Getting started

Follow these steps to install Anvil and get your store ready to sell.

Install the theme

In the Shopify Theme Store, open the Anvil listing and choose a preset.
Click Try theme to add a free trial copy to your theme library, or Buy theme to purchase it.
In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes. Anvil appears in your theme library.
Click Customize to open the theme editor. When you're ready, click Publish.

Before you change a live theme, make a copy. In Online Store > Themes, click … next to the theme and choose Duplicate.

Set up your store in 8 steps

Pick a preset. In the theme editor, open Theme settings > Colors and Typography to adjust the preset you installed. See Presets.
Add your logo and favicon in Theme settings > Logo and favicon.
Build your main menu in Content > Menus. Departments with sub-categories open as a mega menu. See Header and navigation.
Create collections for each department, then add them to the Collection list section on the home page.
Add specifications as product metafields so the specification table and the list layout can show them. See Specifications.
Set up filters with the Shopify Search & Discovery app. See Filters.
Choose a cart type in Theme settings > Cart: a slide-out drawer or a full cart page.
Test a purchase. Search for a product by its SKU, add it to the cart, and go to checkout.

Using the theme editor

The theme editor has three areas:

Sections (left sidebar): add, reorder, hide, or remove sections and blocks on the page you're editing. Use the page menu at the top to switch templates, such as a product or collection page.
Theme settings (gear icon): colors, fonts, layout, product cards, cart, and search for the whole store. See Theme settings.
Preview: switch between desktop and mobile views with the icons at the top.

To add an app block, click Add block inside a section that supports apps, such as Product information, and choose the app. You can also add the Custom section section anywhere and put app blocks in it.

Updating Anvil

When a new version is released, a banner appears in Online Store > Themes. Click Update to add an updated copy to your theme library. Your settings and content are kept, but code changes you made yourself are not copied over. Review the updated copy, then publish it. See the release notes for what changed.