Can I edit a theme before changing to it

I want to switch to a premium theme, but would like to edit the theme and view how it works, make same changes if need be before having it go online. Is this possible? I have very limited experience with the backend of themes but was able to make some changes to my old theme. Can I do the same with the new theme without having to have it a) lose the old theme, or b) show the new theme online while I experiment with the changes?

Thank you for any help!

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Deactivated Member

Yes, you can edit a theme before changing to it. After purchasing a premium theme, there's two steps to switch to a new theme; installing and then activating.

Clicking Install downloads all the theme files, and you'll then get a box asking if you want to edit the style (which will take you to the theme editor).

Once you're happy with the theme you can either click Activate on the theme, from the theme list page, or Set as My Web Shop Theme from within the theme editor.

And if you need to roll back to your old theme don't fret! Navigate to Setup & Tools > All Setting & Tools and search for Webstore Settings. At the very top is a drop down box that allows you to switch between installed themes.

Hope this helps!

Erik Merkley

There is a fantastic tip buried in the docs here: (What?s a staging theme & how do I make it live?)

https://www.netohq.com/support/s/article/Design-tweak-FAQs#whats-a-staging-theme-how-do-i-make-it-live

Once you have another theme installed, you can preview it using a special URL. You can fiddle with the settings or experiment with back-end (template) changes without it affecting your customers until you're ready. You can also send that URL to staff or selected customers to get their feedback during the design process.

Go to Webstore Settings and find the Site template set field. This lists the actual names of your installed themes
Go to www.yoursiteurlhere.com/?nview=themename replacing "themename" with the theme name you want to preview.
Only you can see the theme, and it only lasts for the browser session.
Go to www.yoursiteurlhere.com/?nview= to switch back to your live theme.