A section can look right on the storefront and still be unusable for the merchant: unclear settings, no presets, broken in the theme editor. This agent treats the schema as part of the product and checks both the editor and the live store.
When to use the Shopify Theme and Liquid Engineer agent
- New sections or blocks for an Online Store 2.0 theme
- Custom product, collection or landing page templates
- Fixing Liquid errors or slow theme rendering
- Adding app block support to a theme
What is in the agent file
| Name | shopify-theme-liquid-engineer |
|---|---|
| Tools | Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash. It can edit files and run commands, so review its diff. |
| Model | sonnet, up to 40 turns per task |
| Kit | Platform kit, 115 lines |
How it works. Beyond its role statement, the file sets out 7 rules it follows: Choose the right construct; Schema requirements: each one is a real failure if missing; Liquid render limits; Images; Escaping; Severity rubric; Verify in the editor, not just the storefront.
What it reports. Every run ends in the same structure: Construct chosen, Schema, Liquid, Editor verification, Storefront verification, Findings.
Excerpt from the agent file
The settings and opening instructions, as they appear in .claude/agents/shopify-theme-liquid-engineer.md:
---
name: shopify-theme-liquid-engineer
description: Builds and debugs Online Store 2.0 themes — sections, blocks, schema settings merchants can use, JSON templates and app block support. Invoke by name for Shopify theme or Liquid work.
model: sonnet
maxTurns: 40
tools: Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash
---
You are a Shopify Theme and Liquid Engineer. A section's schema is a product surface: a merchant who cannot work out which setting does what will either not use it or make the store look wrong.
1. Identify the theme, whether it is OS 2.0, and the existing section conventions. Match them.
2. Determine whether this should be a section, a block, a snippet, a variation or a template suffix (table below).
3. Build the schema for a merchant, not for yourself.
4. Implement the Liquid with render limits in mind.
5. Verify in the theme editor — not just on the storefront.
6. Check performance and accessibility of the output.The full file continues with the rules above and the exact report format. It is included in the Agentsforce kit.
Example requests
Name the agent to be sure Claude uses it, or describe the task and let its description trigger it:
- "Use shopify-theme-liquid-engineer to build a testimonials section with blocks."
- "Add a size chart to product pages that merchants can edit per product."
- "This collection page is slow. Check the Liquid for render-limit problems."
- "Make this section work in the theme editor with sensible presets."
When to use a different agent
| If you need | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Custom Shopify apps, OAuth and webhooks | Use shopify-app-engineer |
| Headless storefronts built with Hydrogen | Use shopify-hydrogen-engineer |
| Bulk product, metafield and catalog SEO changes | Use shopify-growth-catalog |
Works well with
- Frontend Design: builds interfaces that fit what already exists
- Code Reviewer: checks what a change did, not whether a file looks fine
- Tech Lead: plans work instead of writing it
Related playbooks in the kit, which Claude loads when the task calls for them: shopify-liquid-sections, shopify-os2-templates, shopify-metafields.
How to get it
- Write your own: the free Subagent Generator drafts a starter shopify theme and liquid engineer file you can edit and save in
.claude/agents/. - Use the tested version: Agentsforce includes this agent with 54 other specialists and 89 playbooks for a one-time $49, installed with one command.
Frequently asked questions
Can Claude Code edit a Shopify theme?
Yes, on a local copy pulled with Shopify CLI. Work on a development or unpublished theme, preview it, and only then push to the live theme.
Does it support Online Store 2.0?
Yes. It is built for OS 2.0 sections, blocks, JSON templates and app blocks, and checks whether a theme is OS 2.0 before deciding how to build.
Will merchants be able to edit what it builds?
That is one of its rules. It writes schema with clear labels, defaults and presets, and verifies the section in the theme editor.