Best Practices for Updating Shopify Themes after TPC Implementation

This articles shares our recommended best practices for ensuring a tracking page created with our Tracking Page Creator feature continues to function properly after future theme updates. If you have questions regarding anything discussed in this article, please reach out to us directly at help@gomalomo.com.

Background

When using our in-app Tracking Page Creator feature, we will install a Malomo tracking page template directly in your designated Shopify theme. You can select which theme that template is created in, such as a live published theme or a draft unpublished theme. At the same time as creating the theme page template, we will also create a new “Track Your Package” page in your Shopify store and assign that theme template to the page.

Once your “Track Your Package” page is created in your Shopify store, the tracking page theme template must continue to be assigned to that page for our tracking block to render properly. If a new theme version is published that does not have our tracking page template in the theme code, the "Track Your Package" page will revert to your default page template and the tracking block will not render on the page.

To prevent issues with the "Track Your Package" page while publishing new theme versions, we recommend the best practices listed below.

Best Practices

1. Share this article with team members that manage theme updates and new site content

Make sure any team member that interacts with your Shopify theme content and theme updates is aware of your Malomo implementation and the need for a tracking page template to be installed in any live published theme.

2. Add a tracking page to any theme version that is used as the "source of truth"

If your brand uses one main theme version as your "source of truth" for future cloning, we recommend building and designing a tracking page on this version first. After that, you can either clone this theme and prep for a future publish date, copy the theme code and paste into your current live theme, or create a new tracking page on your current live theme.

3. Clone future theme updates from a theme with an existing tracking page

Once you've implemented Malomo and built a tracking page on your live published theme, clone all future theme updates from this theme. This will prevent extra work and maintain the tracking page template moving forward. Check to make sure the theme version has the Malomo template in the page template drop down.

4. Add a tracking page to any theme version already created for future promotions

If, at the time of first implementing Malomo, you have multiple theme versions prepped for future promotions, make sure to add a tracking page template to all theme versions you plan to publish. You can do this by either copying the theme code of one page and pasting into all the other versions or creating a new tracking page with the TPC feature for each theme version.

5. When switching to a completely new theme, add a tracking page template before publishing

Tracking page theme templates will only carryover when cloning and publishing new versions of an existing theme. If your brand is implementing a completely new theme code, you will need to either add the existing code to that page or creating a TPC page on that theme.

6. Preview the "Track Your Package" page for the theme version prior to publishing

Whenever you are prepping a new version of a theme, get in the habit of previewing the "Track Your Package" page to confirm that a tracking block is still rendering correctly on the page. This will prevent a situation where a live theme is published with a broken tracking page.

Limitations

You have two options for adding a tracking page to a theme version, which come with distinct benefits and limitations.

Copy the theme code for an existing tracking page and install in the new theme version

Benefits: Keep the same "Track My Package" URL and no updates needed to the Default URL or emails.

Limitation: More time intensive and a few manual steps within your theme code.

Create a new page with the Tracking Page Creator

Benefits: Quick and easy. No copying code needed.

Limitation: Will create a new page in your Shopify store, with a new tracking page URL. You will need to update your default URL or emails. You will also need to style the TPC template again.

Instructions

Copy and Paste Existing TPC Theme Code

Navigate to the theme version without the tracking page template (Theme 1) and click Customize Theme.
Click on the 3 dots in the upper left hand corner, and then click Edit Code.
Scroll down to Sections and click Add New Section
1. Click liquid, call the file name: malomo_order_tracking and hit Done.
Scroll up to Templates and click Add New Template
1. Select Page as template type, click json, call the file name: malomo_tracking_page_template and hit Done.
In a new tab, navigate to the theme version with an existing tracking page template (Theme 2) and click Customize Theme.
Click on the 3 dots in the upper left hand corner, and then click Edit Code.
Scroll down to Sections and find the existing section malomo_order_tracking
Select all code and copy. Navigate back to Theme 1 and paste the code into the malomo_order_tracking section you created. Hit Save.
Navigate back to Theme 2 and scroll up to Templates and find the existing malomo_tracking_page_template.
Select all code and copy. Navigate back to Theme 1 and paste the code into the malomo_tracking_page_template template you created. Hit Save.
Exit out of both theme codes.
Click Customize Theme for Theme 1 and confirm the malomo_tracking_page_template is listed under your Page templates.

Create a new page with TPC Tracking Page

Build a new tracking page with the Tracking Page Creator.
Change your Default Tracking Page URL.

Note: Once you've updated your default URL, the variable will be updated for only new orders moving forward. If you'd like to see an immediate change in your notifications, you can manually change the URL link in your emails. Refer to our Linking to Your Tracking Page article for more information.