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Guides

Guides for Shopify stores

Everything long-form on this site, grouped by the problem you arrived with. Each guide answers its question first, names its sources and dates, and — where it shows code — says which theme versions it ran on.

Theme features you don't need an app for

For a store paying a monthly app for each small job on the product page or in the cart. Each guide shows how to build the feature yourself in a free Shopify theme, with code that has run on a real store, then where an app is still the better choice.

  1. Shopify size chart without an app

    How do I add a size chart to Shopify product pages without an app?

  2. Sticky add to cart button on Shopify, without an app

    How do I add a sticky add to cart button to Shopify without an app?

  3. Free shipping progress bar on Shopify, without an app

    How do I show a free shipping progress bar in the Shopify cart without an app?

  4. Shopify colour swatches without an app

    How do I show colour swatches on Shopify without an app, and why does Base color say it can't be blank?

  5. Shopify quick view without an app

    How do I let shoppers preview a product from the collection page without an app?

  6. Shopify quantity breaks without an app

    How do I offer a lower price for buying more on Shopify without an app?

  7. Shopify product bundles without an app

    How do I sell a product bundle on Shopify without a bundle app?

  8. Shopify cart upsell without an app

    How do I suggest one more product in the Shopify cart without an app?

  9. Shopify product comparison table without an app

    How do I put a product comparison table on a Shopify page without an app?

  10. Shopify shoppable image and lookbook without an app

    How do I make a lookbook image with clickable products on Shopify without an app?

All features

Why a Shopify store gets slow

For a store that got slower as it grew, and doubts another theme fixes that. What actually costs the time, how to measure it on your own store, and what a theme can and cannot change.

  1. Too many Shopify apps slow your site: what they cost

    Do too many Shopify apps slow a site down, and which ones can go?

  2. Shopify store too slow? How we measure page weight

    How much does a theme download on every page, and how do you measure it?

  3. Why this theme has no fake countdown

    Why are evergreen countdowns and invented stock numbers a legal risk?

Why buy this theme

Switching themes

For a store on a premium theme, or on Dawn plus apps, wondering whether a switch is worth it. Each comparison says where the other theme is the better choice, and the last two pages cover what happens to your work when a theme updates.

  1. Hullara vs Dawn: a Shopify Dawn alternative once you outgrow it

    How does Hullara differ from Dawn, and when is Dawn the better choice?

  2. Hullara vs Shrine: a Shrine alternative with updates included

    How does Hullara differ from Shrine, and when is Shrine the better choice?

  3. Hullara vs Debutify: a Shopify theme with no feature tiers

    How does Hullara differ from Debutify, and when is Debutify the better choice?

  4. Shrine vs Booster theme vs Hullara: what each costs

    How does Hullara differ from Booster, and when is Booster the better choice?

  5. Does Shrine include updates? What a purchase covers

    What happens to updates after the first year of a Shrine licence?

  6. Update a Shopify theme without losing customisations

    Can I update a Shopify theme without losing my customisations?

  7. Customising a Shopify theme without touching code

    How much of a Shopify theme can I change without touching code?

All comparisons

Selling in more than one language or currency

For a store that translated its storefront and still sees English, or sells in several currencies and shows an ambiguous "$". Each guide is measured on a store with those languages and markets switched on.

  1. Shopify theme not translating? Four places English hides

    Why do parts of my Shopify store stay in English after I translate it?

  2. Show currency codes on Shopify prices: USD, CAD and AUD

    How do I show CAD or AUD next to prices when every dollar reads "$"?

All guides

Before you buy: price, licence, refunds

For a store about to pay for a theme sold outside the Shopify Theme Store. What the money buys, how many stores one licence covers, and how to get it back.

  1. Theme license for multiple stores: what one key covers

    Can I use one theme licence on more than one store?

  2. Shopify theme refund policy: who refunds, and when

    Can I get my money back for a Shopify theme, and from whom?

Pricing

Written by Nguyễn Lương Bằng, who builds the Hullara theme. How these guides are tested and written.

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