Getting started with Rail

Add Rail to your store, make it yours in the theme editor, then publish when you are ready. This page walks through each step.

Install Rail from the Shopify Theme Store

1. Open the Rail listing on the Shopify Theme Store and choose the option to try it or add it to your store. If you buy Rail, follow Shopify's checkout.
2. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store › Themes. Rail now appears in your Theme library, unpublished. Your current theme stays live until you publish Rail.
3. Select Customize next to Rail to open the theme editor.

Sections come with sample headings and text written for a fictional boutique called bisou, so you can see how each one reads. Replace the photos, headings and links with your own as you go.

Try and preview before you publish

You can build your whole store in an unpublished theme. Nothing changes for your customers until you publish.

• In the theme editor, use the template picker at the top (it starts on Home page) to switch between Home page, Products, Collections, Cart, Search, Blog posts, Pages and the rest.
• Use the device icons to check phone, tablet and desktop layouts. Rail is built mobile first, so check the phone view carefully.
• Use Preview (in the Themes page, under the three dots next to Rail) to open the theme in a normal browser tab, with its own shareable preview link.
• To test checkout and the cart, add a product to the bag in the preview as a shopper would.

Where the settings live

Rail has settings at three levels. Knowing which level to look at saves time.

Theme settings whole store

The paintbrush icon in the editor's left rail. Logo, colors, fonts, page width, motion, product cards, badges, cart, search, social links and currency format. See Theme settings.

Section settings one section

Select a section in the left sidebar to change its heading, layout, color scheme and spacing. Every content section has a Color scheme and the checkboxes Remove top spacing and Remove bottom spacing. See Sections and blocks.

Block settings one item in a section

Expand a section and select a block (for example a Department in the header, or a Row in Collapsible content) to edit that item. Use Add block to add more and drag to reorder.

The header and footer are section groups. They appear at the top and bottom of the editor on every page, and changes apply to the whole store.

Set up your store in a sensible order

1. Brand it. Upload your logo and favicon, pick colors and fonts. (Theme settings)
2. Build the header. Choose your menu, add Department blocks for your main collections, set the masthead and dock. (Sections)
3. Compose the home page. Add or reorder sections: Masthead hero, Rail, Shelf, Wall, Fitting room and others.
4. Prepare products. Add color swatches, fit metafields and a size guide page. (Product page)
5. Set up filters. Configure filters in Shopify Search & Discovery. (Collections)
6. Choose your cart. Drawer or page, free shipping bar, upsell collection. (Cart)
7. Add languages and markets if you sell internationally. (Languages and markets)

Publish your theme

1. Review every template once: Home page, Products, Collections, Cart, Search, Blog posts, Pages, 404 and Password.
2. Select Save in the editor, then go to Online Store › Themes.
3. Open the three dots menu next to Rail and choose Publish, then confirm. Rail is now your live theme and your previous theme moves back to the theme library.

Update Rail safely

When we release a new version, Shopify shows an update notice on the theme in your library.

1. Duplicate your live Rail theme (the backup).
2. Follow Shopify's update prompt on the theme. Shopify adds the new version to your library without changing the live theme.
3. Open the new version in the editor and check your header, footer, home page, a product, a collection and the cart.
4. If everything looks right, publish it. If something is missing, keep the backup live and contact support.

Shopify normally carries your theme editor settings over to the new version, but changes made in the code editor are not carried over. If you or a developer edited Rail's code, those edits have to be re-applied by a developer. See the support policy.

What changed in each version is listed in the release notes.