Shopify unveils Canvas, an AI site builder for creating stores through conversation

On October 1, Shopify introduced Canvas, a new site-building tool that lets merchants set up their online stores by chatting with its AI assistant Sidekick. Unlike a static preview, Canvas renders the actual code behind the store in real time as changes are made.

Merchants can ask Sidekick to make updates through a chat interface, then test full interactivity and animations, and see how pages appear across different screen sizes. Sidekick also captures screenshots of the work in progress so it can view the same state as the merchant. Users can still click on individual elements to edit them directly.

Previously, Shopify's no-code builder required rearranging modular sections and blocks within a theme, while deeper customization meant editing code or hiring a developer. Sidekick had already been used to write code, build apps, and customize themes, but it had not been assembled into a complete site-building product like Canvas, where users can see the entire store, zoom and pan, and make changes to the site's actual files. Shopify gave Sidekick direct access to theme files and simplified the theme architecture to make the store's structure, logic, and design easier for the assistant to understand and modify.

Canvas is still in its early days. The initial launch does not include third-party theme support, app blocks and extensions, markets, translations, rollouts, or theme updates, and it is currently desktop-only. Shopify said these capabilities are planned for future support.