Shopify Launches Canvas to Build Online Stores by Chatting With AI

Shopify has introduced Canvas, a new AI-powered workspace that lets merchants build and edit online stores by describing what they want in a chat.

Instead of manually rearranging theme sections or editing code for bigger changes, merchants can ask Shopify’s AI assistant to modify the storefront. Canvas renders those changes in real time, allowing users to view the entire store or zoom in on individual elements as they work.

Sidekick can now work directly with store themes.

The experience is powered by Shopify Sidekick, the company’s existing AI assistant. Sidekick can already help merchants generate code, create apps, and customise themes, but Canvas brings those capabilities together in a visual site-building environment.

Shopify says Canvas displays the actual store code being rendered rather than a static mockup. Merchants can therefore test interactions and animations and preview how pages will appear across different screen sizes as they make changes.

Sidekick can also take screenshots of the storefront, allowing the AI to see the same interface the merchant is viewing. Users who prefer direct editing can still select individual elements and make changes manually.

Shopify simplified themes for AI editing

To support the new workflow, Shopify gave Sidekick direct access to theme files and simplified its theme architecture so the AI can more easily understand and modify a store’s structure, design and logic.

Canvas fits into Shopify’s broader push to bring AI deeper into merchant workflows, with the company highlighting new commerce and AI capabilities across its Winter “26Edition.

The product is still in its early stages. Third-party theme support, app blocks and extensions, market-specific features, translations, rollouts and some theme update capabilities are not included in the initial release. Canvas is also limited to desktop for now.

Shopify says it plans to expand those capabilities over time. If Canvas develops as intended, it could lower the technical barrier for merchants who want more customised online stores without relying as heavily on developers or learning to edit theme code themselves.