How to Tell If Your Shopify Store’s Technology Is Out of Date
Outdated technology on a Shopify store creates security vulnerabilities, performance problems, and compatibility issues that compound over time. Here’s what to check.
Your theme
Is your theme still actively maintained by the developer? Have you applied available updates? Older themes — particularly those built before Shopify’s Online Store 2.0 — may lack features and performance optimizations that are now standard. If your theme is several years old and hasn’t been updated, it’s worth evaluating whether to update or replace it.
Your apps
Review your installed apps regularly. Remove anything you’re not actively using — unused apps still load code that affects performance. For apps you are using, check that they’re current and still actively supported by their developers.
Your platform version
Shopify manages platform updates automatically, so this is less of a concern than on self-hosted platforms. However, if you’re using legacy features or APIs that Shopify has deprecated, you need to address those before they’re removed.
Security
Shopify handles SSL and PCI compliance at the platform level. But if you’re using third-party integrations that handle customer data, verify those connections are secure and compliant.
Performance benchmarks
Run your store through Google PageSpeed Insights and compare your scores against current standards. A performance score below 50 on mobile is a signal that something needs attention.
Third-party integrations
If your store connects to external systems — ERPs, PIMs, fulfillment platforms — check that those integrations are using current API versions. Deprecated API versions get shut down without warning and can break critical workflows.
Browser compatibility
Test your store in current versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. If anything looks broken or behaves unexpectedly, that’s a sign something in your theme or app stack isn’t keeping up.
When in doubt, a technical audit gives you a clear picture of where things stand and what needs to be addressed.