> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://staylime.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://staylime.com/docs/theme-companion/theme-updates/when-conflicts-get-hard.md).

# When conflicts get hard

Most conflicts are resolved with a click. Sometimes one isn't — not because something went wrong, but because merging has natural limits: when two sides rewrite the same code far enough apart, no tool can combine them automatically — someone has to decide what the result should be. Theme Companion's job is to find every such place and give you a way through it, not to make the decision disappear. Here are the three situations you may run into, and the way through each.

Two things to keep in mind first. During conflict resolution, the **Full file preview** is read-only — editing happens only inside conflicts: every change goes through an explicit, visible decision, so nothing slips into your theme unnoticed. And if you're not sure which parts of a file were yours, the **Before update** tab shows exactly that — see [Resolving conflicts](/docs/theme-companion/theme-updates/resolving-conflicts.md).

### "I need to change code near a conflict, but outside the editable area"

Resolve the conflicts first and finish the update, then make the remaining edit in the **updated theme's** code: in your Online Store, open the updated theme and choose **Edit code**. Your live theme isn't affected until you publish, so you can polish the updated theme as long as you need before going live.

### "Both sides changed this code so much that I can't combine them"

Pick the side that's closer to the result you want — **Keep my current** or **Keep updated** — and adjust the rest in the updated theme's **Edit code** after finishing the update. If there are many places like this across your theme, consider [Get expert help](/docs/theme-companion/theme-updates/get-expert-help.md): that's exactly what it's for.

### "My customization refers to code that no longer exists — or moved to another file"

This means the new version restructured the theme deeply: that part of your customization can't be merged in place — it needs to be re-applied where the code lives now. The same applies when a whole file you customized is no longer part of the new version — the files listed as [customizations not present in the updated version](/docs/theme-companion/theme-updates/understanding-your-update-summary.md#files-with-customizations-not-present-in-the-updated-version) on your update summary.

If it's just a place or two, re-apply them yourself through the updated theme's **Edit code** after finishing the update. If it's more than that, the manual work adds up quickly — [Get expert help](/docs/theme-companion/theme-updates/get-expert-help.md) is the honest recommendation: the team re-applies your customizations to the new version for you.

***

All three situations grow with version distance. Once you're through this update, staying current keeps the next ones small — see [The longer you wait, the harder the update](/docs/theme-companion/theme-updates/how-theme-updates-work.md).


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