AI Store Builder

1. Introduction

AI Store Builder is a Nitro feature that helps users create a complete Shopify store theme with AI in just a few steps.

By collecting brand information, suggesting suitable layouts, and automatically integrating CRO features, the system can generate a professional Shopify theme without requiring technical or design experience.

The main purpose of this feature is to reduce store setup time, simplify the creation process for non-technical users, and help merchants launch professional storefronts faster.

2. Dashboard Overview

Theme Plan Usage: shows the number of AI themes generated, the current plan limit, and the overall usage progress.
Create New Theme: Users can generate a new AI Theme by providing brand information and selecting their preferred layouts and features.
Theme Library: Displays all generated AI Themes, including the preview thumbnail, theme name, status, CRO features, created date, and available actions for each theme.

3. Theme Generation Process

AI Store Builder includes 3 steps:

Tell Us About Your Brand
Pick a Look
Features & Review

Step 1 - Tell Us About Your Brand

In this step, users answer a few questions about their brand and business, such as the store industry, business type, target audience, logo, and promotion preferences.

The AI uses this information to better understand the brand and generate a Shopify theme that matches the store’s style and business goals.

Step 2 - Pick a Look

In this step, the system will suggest suitable layouts based on the brand information provided in Step 1. If you do not like the AI-recommended layouts, they can also manually select different layouts.

The system also allows users to assign different templates to specific products, collections, or blog posts,... to better match each type of content.

Essential Pages: Home Page, Product Page, Collection Page, Article Page, Blog Page

Custom Pages: Add additional pages like About Us, Contact, etc.

Product & Collection Priority: lets users choose which products, collections, or blogs the AI should prioritize and highlight in the generated storefront.

Step 3 - Features & Review

Users can select additional store features to enhance the shopping experience and improve conversions before generating the theme. These features include upsell tools, conversion boosters, and store utilities such as product bundles, sale popups, trust badges,...

Users can also review all selected information, including brand details, chosen layouts, and enabled features, before the AI generates the final Shopify theme.

4. Generate Theme

After completing all setup steps, users can click Generate Theme.

The system will:

Generate the Shopify theme
Apply selected layouts
Add selected features
Upload theme assets to Shopify

5. Pre-launch Checklist

The Pre-launch Checklist gives users a final review page before publishing their store. It helps quickly verify important elements such as responsive layout, navigation, SEO settings, missing sections, and Shopify compatibility in one place - making the launch process more organized and reducing the chance of overlooking important setup details.

5.1 Theme & Design

Logo uploaded and visible: Upload your logo in Theme Editor > Header section. Recommended size: 200×60px PNG with transparent background. Ensure it's visible on both light and dark backgrounds.
Primary/Secondary colors finalized: Go to Theme Editor > Theme Settings > Colors. Set your primary brand color, secondary accent, and ensure text has enough contrast against backgrounds (WCAG AA minimum).
Typography looks correct on all pages: Preview your store on different devices. Ensure heading fonts are readable, body text is at least 16px, and line heights are comfortable. Adjust in Theme Settings > Typography.

5.2 Content

Homepage hero section content filled: Your hero section should have a compelling headline, a clear call-to-action button, and a high-quality image or video. Focus on your unique value proposition.
Product pages have descriptions & images: Each product needs at least 3–5 high-quality images from different angles, a compelling description highlighting benefits (not just features), accurate pricing, and variant options configured.
Replace demo images with real store photos: Go to Content > Files in Shopify Admin, upload your product photos, then use the AI Image editing tools to enhance backgrounds, remove backgrounds, adjust lighting, and create lifestyle shots. Replace all placeholder/demo images in your theme sections with your real product and brand imagery.
Navigation menu configured : Set up your main menu with logical categories. Keep it to 5–7 top-level items max. Add a footer menu with policies, contact, and about pages. Test on mobile to ensure the hamburger menu works.

5.3 CRO Features

Newsletter discount % verified (default 30%): Check your newsletter popup discount code in the theme editor. The default is 30% — adjust based on your margins. Create a matching discount code in Shopify Admin > Discounts.
Cart upsell products selected: Configure which products appear as upsell suggestions in the cart. Choose complementary items that pair well with your best sellers. Test the cart page to verify upsells display correctly.
Countdown timer dates set correctly: Set realistic countdown dates for your promotions. Avoid evergreen countdowns that reset — customers notice and it damages trust. Sync dates with your actual sale schedule.

5.4 Technical & SEO

Meta descriptions added for key pages: Write unique meta descriptions (150–160 chars) for Homepage, Collection pages, and top products. Include your target keyword naturally. Go to each page/product in Shopify Admin and edit the SEO section.
Mobile responsive tested: Preview your store on mobile (use Chrome DevTools or your phone). Check: hero image isn't cropped, text is readable, buttons are tappable, cart works, checkout is smooth. Fix any layout issues in theme editor.
Page speed score acceptable: Run Google PageSpeed Insights on your store URL. Aim for 50+ on mobile. Common fixes: compress images, remove unused apps/scripts, use lazy loading. Shopify's built-in speed report also helps.

5.5 Legal & Policies

Privacy Policy page created: Go to Settings > Legal in Shopify Admin. Use Shopify's template generator as a starting point, then customize for your specific data practices. This is mandatory for running paid ads on any platform.
Terms of Service page created: Create Terms of Service in Settings > Legal. Cover: order acceptance, payment terms, shipping responsibilities, limitation of liability. Payment processors like Stripe/PayPal require this.
Refund Policy page created: Go to Settings > Legal to set up your refund policy. Clearly state your refund window (e.g. 30 days), conditions for returns, who pays return shipping, and refund method. A clear policy reduces customer disputes and PayPal/Stripe chargebacks significantly.
Shipping Policy page created : Go to Settings > Legal to create your shipping policy. Include: processing time, shipping methods & estimated delivery, international shipping availability, tracking information, and handling of lost packages.

5.6 Store Operations

Payment gateway activated: Go to Settings > Payments. Activate Shopify Payments (recommended) or connect a third-party provider. Test with a small transaction to confirm it works. Don't forget to configure currency settings.
Shipping zones & rates configured: Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery to set up shipping zones for your target markets. Configure rates: free shipping threshold (great for AOV), flat rate, or carrier-calculated rates. For dropshipping, match supplier shipping times.
Tax settings reviewed: Go to Settings > Taxes. Shopify auto-calculates taxes for most regions. Verify your product tax codes are correct, especially if selling digital goods or in the EU (VAT).
Test order completed successfully: Place a test order using Shopify's Bogus Gateway or a real small-amount transaction. Verify: product selection → cart → checkout → payment → confirmation email → order appears in admin. Check the entire flow on mobile too.

5.7 Tracking & Ads

Facebook Pixel installed: Install your Facebook Pixel via Settings > Customer events (or the Facebook & Instagram sales channel). Verify it fires correctly using Facebook's Pixel Helper Chrome extension. Essential events: PageView, ViewContent, AddToCart, Purchase.
Google Analytics connected: Connect Google Analytics 4 (GA4) via Settings > Customer events or the Google & YouTube sales channel. Set up key conversions: purchase, add_to_cart, begin_checkout. This data is critical for understanding your traffic sources.
Custom domain connected: Connect your custom domain in Settings > Domains. A branded domain (e.g. yourstore.com vs yourstore.myshopify.com) significantly increases customer trust and typically lowers ad costs by 10–20%.
Social media links added: Add links to your active social profiles in Theme Settings > Social media. These appear in the footer automatically. Only link profiles you actively maintain — empty social pages hurt credibility.

6. Sync to Online Store

The Sync to Online Store button allows you to transfer your AI-generated theme from the AI Store Builder workspace to your Shopify store for further review, customization, and publishing.

After syncing, you can:

Push the theme to Shopify Theme Library: The generated theme will be added to your Shopify Theme Library as an unpublished theme. This allows you to safely review and test the theme without affecting your live storefront.
Preview the theme on Shopify: Open a live preview of the synced theme directly on Shopify to verify layouts, content, navigation, and overall storefront appearance before publishing.
Publish the theme: When you are satisfied with the result, you can publish the synced theme and make it the active theme for your online store.
Continue editing with Shopify Theme Editor: After syncing, you can open the theme in Shopify Theme Editor and continue customizing sections, content, colors, typography, navigation, and other theme settings.

Note: Syncing creates or updates a theme in your Shopify Theme Library. Your current live theme will remain unchanged until you manually publish the synced theme.

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