> 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/volume-themes/faq/theme-setup-and-updates/will-updating-volume-erase-my-customizations.md).

# Will updating Volume erase my customizations?

What a Volume update keeps, what it does not, and how to move to a new version without losing your work.

An update never touches your published theme. Shopify installs the new version of Volume as a **separate theme** in **Online Store → Themes**, so your live store keeps running on the old version until you publish the new one yourself.

What happens to your work depends on where that work lives. The rule of thumb: **anything you did in the theme editor travels with the update; anything you did in Edit code does not.**

### Carried over automatically

These are stored as settings rather than as code, so the update brings them along:

* All **Theme settings** — colours, typography, layout, animations, cart behaviour and the rest.
* The sections and blocks on every template, their settings, and their order.
* Your header, footer, menu drawer and overlay content.
* Anything typed into a section's or block's **Custom CSS** field.
* Code sitting in a **Custom Liquid** section, a **Custom HTML** section, or a **Custom Liquid** block inside another section.

### Not carried over

Edits made in **Edit code** stay behind in the old theme and have to be re-applied by hand. That includes changes to any `.liquid` file, added snippets, extra assets, and styles pasted into `base.css`.

Storefront wording you changed through **Edit default theme content** lives in the theme's language files, so give a few of your edits a quick look after updating and keep a note of them beforehand.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Update Volume

1. Go to **Online Store → Themes**.
2. Find Volume in the theme list and open the **Update available** notice.
3. Let Shopify create the updated copy. It appears as an unpublished theme.
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Check the copy before publishing

1. Open **Preview** on the new theme.
2. Walk through your home page, a collection, a product, the cart and the checkout entry point.
3. Re-apply any code edits you had in the old version.
4. If the release added or reworked a section you use, open it in the editor and confirm its settings look the way you expect.
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Publish

Once the preview looks right, click **Publish**. Keep the old theme unpublished for a week or two as a fallback.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
If your old version was customized in the code editor, ask whoever made those changes to write them down before you update. Volume's files change between releases, so an old snippet may not drop cleanly into the new version.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" icon="lightbulb" %}
Every release and what changed in it is listed in the [Volume release notes](/docs/volume-themes/changelog/volume-release-notes.md).
{% endhint %}


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://staylime.com/docs/volume-themes/faq/theme-setup-and-updates/will-updating-volume-erase-my-customizations.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.