Theme license & Transfer
Everything you need to know about your Shopify theme license and transferring it to another store.
When you purchase a theme from the Shopify Theme Store, the theme is licensed exclusively to the store where the purchase was made.
According to Shopify's Terms of Service: 1 license = 1 store. You cannot download a ZIP file and upload it to a second store.
Unlicensed themes do not qualify for support or updates. Uploading the theme to a different store without purchasing a new license breaks the connection to the Shopify Theme Store. You will not receive automatic updates, and our team will be unable to provide technical support for that installation.
Unlicensed theme use & DMCA
If you receive a notification that you are using an unlicensed theme, or a DMCA notice, you must take one of the following actions immediately:
Purchase — buy a valid license directly through the Shopify Theme Store for the store where you are using it.
Delete — if you choose not to purchase, completely remove the theme from your Shopify Theme Library.
Provide license information — if you believe you already have a valid license, click "Provide license information" in the licensing issue message in your Shopify admin.
Legal action: We reserve the right to report your store to the Shopify legal team and issue a formal DMCA takedown request if you continue using an unlicensed theme.
How to transfer a license to a new store
If you are rebranding or opening a new store and permanently closing your old one, you may be eligible to transfer your theme license.
Important: theme developers cannot transfer licenses. We do not have access to your Shopify billing or licensing data and cannot manually move a license between stores. Only Shopify Support can assist with this process.
Requirements for transferring:
Both stores must have the same account owner email
You must be the registered owner of both accounts
You must permanently close the original store — it cannot be reopened after the transfer
Steps:
Go to Online Store → Themes on your old store
Next to the theme, click Actions → Download theme file — a download link will be sent to your email
Remove the theme from the original store including any renamed copies
Close the original store
Upload the theme ZIP file to your new store via Online Store → Themes → Add theme → Upload zip file
Purchase the theme again for the new store
(Optional) Contact Shopify Support to request a refund on the original purchase
Useful resources:
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