Shopify Theme Test
Shopify Theme Test is a dedicated mode of the Redirect Test designed specifically for Shopify stores. Instead of changing the page URL, it uses Shopify parameters (such as preview_theme_id) to show different themes to different visitors, allowing you to safely compare the performance of your current live theme against a new theme.
A standard Redirect Test sends visitors from page A to a completely different URL (page B). Shopify Theme Test, by contrast, keeps the URL unchanged and only switches the theme the visitor sees. This lets you run A/B tests on your entire store's visual design without disrupting the URL structure of product pages, carts, or checkout.
Use Cases
Roll out a new theme to a subset of visitors before the official launch to measure its impact on conversion rate and browse depth
Compare a seasonal theme (holiday / sale / new product launch) against your existing theme
Validate the overall effect of a full store redesign (colors, layout, product order)
Prerequisites
The Shopify Theme Test permission has been enabled for your current profile (if not enabled, the mode toggle will not appear in the setup dialog — please contact Sales or Customer Success)
The Ptengine tracking code has been deployed to your Shopify store — see Installing Tags in Shopify
The theme to be tested has been uploaded in the Shopify admin and you have obtained its preview parameter (e.g.
preview_theme_id=123456789)
Setup Steps
Go to Experience > Create New Experience from the left menu
Select "Redirect Test" as the experience type
In the creative settings dialog, enable "Shopify Theme Test Mode"
Enter the Shopify theme parameter in "Redirect Parameter"
Example:
preview_theme_id=123456789Enter only the
key=valuepart — do not include?or&
Enter the URL used for admin screenshots / previews / heatmaps in "Preview Page URL"
Configure delivery conditions (URL matching), traffic allocation ratio, and control group
Save and publish
Both the old and new themes must have the same Ptengine tracking code deployed. Deploying to only one theme will cause flickering or missing data.
How It Works
When a visitor first lands on a page that matches the delivery conditions, they are randomly assigned to a version according to the configured ratio
The assignment is stored in the visitor's browser local storage, so they will always see the same theme on subsequent visits (version stickiness)
The redirect (parameter appended) only occurs on the first visit — subsequent visits are not redirected, only impressions are recorded
For SPA-type stores, delivery conditions are re-evaluated on each route change
Visitors assigned to the control group are not switched to a different theme — they are only recorded as impressions for reference
Viewing Results
Theme test results work the same as a standard redirect test. You can compare key metrics such as sessions and conversion rate across versions in the Experience Report. See Experience Report Detail Page for details.
FAQ
Q. Do Shopify preview parameters expire?
A. Shopify preview URLs and parameters may have a time limit. Before going live, open the link in a browser where you are not logged in to the Shopify admin (or use a private/incognito window) to confirm that anonymous visitors can also see the theme under test.
Q. If I adjust the traffic ratio mid-test, will already-assigned visitors be affected?
A. No. The version assignment for existing visitors is stored in their browser local storage, so ratio changes only apply to new visitors. If you need a full reset, you will need to clear browser local storage.
Q. What happens to already-assigned visitors after the experience is stopped?
A. No further redirects will occur after stopping. Already-assigned visitors will revert to seeing your currently live theme. Performance data accumulated before stopping remains viewable.
Q. Do I also need to enable the Shopify data connection?
A. For theme testing only, installing the tracking code in your store is sufficient. If you need to sync data such as form submissions to the Shopify customer list, please refer to Shopify Integration.
Related Pages
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