Online Store 2.0

Online Store 2.0 is the name Shopify gave to the theme architecture it introduced in 2021. Before it, only the homepage could be built from drag-and-drop sections, and other pages were fixed templates that needed code changes. With Online Store 2.0, every page type, including product and collection pages, can be built from sections.

The main changes:

• Sections everywhere, so merchants can add, remove and reorder blocks on any page
• App blocks, which let Shopify apps add features such as reviews or upsells as blocks inside the theme, rather than by injecting code
• Multiple templates per page type, so one product can have a long sales page while others use a simpler layout
• Metafields in the theme editor, for showing custom product data without code

For researchers, Online Store 2.0 explains why modern stores can look very different while running the same Shopify theme. It also explains why some apps leave fewer traces in page source than before, since app blocks load inside the theme. Most current themes on Shopify's theme store are built for Online Store 2.0.