We were building a custom theme for a client's new Shopify store, a hair brand. The plan was the usual one: write the theme on our side, then send it up to the store so it could be previewed before anything went live.

That is where an earlier attempt got stuck. The older guides say to create a custom app and copy its Admin API access token, the long code that starts with shpat_. On this store, Shopify's developer dashboard no longer issued that token, and the older way of creating a custom app had been removed for new stores. Time went into going round in circles looking for a token that did not exist.

The answer was simpler than the search. Shopify's own command tool, called Shopify CLI (version 4), signs you in through your normal browser. No token, no custom app, no code to copy and paste.

Before and After

The old way people still describe

  • Create a custom app in the store
  • Copy its Admin API token
  • Paste the token into your upload tool
  • On a new store, the token is simply not offered

What worked for us

  • Run one upload command from the theme folder
  • A browser window opens with a short code
  • Sign in to Shopify admin and enter the code
  • Pick the theme to update, or create a new one

The Steps, Start to Finish

These are the exact steps we followed on a Windows computer. If you hand this to a developer, it is all they need.

1
Let Windows run the tool (one time only)

Windows blocks scripts by default. In PowerShell, run Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser and type Y to confirm. This is needed once per computer.

2
Open the theme folder

Move into the folder that holds your theme files.

3
Run the upload

Run shopify theme push --store your-store.myshopify.com, using your own store's myshopify address.

4
Sign in through the browser

The tool opens a browser and shows a verification code. Log in to your Shopify admin, enter the code, and the tool carries on by itself.

5
Choose where the theme goes

Use the arrow keys to pick an existing theme or create a new one, then press Enter.

▲

Keep your live store safe: we sent the theme up as a new theme that stayed unpublished. Customers kept seeing the current store while the new design could be checked inside Shopify. Only publish once everything has been reviewed.

The Four Errors We Hit, and the Fix for Each

1
"running scripts is disabled on this system"

Windows is blocking the tool. Run the one time command from step 1 above.

2
"theme_name is too long (max 25 characters)"

Shorten the theme name in the theme's settings file, config/settings_schema.json.

3
"theme_author is too long (max 25 characters)"

Same file, same limit. Shorten the author name.

4
"Section type ... does not refer to an existing section file"

The home page layout points to a section that is not there yet. Either add the missing section file, or remove that reference from the home page layout file, templates/index.json.

Where That Left the Project

Once the browser sign in was done, the tool was connected and working, and the first shell of the theme was sitting in the store, unpublished. From there the design mockups could be finished first and the full theme built on top, with a safe place inside Shopify to check every change before customers ever saw it.

If you are building a store or a new look for one, this is the kind of setup work a Balay ni Bruno & Co. assistant handles for you, so your time goes into the products and the customers instead of hunting for a code Shopify no longer gives out.

Common Questions

Do I still need an Admin API token to upload a theme to my Shopify store?

No. When we set up a new store in 2026, Shopify's developer dashboard no longer issued the old Admin API token, and the older way of creating a custom app was gone for new stores. Shopify's own command tool (Shopify CLI, version 4) signs you in through your browser instead, so no token is needed to upload a theme.

Will uploading a theme change what my customers see?

Not on its own. When the tool asks where to send the theme, you can pick an existing theme or create a new one. We uploaded ours as a new theme that stayed unpublished, so the live store did not change while the design was still being finished.

What if the upload fails with an error about a name being too long?

Shopify limits the theme name and the theme author to 25 characters each. Both live in the theme's settings file. Shorten them and run the upload again.

Key Takeaways

  • For new Shopify stores, the old Admin API token is no longer handed out, so stop looking for it.
  • Shopify CLI version 4 signs you in through the browser with a short code. No token needed.
  • On Windows, allow scripts once per computer before the first upload.
  • Upload to a new, unpublished theme so the live store stays as it is while you check the work.
  • Name and author longer than 25 characters, or a missing section file, are the usual upload errors, and each has a quick fix.