How to Delete a Theme on Shopify: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Tony Pham Jan 19 2026

Shopify lets you install multiple themes at once, but keeping too many unused themes can clutter your admin interface and, over time, indirectly affect page load performance. In this article, NextSky will guide you on how to delete a theme on Shopify, along with in-depth tips to avoid common mistakes without risking data loss or store interruptions.

Why you need to delete themes on Shopify

Shopify's theme library lets you store up to 20 themes (or up to 100 on Shopify Plus plans) for testing and customization. As your store grows, this library can quickly become cluttered with old or unused themes. Based on our experience working with hundreds of merchants, here are the most common reasons to delete them:

Free up space — Unused themes consume storage resources, making the theme library messy and hard to manage.
Improve performance — Old or bloated themes can indirectly impact speed and stability if not properly managed.
Enhance security — Removing outdated themes reduces potential security risks and issues from legacy code.
Smoother design transitions — When upgrading to a new, speed-optimized, SEO-friendly theme like Glozin or Agile from Nextsky, cleaning up old themes makes the switch cleaner and more efficient.

How to delete a theme on Shopify: Step-by-Step guide

Deleting an Unpublished Theme (Unpublished theme)

Step 1: Log in to your Shopify Admin → go to Online Store → Themes to open your store's theme library.
Step 2: In the Unpublished themes section, locate the exact unpublished theme you no longer need.
Step 3: Click the Actions (⋯) button next to that theme, then select Remove.
Step 4: A confirmation dialog “Remove theme” will appear. Click Remove to complete the deletion.

Note: This action is permanent — the theme cannot be recovered unless you have a downloaded backup.

Deleting the currently published (Live) theme

You cannot directly delete a published theme while it's active on your store. First, switch to another theme:

Step 1: Go to Online Store → Themes, choose a replacement theme (ideally a free one like Dawn or a duplicated backup of your current theme).
Step 2: Click Actions → Publish on the replacement theme and confirm.
Step 3: Once the new theme is published, the old one automatically moves to Unpublished themes.
Step 4: Return to the Themes page, find the old theme (now unpublished).
Step 5: Click Actions (⋯), select Remove, double-check the theme name in the confirmation dialog, then click Remove to finish.

Important preparations before deleting a theme

To ensure the deletion process is smooth and safe, make sure you have the following ready:

Valid Shopify account with admin permissions — Only store owners or staff with theme management rights can perform these actions.
Backup your current theme — Before any changes, download a copy via Actions → Download theme file in the theme library. This preserves all custom code, settings, and assets for easy restoration if needed.
Review dependencies — Confirm the theme you're deleting isn't the live one or connected to critical apps. Always activate a different theme first.
Have a fallback plan — Keep a replacement theme ready, especially when removing the live theme, to prevent any downtime or disruption to your store.

Best practices for sustainable Shopify theme library management

To keep your store efficient and scalable long-term, adopt these habits:

Regular reviews — Every quarter, audit your entire theme library and remove any themes unused for more than 6 months to prevent clutter and system bloat.
Smart duplication — Always duplicate a theme before experimenting with edits or new features — this allows safe testing without risking the live version.
Performance optimization — After cleanup, focus on upgrading your active theme: compress images, minify code, and use speed-enhancing apps.
Stay updated — Shopify constantly improves the platform, so regularly update your active theme to access the latest features and standards.
Seek professional help when needed — For stores with extensive custom code, experts can safely migrate and optimize — in fact, we've helped clients improve page load speeds by up to 40%.

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Tony Pham

Hello! I'm Tony Pham, a full-stack Shopify, Magento, and WordPress developer with over 12 years of experience in both front-end and back-end development.

Since 2016, I have been proudly working at Nextsky as the Tech Lead, where I continue to enhance my skills and contribute to exciting projects. One of my proudest works is the Agile theme, which passed Shopify's high standard and is currently available on Shopify Theme Store.

I am passionate about researching new technologies and staying updated with the latest trends in the industry. It not only makes my life more fulfilling and exciting but also allows me to bring better service to clients.