When Shopify announced Online Store 2.0 in 2021, it fundamentally changed how Shopify themes are built. The introduction of "sections everywhere"—the ability to add, remove, and rearrange content sections on any page through the theme editor—turned Shopify from a templated platform into a genuine page builder. Five years on, OS 2.0 is the standard, and stores still running on legacy ("vintage") themes are operating at a serious disadvantage.
If you're on a legacy theme, this guide is your migration roadmap. If you're already on OS 2.0 but only using sections on the homepage, this guide is your handbook for unlocking the rest. Either way, you're going to leave with a clearer picture of what sections everywhere actually does and how to use it to ship better merchandising, faster.
The Core Difference: Sections Everywhere
In legacy themes, sections were homepage-only. Every other template (product, collection, cart, blog, page) was a static layout. Want to add a video on a product page? Edit the Liquid file. Want a "you might also like" carousel on a blog post? Edit the Liquid file.
In OS 2.0, sections work everywhere. The theme editor exposes every template as a stack of editable sections, with merchant-controlled add/remove/reorder. A non-technical merchandiser can drop a "FAQ accordion" onto a product page or a "trust badges" row onto the cart—no developer needed.
That's the headline change. Underneath it sits a more important architectural shift: JSON templates.
JSON Templates Replace Liquid Templates
In legacy themes, each template (product.liquid, collection.liquid, etc.) was a hard-coded Liquid file mixing markup, logic, and content. Editing required a developer.
In OS 2.0, templates are JSON files declaring which sections appear on the page and in what order. Section files (product-info.liquid, related-products.liquid, etc.) are reusable building blocks. The theme editor reads the JSON and lets merchants change it visually.
A typical OS 2.0 product template JSON looks like:
{
"sections": {
"main": { "type": "main-product" },
"related": { "type": "related-products" },
"reviews": { "type": "product-reviews" },
"faq": { "type": "faq-accordion" }
},
"order": ["main", "related", "reviews", "faq"]
}
The merchant can reorder, remove, or add new sections through the editor. The developer's job is to build well-crafted, configurable section files; the merchant's job is to compose them into pages.
Why Migrate from Vintage to OS 2.0
If you're still on a vintage theme, here's what you're missing:
Merchandising agility: launching a new collection no longer requires a dev to update a template. The merchandising team can build pages themselves.
Per-page customization: different product pages can have different layouts. Hero products get rich storytelling; long-tail SKUs get a minimal layout. Same template file, different JSON configuration.
Metafields integration: OS 2.0 themes have native UI for metafields, letting you add structured data (ingredients, materials, dimensions) and surface it on PDPs without code.
App blocks: app developers ship "app blocks" that merchants can drop into any section without theme editing. Adding a review widget or upsell bundle becomes a 30-second job.
Performance and maintainability: OS 2.0 themes are generally lighter and more performant than the bloated legacy themes that accumulated 5 years of feature creep.
Future-proofing: Shopify is investing exclusively in OS 2.0. Every new feature—Checkout Extensibility, Shop Pay enhancements, AI-driven personalization—lands first (or only) for OS 2.0 themes.
Should You Migrate or Stay Put?
Migration is a real project, not a checkbox. Decide based on:
- Migrate if:
- Your current theme is heavily customized vintage Liquid with no clear upgrade path
- You can't easily make merchandising changes without developer help
- You want to use modern Shopify features (metafields, app blocks, dynamic sources)
- Your store's design has drifted from your brand
- Stay (for now) if:
- You're already on a current OS 2.0 theme and just need to use it better
- Your current theme works, converts well, and your team can edit it efficiently
- You're months from a major launch (don't migrate during a critical period)
The migration cost typically ranges from $5,000 (basic template-to-template port) to $50,000+ (custom OS 2.0 theme rebuild with redesign). The ROI usually shows up in 6-12 months through faster merchandising velocity.
How Migration Actually Works
A migration is technically a theme replacement, not an upgrade. There's no "click here to upgrade" button. The process:
1. Pick the Target Theme
- Three paths:
- Use Shopify's free themes (Dawn, Crave, Studio, Ride, Sense, etc.): best starting point for most stores. Dawn especially is well-maintained and performant.
- Buy a premium OS 2.0 theme from the Shopify Theme Store: $200-$400, more design variety than free themes.
- Custom-build from Dawn: best for brands with strong design needs and budget.
For most merchants migrating from a heavily customized vintage theme, customizing Dawn is the highest-ROI path. Dawn is performant, accessible, and serves as a clean foundation rather than a baked-in design.
2. Audit Existing Customizations
- Before building, document everything custom about your current theme:
- Custom sections (homepage hero, custom collections layouts)
- PDP customizations (size charts, ingredient breakdowns, custom tabs)
- Cart customizations (gift wrap, sample selection, free-shipping bar)
- Checkout customizations (deprecated for non-Plus; replaced by Checkout Extensibility on Plus)
- Theme app installations (each needs reinstallation/recompatibility check)
Build a punch list. The migration is essentially recreating each item in OS 2.0 idioms.
3. Map Custom Features to OS 2.0 Patterns
Most vintage customizations have direct OS 2.0 equivalents:
- Vintage homepage section → OS 2.0 section (mostly identical Liquid)
- Vintage PDP custom tab → OS 2.0 collapsible row block in product info section
- Vintage size chart in template → OS 2.0 "size chart" section/block enabled per-product
- Vintage hardcoded "you may also like" → OS 2.0 related-products section with metafield-driven curation
- Some patterns change more dramatically:
- Hardcoded blog templates → JSON template with reusable sections
- Per-collection unique layouts → JSON template variants per collection
- Custom cart drawer → OS 2.0 cart drawer section with built-in personalization
4. Set Up a Development Environment
Use Shopify CLI for theme development:
shopify theme init
shopify theme dev
This gives you local development with hot reload connected to a development store or your existing store's unpublished theme. Iterate locally, push to Shopify when ready.
5. Migrate Content and Settings
- Most content lives in:
- Theme settings (logo, colors, fonts): manually replicate in new theme settings
- Section content (homepage modules): rebuild section by section in the editor
- Product/collection metafields: these persist across themes—no migration needed
- Pages (about, contact, FAQ): page content in the admin persists, but page templates need re-mapping if you used custom templates
6. Test Exhaustively Before Publishing
- Before publishing, test on the unpublished theme:
- All key user flows (browse → PDP → cart → checkout)
- Mobile responsiveness on real devices
- Page speed (run Lighthouse on top 5 templates)
- App functionality (every installed app)
- Tracking (GA4, Meta pixel, conversion tracking)
A staged rollout—publish during a low-traffic period, monitor for 24 hours, with the old theme ready to republish—is standard.
Getting the Most from Sections Everywhere After Migration
Migrating is half the work. Using OS 2.0 well is the other half.
Build a Section Library
- Instead of one-off sections per template, invest in a reusable library:
- Hero section (configurable image, video, headline, CTA)
- Image with text (left/right configurable)
- Multi-column (features, benefits, USPs)
- Testimonials
- Image gallery / lookbook
- FAQ accordion
- Product grid (configurable filters and sort)
- Newsletter signup
- Trust badges
- CTA banner
These 10-12 sections, well-built, cover 95% of merchandising needs. Your team composes pages from the library; you don't keep building one-offs.
Per-Product PDP Variation
In legacy themes, every product page looked the same. In OS 2.0, you can create alternate product templates (e.g., product.hero.json, product.simple.json, product.bundle.json) and assign them per product.
Common pattern: hero products use a rich template with editorial sections, founder story, and lookbook imagery. Long-tail SKUs use a minimal template with just product info and reviews.
Metafield-Driven Content
OS 2.0's "dynamic sources" let you bind section content to metafields. Define a "size_chart" metafield on products, and any section can pull that product's size chart automatically.
This unlocks structured content at scale—instead of each PDP being a one-off design, content flows from product data into reusable section templates.
App Blocks Strategy
App blocks are sections/blocks that apps inject into your theme. The good ones (Judge.me, Loox, Yotpo, Bold subscriptions, Recharge) ship native app blocks merchants can place anywhere.
When evaluating apps, prefer ones with mature app block support over ones that require manual code injection.
Performance Considerations
OS 2.0 themes can be significantly faster than vintage—or significantly slower if built carelessly. Watch for:
- Too many sections on a single page (each section adds DOM weight)
- Unoptimized section images (compress and lazy-load)
- App blocks that bloat checkout or PDP performance
- Sections with heavy JS that aren't lazy-loaded
Run Lighthouse on every key template after migration. Target Largest Contentful Paint under 2.5s on 4G mobile.
Common Migration Pitfalls
A few mistakes that consistently slow migrations:
Trying to replicate the old theme exactly. The migration is an opportunity to redesign and simplify. Don't recreate every cruft of your old theme.
Skipping the section library investment. Building one-off sections for every page works at first but creates the same maintenance hell you're migrating away from.
Forgetting tracking and pixels. GA4 and Meta pixel often need reinstallation. Verify every conversion event fires correctly.
Not training the merchandising team. The whole point of OS 2.0 is empowering merchandisers. Skip the training and they'll keep coming to developers for changes.
Closing Thought
OS 2.0 isn't a feature update—it's a fundamentally better way to run a Shopify store. The merchants getting the most from it have shifted from "developers build pages, merchandisers request changes" to "developers build sections, merchandisers compose pages." That shift compounds: more pages, more A/B tests, more campaigns, more revenue per developer hour.
If you're on a vintage theme, plan the migration. If you're on OS 2.0 but underusing it, build the section library this quarter. Either way, the platform has caught up to the modern needs of ecommerce. Use it.