Top 8 Shopify Updates for 2026 All Shopify Merchants Must Know

Shopify reports that updates on the platform will help stores boost checkout conversions by 36%, increase revenue by 15%, and, with Shop Pay, raise conversions by 50%. These numbers are not lying. They show how Shopify’s updates can improve your revenue and your customers’ experience. That is why we are here with the top 8 Shopify updates you should prepare for 2026.  

If you run a Shopify store, keeping up with these 2026 changes is not optional anymore. It is about staying in the game. Our guide walks you through the 10 biggest changes Shopify is bringing in 2026. What they are, why they matter, and how you can get ready, we share all the best practices to prepare you for next year. 

So, let us get started then! 

Why Staying Ahead Matters with Shopify Updates for 2026

One of the smartest ways to beat your competitors is to stay updated with all the latest changes on Shopify. If you ignore these updates, here is what could happen:

• Old checkouts frustrate customers and make them quit halfway.
• Shopify scripts are disappearing. If you do not switch to the new system, your discounts and shipping rules could break.
• Updates will happen whether you are ready or not. Being unprepared means downtime and lost sales.
• Competitors who upgrade early will grab the lead and leave you behind.

Top 8 Shopify Updates for 2026 You Must Know

Without keeping you waiting, we quickly dive into the top 2026 updates you should prepare for. These are future updates and are supposed to be fully operational by next year. Let us see what these updates are. 

1. Shopify Checkout Upgrade

The big change is what happens right after a customer buys. The new Thank You and Order Status pages now support easy app blocks and pixels. This means you can add smart upsells, loyalty points, or delivery information right where it matters the most. Built-in compliance, like EU payment disclaimers, is included too.

Example: Imagine a fashion store adding a “Buy Again” button right after checkout. That small button could bring in repeat orders and boost your sales.

This upgrade is not just about features. It is faster, smoother, and more secure. Shopify’s Summer ’25 update proves it is ready for the global stage. These checkout improvements started rolling out in 2025 and will keep evolving through 2026 to enhance the global shopping experience.

Check out some useful tips on Shopify B2B Checkout Optimization to make full use of this upgrade.

2. Goodbye Scripts, Hello Functions and New Checkout Tools

Out with the old, in with the new. By 2026, Shopify will stop supporting old Scripts and require all custom checkout logic to move to faster, more reliable Shopify Functions. These Functions run smoothly even when many customers shop at the same time. It allows you to set different rules depending on where your buyers are located.

Along with these Shopify updates for 2026, Shopify introduces a new checkout extensibility framework that lets you customize the checkout securely and keeps everything compliant with rules.

Example: An electronics store switched its discount rules to functions and handled a big flash sale without any issues.

Moving early helps avoid disruptions because old scripts will stop working after June 30, 2026.

3. Expanded Markets Pro for B2B and Global Selling

To all the Shopify B2B merchants, you are in for a treat. Wholesale selling just got easier. Markets Pro on Shopify is getting better in 2026 to help merchants sell more easily to businesses and customers around the world. 

Wholesale sellers can:

• Set different prices for different companies or groups.
• Handle purchase orders and payment terms directly inside Shopify.
• Allow multiple people to share a buyer account with different roles and permissions.

At the same time, stores can create country-specific storefronts that automatically handle local taxes, duties, and payment methods. It will make international sales smooth and hassle-free.

Example: A furniture wholesaler in Europe uses Markets Pro to run separate stores for the UK and Germany. Each store shows the right prices and taxes for that country. This saves time, reduces mistakes, and keeps everything in one place.

These Markets Pro features started rolling out in 2025 and will keep expanding and improving throughout 2026 to support both B2B and global retail growth.

4. Shopify’s AI Tools for Stores

Good news for you all. One of our top Shopify updates for 2026 is about artificial intelligence. AI is now part of Shopify’s toolkit, and this is what it offers:

• Write product descriptions and posts in seconds.
• Suggest product bundles to boost average order value.
• Predict when the stock will run low.
• Chatbots answer customer questions anytime.

Example: A skincare brand used AI to recommend bundles and saw its average order value jump by 18%.

AI is not here to take over your team, so do not worry about that. It takes on the boring tasks so your team can focus on growing sales. 2026 is all about using advanced AI technology. So, you had better get used to its usage, otherwise you will fall behind. These AI tools started appearing in 2025 and will become smarter and more widely used throughout 2026.

5. Shopify Headless Commerce

This is one of the Shopify updates for 2026 that will make selling more convenient for you. Headless commerce means separating your store’s look from Shopify’s backend.

This lets you:

• Build your store with tools like React or Vue.
• Get faster load speeds, helping SEO.
• Create more interactive pages.

Example: An outdoor brand built an interactive React storefront that Shopify still powers behind the scenes for checkout, payments, and fulfillment.

Headless commerce is already supported, but we will see big enhancements and wider adoption in 2026.

6. AR Shopping Made Simple

The year 2026 is going to be the year of massive transformation for Shopify and its users. It is all about welcoming new technology. Augmented Reality (AR) shopping will be easier than ever in 2026.

Customers can:

• Preview products at home.
• Try on shoes, glasses, and clothes virtually.
• View multiple items together, like a living room set.

Example: A home decor store added AR for furniture and reduced returns by 25%, because customers knew exactly what they were getting.

AR shopping is emerging now and will get simpler and more popular in 2026.

7. Theme and Font Upgrades with New Developer Components

Shopify is updating themes and fonts to modern standards in 2026:

• Old fonts that are no longer supported will be replaced automatically with new ones that look similar but work better.
• Developers will get new Polaris UI components to build themes and apps faster and easier.
• Shopify is improving developer tools with features like local previews and better ways to find and fix problems. So, customizing your store is easier than before.

These upgrades help stores stay visually fresh and developer-friendly for a better customer experience.

8. Expanded Payment and Fulfillment Capabilities

Shopify Payments and Fulfillment Network see major upgrades in 2026:

• Shop Pay Installments and Apple Pay subscriptions roll out to more markets.
• Shopify Fulfillment Network supports more logistics providers and automation features like flat-rate shipping across multiple locations.
• Enhanced payout tracking with external trace IDs helps merchants reconcile payments accurately.

These improvements smooth payment flows and speed fulfillment, boosting customer satisfaction. Some features began rolling out in 2025 and will expand widely in 2026 to improve payment and delivery experiences.

Congratulations! You are now fully prepared to conquer next year. These top 8 Shopify updates for 2026 are more than enough to help you get ready for the new year. Now that you have all the latest information you need to thrive next year, let us see how you can stay at the top by avoiding some common mistakes. 

Mistakes to Avoid

The following are some of the common mistakes that Shopify merchants make. Such as: 

• Waiting too long to move from scripts to functions.
• Skipping tests in staging.
• Using old themes that will not work with Shopify’s latest versions.
• Living under a rock and fearing new technology and tools like automation and AI.  

For the fourth point, to give you an idea of what you are missing out on, we provided a demo of a bulk order app in action. This is to show you how it uses modern technology like automation to handle multiple product variants within a few seconds. 

Still not sure if you should prepare yourself for these Shopify updates for 2026? There are several 

Shopify reports and other eCommerce-based articles with real-life examples showing how upgrades increased sales and improved customer satisfaction for many stores. We summarized some success stories in the next section.  

Real Success Stories

• A fashion brand cut checkout abandonment by 20% with the new upgrade.
• A wholesaler made B2B orders smooth with roles and permissions.
• A cosmetics company raised average order value by 18% using AI.
• A furniture retailer grew in Europe with localized storefronts.

If you still do not believe us, then visit a good b2b wholesale app’s profile on Shopify’s app store and go through the reviews by real merchants with the same pain points as yours. Instead of living in a cave, they have adapted modern technology into their store, achieving higher AOV. This serves as proof of how important it is to keep up with the times.

Conclusion

The Shopify updates for 2026 are not small fixes. They are game changers that shift how you sell, how customers buy, and how your store grows. From AI and AR shopping to checkout upgrades and B2B tools, Shopify is raising the bar for all merchants.

Start your preparations now. Audit your store, plan your migrations, and use helpful apps for more efficiency. Merchants who move early will not just keep up, they will lead the pack. You could be one of them. So, are you ready for next year? 

FAQs