📖 If you set Boost up on a duplicate theme, none of it is visible to shoppers yet. Publishing that theme is the step that makes Boost live on your storefront.
Why this step matters
Setting Boost up on a duplicate theme is a safe way to preview it, and it is what we usually recommend. The catch is that a duplicate theme is not the one your shoppers see. Until you publish it, your storefront still shows your old theme, and none of your Boost setup is doing anything for your customers.
Before you publish, it is worth previewing the duplicate theme in Shopify so you know exactly what your shoppers will get.
Publish your theme
In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes.
Find the duplicate theme you set Boost up on. It is listed under Theme library, below your current live theme.
(Optional) Click Preview to see the theme as a shopper would before you commit.
Click Publish, then confirm.
What changes when you publish
Publishing swaps your live theme for the duplicate straight away. For your shoppers, this means:
Boost search, filters and any other features you enabled start appearing on your storefront.
Your collection pages and search results use Boost's layout instead of your previous one.
Your previous theme is not deleted. It moves into your theme library, so you can go back to it.
Check it worked
Open your storefront in a new tab, or in a private browsing window so you see it as a shopper does.
Go to a collection page and check that your Boost filters appear.
Use your search bar and check that Boost search results appear.
If something is missing, follow Check Boost is working on your store.
If you want to go back
You can return to your previous theme at any time:
Go to Online Store > Themes in your Shopify admin.
Find your previous theme in the Theme library.
Click Publish on that theme, then confirm.
Your storefront goes back to how it was, and the theme you set Boost up on stays in your library so nothing you configured is lost.
Feel free to reach out to our dedicated support team via chat if you have any questions or require additional assistance.