Shopify Theme Names Explained: Store IDs, Schema Names and Custom Builds

If you have ever run a theme detector on a Shopify store and seen a result like "Production (refs/tags/release)" or "Copy of Copy of Live Theme", you have met the most common source of confusion in Shopify theme detection. The store isn't using a theme with that name. It is showing you its own label.

The three names every Shopify theme has

Every Shopify storefront publishes a small record called Shopify.theme. Three of its fields carry a name, and each comes from a different place.

The name is what most people see first, and it is the least useful. Merchants rename themes to keep track of versions, agencies use build labels from their deployment tools, and every duplicate gets a "Copy of" prefix. None of that changes the theme underneath.

Reading the schema name

The schema_name comes from a file inside the theme, config/settings_schema.json, where the theme developer sets the theme's name and version. Renaming a theme in the Shopify admin never touches it. That is why a store labelled "Holiday 2026 FINAL" can still report a schema name of Dawn and a schema version of 15.0.0.

The schema name can still be changed by anyone who edits the theme code. Agencies building custom themes usually set it to the brand's name, which is a strong hint that the theme is a one off.

Reading the Theme Store ID

The theme_store_id is the most reliable signal of all. Shopify assigns every theme in its Theme Store a number, and a store that installs the theme from the Theme Store keeps that number. Dawn, Shopify's free default theme, is 887. Prestige is 855 and Impulse is 857.

There is one catch. When a merchant downloads a Theme Store theme and uploads it again, or a developer copies it into a new theme, the ID becomes null. The theme is still Dawn in every way that matters, but it has lost its official link.

The four kinds of Shopify theme you will meet

Putting the three fields together, every Shopify theme falls into one of four groups.

1. Theme Store theme. A numeric theme_store_id. You can install the same theme today from the Theme Store.
2. Edited copy of a store theme. The ID is null, but the schema name matches a Theme Store theme such as Dawn, Prestige or Horizon.
3. Marketplace theme. The ID is null and the schema name is a commercial theme sold elsewhere, often with the vendor's name in it.
4. Custom build. The schema name is the brand's own name, an internal label or a project code. The design was made for that store alone.

What our brand scans show

When we scanned 49 well known Shopify brands, custom builds were the largest group: 19 stores, including Glossier, Liquid Death and Feastables, run themes made only for them. Six ran edited copies of Theme Store themes, mostly Dawn, and five used Theme Store themes untouched. Thirteen exposed no theme at all, which usually means a headless storefront. The full list is in our roundup of famous Shopify stores and their themes.

Scanned with Any Theme Detector on November 1, 2026. Sites change their themes, so run a fresh check for the latest result.

How to use this when you are choosing a theme

A custom build can't be bought, but it almost always borrows its structure from a Theme Store theme. Note the sections you like, such as a mega menu, a sticky add to cart or a lookbook, then filter the Theme Store by those features. For edited copies of Dawn or Horizon, you can start from the free original and add the changes yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my theme detector show "Copy of" in the theme name?

The detector is showing the store's own label from the name field. Copies made in the Shopify theme library get a "Copy of" prefix automatically. Look at the schema name or Theme Store ID for the real theme.

Can two stores with different theme names use the same theme?

Yes, and it is very common. Thousands of stores run Dawn under different labels. The schema name and Theme Store ID reveal that they share a theme.

What does it mean when the schema name is the brand name?

It almost always means a custom theme built for that brand, either in house or by an agency. Custom themes aren't for sale.

Does editing a theme remove its Theme Store ID?

Editing inside the Shopify code editor keeps it. Downloading the theme and uploading it again, or deploying it from a code repository, removes it.