DEV Community: John Smith

Shopify Shop Update (October 5, 2026): Faster Checkout and Synced Carts

John Smith — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:35:14 +0000

You add a pair of shoes to your cart on your phone. Later, you open your laptop and the cart is empty. Annoying, right? Shopify is fixing that.

What’s New?

On October 5, 2026, Shopify shared an update to Shop. Shop can now verify who a shopper is while they’re browsing your store, even before they make a purchase. That small change makes shopping smoother for Shop users, and good for your sales too.

What Shoppers Will Notice

For Shop users, checkout loads faster, carts sync across devices, and sign-in is sped up with one tap. The Buy with Shop Pay button is also pre-filled for a smoother checkout.

How It Helps Your Store

Carts follow shoppers and stay up to date across their devices.
The Shop Pay button is personalized to show the card the shopper last used.
Shop reminds shoppers to finish carts they left behind.
Carts started in the Shop app carry over to your storefront, and the other way around.

Why You Should Care

Browsing activity also syncs to a shopper’s Shop account, so Shop can bring back items they viewed and abandoned carts. In simple words, Shop does some of the follow-up work for you. Fewer steps at checkout usually means fewer people giving up halfway.

The update is now supported on all browsers. The changelog doesn’t mention any setup, so there may be nothing for you to do. You can read more in the Help Center if you want details.

Read the update:

Shopify Just Taught AI Shopping Agents to Spot Your Sales

John Smith — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:13:10 +0000

Ever seen a crossed-out price and felt like you were getting a deal? AI shopping agents can now see that too.

What’s new?

Shopify now passes compare-at prices to AI shopping agents through Shopify Catalog, according to a changelog entry dated October 9, 2026. Before that, agents reading Catalog saw only the current price. Now they can see when a product is marked down, and by how much.

How it works

For developers, the Catalog API returns the compare-at price as list_price on each product variant, so an app or agent can tell when a product is marked down and by how much. The normal price field stays the same, and no action is required.

What store owners should know

Sharing happens through Catalog Mapping in the Shopify admin. Shopify turns it on by default for most stores.
It is turned off for stores that use compare-at for MSRP or another reference price.
The compare-at price must be higher than the selling price to be shared.
If you hide compare-at prices from EEA buyers, those buyers won’t get list_price either.

Why it matters

More shoppers now ask AI tools what to buy. If an agent can see a real discount, your sale is easier to spot and compare. But if your compare-at price is wrong or inflated, that wrong number can travel further now.

Quick to-do list

Open your Shopify admin and check your Catalog Mapping settings.
Make sure your compare-at prices are accurate.
If you use compare-at for MSRP, check that sharing is off, so agents don’t read it as a sale.

It’s a small change, but it gives AI agents the same price information a shopper sees on your product page.

Read the update:

Shopify Changelog: https://changelog.shopify.com/posts/compare-at-prices-now-displayed-to-agentic-channels
Developer details: https://shopify.dev/changelog/catalog-api-now-returns-compare-at-prices-as-list_price

Shopify Canvas: A New Way to Design Your Entire Store

John Smith — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:22:44 +0000

Shopify’s new AI-powered design workspace makes custom store design more visual, flexible, and accessible.

Building a Shopify store has always been relatively easy. But creating a store that feels truly unique often meant working with code, hiring a developer, or spending hours inside the theme editor.

That is starting to change.

Shopify has introduced Canvas, a new design surface that gives merchants a completely different way to build and customize their online stores. Instead of working on one page at a time, Canvas lets you see the entire store in one interactive workspace.

What Is Shopify Canvas?

Think of Canvas as a large digital workspace for your Shopify store.

Your store pages are laid out together, allowing you to move around, zoom in, and work on specific sections while still seeing the bigger picture. This makes it easier to understand how different pages, layouts, and design elements work together.

You can also edit elements directly or tell Shopify Sidekick, Shopify’s AI assistant, what you want to change.

For example, instead of manually searching through theme settings, a merchant could describe a design change to Sidekick. The AI can then make the changes while Canvas shows the result in real time.

Design Your Store With AI

One of the biggest parts of Canvas is its connection with Sidekick.

Sidekick can now work more deeply with a Shopify theme’s files. It can make changes across different parts of the store, validate the code, and review how those changes look.

This means merchants can move from an idea to a working design without needing to understand every technical detail.

You could start with something as simple as:

“Make the homepage feel more premium and modern.”

Sidekick can help turn that direction into actual design changes that you can see and refine in Canvas.

This does not mean AI completely replaces developers or designers. Instead, it gives merchants another way to explore ideas and makes custom design more accessible.

See the Bigger Picture

Traditional theme editing often means moving between different pages and settings.

Canvas takes a different approach.

Because multiple pages can be viewed together, merchants can spot design inconsistencies more easily. You can see whether your homepage, collection pages, and product pages feel like part of the same brand.

You can also preview the real working store, including interactions, animations, products, collections, and different screen sizes.

That broader view can be especially useful when building a consistent customer experience.

What Does Canvas Mean for Shopify Developers?

Canvas does not make developers irrelevant.

In fact, it changes where developers may spend their time.

Sidekick can now handle more of the repetitive theme-building work, while developers can focus on more complex functionality, custom experiences, integrations, performance, and technical requirements.

However, developers should also be aware that Canvas is still in its early stages.

At launch, Canvas does not support some features, including third-party themes from the Shopify Theme Store, app blocks and app embeds, Markets, translations, and Rollouts. Themes edited in Canvas also do not receive theme updates.

So, it is important to understand these limitations before moving an existing production store into a Canvas-based workflow.

A New Direction for Shopify Store Design

The biggest takeaway from Canvas is not simply that Shopify has added another design tool.

It signals a larger shift toward AI-assisted store building.

Merchants can now describe what they want, see the result, make adjustments, and continue refining the store without relying on traditional design and development workflows for every change.

Canvas is still developing, and Shopify has made it clear that it is not replacing the existing editor yet.

But the direction is clear: Shopify is making custom store design more visual, conversational, and accessible.

For merchants, designers, and developers, Canvas is worth watching closely. It could change not only how Shopify stores are built, but also how quickly businesses can turn a design idea into a working online store.

WordPress 7.1.2 Is Out - And This Time, It's Not Optional

John Smith — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:44 +0000

Imagine someone with no login, no password, no account on your site — able to run their own code on your server. That's the exact scenario WordPress just shut down.

On September 22, 2026, WordPress shipped version 7.1.2. It's a security release, and it addresses a critical severity vulnerability. When WordPress labels something "critical," it's not routine language. It means the stakes are high.

So What was Actually Broken?

Under specific conditions, an attacker didn't even need to be logged in. They could interfere with how WordPress resolves page templates, tricking the system into pulling in a readable local PHP file from outside the active theme's own directories.

If the server setup and active theme matched the right conditions, that could escalate into remote code execution. Translation: an outsider could potentially execute their own code on your site, without ever needing a username or password.

That's about as serious as a vulnerability gets.

Who Caught It

Security researcher Robert Ressl found the flaw and reported it responsibly, rather than exploiting it or going public first. That's exactly the kind of disclosure that keeps sites safe before attackers even know an opening exists.

For anyone tracking it officially, the issue is logged as CVE-2026-87902 / GHSA-7hp8-65ch-5whp.

What you need to do

*Update. Today, not sometime this week.
*
You've got a few easy paths:

Head to your WordPress Dashboard, click Updates, then Update Now
Grab WordPress 7.1.2 straight from WordPress.org
If automatic background updates are enabled on your site, it may already be handled

Managing more than one WordPress site? Don't just check your main one — go through all of them today.

What About Older Versions?

WordPress backported this fix to every branch still eligible for security support, reaching all the way back to version 4.7. That's a genuine courtesy, not something every project does.

Still, only the latest version of WordPress gets full, active support. If you've been relying on old-version backports as a long-term strategy, it's a good moment to plan a real upgrade.

Bottom Line

This isn't a feature refresh or a minor bug fix. It's a patch for a critical, unauthenticated vulnerability that could let attackers run code on sites that don't update.

If your site is still on an older version, this is the release you move on immediately — not later today, not tomorrow. Now.

Shopify Will Now Calculate Tax on Return Shipping Fees

John Smith — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:14:15 +0000

Returns already take extra work. Now Shopify is making one part of it easier.

Starting October 23, 2026, Shopify will automatically calculate tax on return shipping fees. This applies to eligible US merchants using Shopify Tax or Tax Platform.

Return shipping fees will now be taxed automatically

When a customer returns an order, merchants can charge a return shipping fee.

Going forward, Shopify calculates the tax on that fee automatically, treating it just like any other shipping charge.

Merchants no longer need to work out this tax manually.

Shopify will show the tax during the return

You'll see the estimated tax the moment a return is created.

Once the return is complete, Shopify records the final tax amount and adds it to your tax reports automatically.

That gives you a clear, accurate view of the tax tied to every return.

Your current tax settings still apply

This update doesn't change how your existing shipping tax settings work.

If shipping is untaxed in a certain state, return shipping in that state stays untaxed too.

It's still worth double-checking your settings to make sure everything's set up the way you expect.

Check any manual tax workarounds

Most eligible merchants don't need to do anything. Shopify handles the calculation automatically.

But if you're currently running a manual process for return shipping tax, review it before October 23.

You may need to turn it off once Shopify starts calculating this automatically — otherwise, you risk counting the same tax twice.

A simpler way to handle returns

Tax is one more detail to manage during returns. Automating it removes a step.

With this update, Shopify calculates the tax, shows the estimate during the return, and logs the final amount in your tax reports.

For eligible US merchants on Shopify Tax or Tax Platform, this makes return shipping tax easier to manage and track.

Read the original update: Shopify Changelog – Tax is now calculated on return shipping fees

Shopify Adds Filterable Logs and Health Metrics for Custom Apps

John Smith — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:17:33 +0000

Shopify has introduced new logs and health metrics for custom apps in the Developer Dashboard. These new tools give developers a better way to monitor their apps and find issues.

Keep Track of App Performance

Developers can now view key app health data from the Developer Dashboard. This includes API request volume, error rates, webhook delivery health, and embedded admin page load speed.

Shopify also provides clear thresholds for these metrics. This makes it easier to see when something may not be working as expected.

Having this information in one place can save developers time. They can check app performance without having to use several different tools.

Find Problems With Filterable Logs

Shopify has also added a filterable event stream. It brings API requests, webhook deliveries, and app events together in one place.

Developers can use filters to find specific events. This can make it much easier to investigate an issue.

For example, if a webhook fails, developers can check the event stream to see what happened. They can also look at API activity and other related events. This can help them find the source of a problem faster.

A New Dashboard View

The update also includes a new Developer Dashboard home page. It gives developers an overview of their custom apps and points out areas that may need attention.

This can be useful for agencies and teams that manage several custom apps. Instead of checking each app separately, they can get a quick view of app health from the main dashboard.

Why This Update Matters

Keeping an app healthy is important for a smooth Shopify store experience. Small issues with API requests, webhooks, or app performance can sometimes affect how a store works.

The new tools give developers a clearer view of what is happening with their apps. They can spot errors, check important activity, and troubleshoot issues from the same dashboard.

Overall, Shopify’s update makes custom app monitoring simpler and more convenient. It gives developers better visibility into app performance and helps them respond to problems more quickly.

Read the original Shopify update:
Shopify Changelog – Filterable logs and health metrics for custom apps

Why Your Shopify Admin Looks Different Today (September 15, 2026 Update)

John Smith — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:48:10 +0000

You log into your Shopify admin like any other morning, coffee in hand, ready to check your overnight orders. Then you pause for a second. The colors look different, some icons aren't where you remember them, and the layout feels unfamiliar.

Don't worry. You didn't log into the wrong account.

Shopify has simply given its admin a new look.

Starting September 15, 2026, Shopify began gradually rolling out a redesigned admin experience across stores. There was no major setup process or action required from merchants.

The update is being introduced store by store, so if you haven't seen it yet, it may arrive soon.

Here's what has changed and what you need to know.

Why Redesign Something that Already Worked?

Fair question.

The old Shopify admin wasn't broken. But there's a difference between something that works and something that feels easy and comfortable to use.

This update goes beyond simply changing a few colors. Shopify has refreshed the overall visual experience, including the color palette, typography, spacing, icons, and page layouts. The aim is to make the admin feel cleaner, lighter, and more consistent as you move between different sections.

Think of it as renovating the same house. The rooms are still there, but the layout and design have been refreshed to make everything feel more open and easier to navigate.

What's Actually Different?

A few changes are noticeable right away.

The admin now uses a new overall layout and visual framework. It's more than a fresh coat of paint, the changes affect how the interface feels as you move from one page to another.

Search, notifications, and the store picker have also been moved. Instead of sitting across the top, they're now part of the side navigation. The navigation can also be collapsed when you want more space for the page you're working on.

Then there's Sidekick, Shopify's built-in assistant.

Previously, Sidekick lived in a side panel and could be easy to overlook. With the new design, it appears as a floating chat bubble at the bottom of the page. That makes it easier to access wherever you are in the admin.

The Best Part: There's Nothing You Need to Set Up

You don't need to change anything to get the new design.

There's no setting to enable, no app to install, and no complicated update process. Shopify is handling the rollout on its end and gradually moving stores to the new interface.

One day, you'll simply log in and notice that your admin looks different. That's it. You're already on the new version.

Should This Change Worry You?

Not really.

This is primarily a visual and navigation update rather than a change to how your store works.

Your products, orders, customer information, and settings remain where they were.

The main adjustment will probably be your muscle memory.

If you've spent months reaching for search or notifications in the same place, you may have a few moments of "where did that go?" when the new design appears. It might take a little time to get used to the new navigation, but it shouldn't disrupt your regular store management.

Two Shopify updates worth knowing about this month

Interestingly, the admin redesign isn't the only Shopify update merchants may have noticed this month.

Just days after the admin changes, Shopify also rolled out an update to Analytics. That's a completely separate change from the new admin interface.

If you've noticed changes in session counts or conversion rates recently, the Analytics update may be the reason. I've covered that update separately here: Shopify Analytics Update (September 21, 2026).

It's worth checking out if your numbers have looked different lately, because those changes aren't related to the new admin design.

With the refreshed admin experience and recent Analytics changes, September has been a busy month for Shopify merchants. Understanding both updates can help you avoid confusion when something looks different in your store.

What should store owners actually do?

There's nothing urgent you need to do, but a little preparation can make the transition easier:

Don't panic if your admin looks different. It's part of Shopify's rollout, not a problem with your store.
Spend a few minutes exploring the new navigation. Knowing where the key tools are can save you time later.
Give Sidekick a try. Its new floating position makes it easier to access while working.
Let your team know about the change. If multiple people manage your store, a quick heads-up can prevent confusion when someone first sees the new interface.

In summary

The Shopify admin update is mainly about improving how the platform looks and feels, rather than changing what it does.

The tools you use to manage your store are still there. The biggest difference is how you access them, particularly with the updated side navigation and the new floating Sidekick button.

So if you log in one morning and your Shopify dashboard looks a little different, there's no need to worry.

It's not a glitch or a problem with your account. It's simply Shopify's refreshed admin experience.

Shopify Analytics: What Changed on September 21, 2026

John Smith — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:04:32 +0000

Logged into Shopify Analytics recently and noticed something odd? Maybe your sessions dropped. Maybe your conversion rate suddenly looks better than usual.

You're not imagining things. Shopify rolled out a real update on September 21, 2026. And it's changing how session data shows up in your dashboard.

Let's break down what's going on.

Why Shopify made this change

Every store gets visited by more than just real customers. Bots, crawlers, and background system pings hit your store too.

The problem? Shopify's old system sometimes counted this bot traffic as real sessions. That inflated your numbers. It also quietly dragged down your conversion rate, because bots browse but never buy.

So your "true" performance was getting buried under fake traffic.

This update fixes that. Shopify now does a better job separating real shoppers from bots and system noise.

What's new in Analytics

Two big things changed with this update.

First, Shopify added a Human or bot filter. You can now filter your Analytics data to see human-only traffic, or dig into bot activity separately if you want to.

Second, the default sessions view got cleaner. Shopify now focuses on real human visitors by default. At the same time, it still counts valid shopper journeys, even ones that don't follow a "standard" pageview pattern. So you're not losing real customer activity in the cleanup.

Which metrics are affected

Because sessions are the foundation for a lot of your reports, this update touches several metrics:

Sessions
Conversion rate
Add-to-cart rate
Reached checkout rate
Checkout conversion rate
Bounce rate
Pageviews per session
Online store visitors
Searches

If any of these look different compared to last month, this update is likely why.

What stayed exactly the same

Here's the reassuring part. This update only touches session measurement. It does not touch your actual sales data.

That means:

Orders
Sales
Customer counts

...are all completely unaffected.

If you sold 50 units yesterday, Analytics still says you sold 50 units. Nothing about your revenue reporting changed.

So even if your session numbers shift, your bottom line stays accurate and untouched.

What store owners should actually do

Here's the practical part.

Don't compare your pre-September 21 session data directly to your post-September 21 data. It's not a fair comparison anymore, since the counting method itself changed.

Instead:

Treat September 21, 2026 as a new baseline.
Track trends going forward from this date.
Avoid drawing conclusions like "my conversion rate improved" just because the number moved. It might just be cleaner data, not better performance.

Give it a couple of weeks. Once you have fresh data building up after the update, you'll get a much more accurate read on how your store is actually performing.

The Bottom Line

This isn't Shopify breaking something. It's Shopify fixing something that was quietly wrong for a while.

Bot traffic was skewing your numbers without you knowing it. Now your Analytics dashboard reflects real shoppers more accurately.

So if your session count dropped or your conversion rate jumped after September 21, 2026 — take a breath. Your store didn't change. The way Shopify counts it did.