> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://sitesbyseth.gitbook.io/sitesbyseth-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://sitesbyseth.gitbook.io/sitesbyseth-docs/showcase/updates.md).

# Updating the theme

Two update paths, matching the two install paths. Pick the one you installed with.

## Path 1: You installed via zip

Theme updates arrive as a fresh zip download (check your original download link or purchase email — updated builds are delivered there).

1. Download the new Showcase zip.
2. **Online Store → Themes → Add theme → Upload zip file** — this creates a **second, separate copy** of Showcase in your library. It does **not** touch your live theme.
3. ⚠️ **Your settings do not carry over automatically.** Theme settings, story blocks, backgrounds, and cart drawer blocks live inside each theme copy. Open the new copy with **Customize** and re-apply your setup, using your live theme (open it in another tab) as the reference.
4. **Preview** the new copy thoroughly — homepage deck, one product page, one collection, the cart drawer, and the password page if you use drop mode.
5. When it matches, **⋯ → Publish** the new copy. Your old version stays in the library as an instant rollback.

💡 Rename your copies (⋯ → Rename) to something like "Showcase 1.0 — LIVE" and "Showcase 1.1 — staging" so you never publish the wrong one.

## Path 2: You installed via GitHub

If your theme is connected to the Showcase GitHub repository, updates are automatic:

* When an update is pushed to your connected branch, Shopify pulls it into your theme **in place** — usually within a minute.
* **Your settings survive.** Updates change the theme's code files, and your customizations live in the theme's settings data, which the sync preserves. Your story blocks, backgrounds, gift rules, and colors stay put.
* There's nothing to click. If you want a safety net anyway, duplicate your live theme (⋯ → Duplicate) occasionally — the duplicate is a plain, disconnected copy frozen at that moment.

⚠️ Don't edit the theme's code files directly (**Edit code**) on a GitHub-connected theme unless you know the workflow — Shopify pushes such edits back to the branch, and they can collide with future updates. Everything in these docs is doable from the editor; you shouldn't need Edit code.

## Which path should I be on?

If you were given GitHub access with your purchase, use it — automatic updates with preserved settings beat manual zip migration every time. The zip path remains the universal fallback and requires no GitHub account.

Installation details for both: [Installing the theme](/sitesbyseth-docs/showcase/getting-started/installing.md).


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://sitesbyseth.gitbook.io/sitesbyseth-docs/showcase/updates.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.