2026
Build a Shopify store in chat: Canvas updates pages through Sidekick prompts
Describe your store in words, and Sidekick changes the theme and immediately shows the result in Canvas.
In the first half of 2026, the Sidekick AI agent made more than 25 million edits to Shopify themes. Now you can ask it to redesign an entire store.
Canvas runs inside Shopify. The agent edits theme files, while you see all the store's templates side by side. The preview runs the code, complete with interactivity and animations.
Ben Sehl, co-founder of Kotn and Shopify's product director, compares the two weeks he spent building his first store 12 years ago with the claimed 20 minutes needed for a fully custom store today.
New store. In the Shopify admin, open Online Store → New and describe your brand and store in the Sidekick chat. The generated theme will appear in the library as unpublished.
Redesigning an existing store. In the menu next to the theme, select Duplicate in Canvas. The agent will edit the copy only in Canvas, while the original remains a separate theme.
Canvas is currently in early access for select stores, available only on desktop and on plans that support theme customization. Shopify themes and custom themes are supported; third-party themes are not. Staff need the Online store → Themes → Edit code permission.
Sidekick is included in your Shopify plan at no extra charge. Features and usage limits depend on the plan. Canvas currently runs alongside the existing editor.
After editing in Canvas, the theme stops receiving updates, and its files cannot be downloaded. Changes are saved automatically. Customers will see them after Publish or Update → Publish changes.
Shopify announced Canvas on Oct 1, 2026 and is rolling out access over the coming days.
