How do I fix a broken theme feature?
Theme features can break, but why isn't always clear. App integrations, theme bugs, platform changes—there are many possible reasons for a feature to stop working.
Step 1: Check release notes of the theme
When bugs are found in a theme, they're logged and fixed as soon as possible. Fixes for identified bugs are included in new releases of a theme.
To see the most recent release and what it includes, go to the release notes for the theme.
If the broken feature is described in the release notes
It's a good sign if you find a bug listed in the release notes that sounds like your broken theme feature. This means that ( a) it wasn't caused by any changes made on your end and (b) there's a fix available for it.
Solution: Update your theme to the latest version
If the broken theme feature doesn't resemble what's described in the release notes, proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Check for backups in your store
It is common for merchants to create duplicates before making changes to a theme. Copies of the theme provide a sort of backup in case errors are encountered. They can also be used as a reference for troubleshooting broken theme features.
Check if the same error is present in the backup
Preview the backup(s) to test the error in these previous duplicates. If the same error is present in these duplicates, it most likely a bug in the theme.
Solution: Update to the latest version (if using an older version) and contact theme support to confirm this is a known or unreported bug.
If the same error is not present in backup, proceed to Step 3. If there is little difference between the backup and the live theme, it may be worthwhile to publish this duplicate until the broken theme feature is fixed.
Step 3: Compare to a default theme
Another way to determine if a theme has malfunctioned from individual changes or outside factors is to compare the theme to the base (not customized) theme.
If you bought the theme from the BigCommerce Theme Store, go to Storefront › My Themes.
If theme feature works in the base theme
The base theme may not have the same error, which would indicate that the cause of the issue is changes to your store's customised theme.
Solution: Transfer content from the broken theme to an operational theme.
If the theme feature is also broken in the base theme, proceed to Step 4.
Step 4: Contact theme support
Get in touch with our support team. Since you have completed steps 1-3, share this information with the agents to save reply time and arrive at a solution more quickly.