What's a good theme for Claude?
I'm looking for a starter theme with maybe an accompanying skill.md and a low token architecture that lets me build new sections and blocks, easy with Claude code. Maybe there is an external theme generator or MCP that lets me generate a small as possible…
I'm looking for a starter theme with maybe an accompanying skill.md and a low token architecture that lets me build new sections and blocks, easy with Claude code. Maybe there is an external theme generator or MCP that lets me generate a small as possible theme or Claude can lookup similar sections to pull down on the fly rather than bloating the theme code by including with lots of options in the initial package. Ideally it would use sensible default grid, CSS, UI library, icons, fonts etc so that it's flexible, easy to read, if I want to invent a new section it knows how to do that in a consistent, optimized way without re-inventing the wheel. When will themes start coming come with skill.md files or AI context so that edits and new sections can almost always land first pop? Does that exist yet? If not it should. I would 100% pay for a Claude ready theme.
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yeah I've been doing that, but it has lots of issues: inserting CSS/JS into the new-section.liquid, rather than setting up the same structure as other sections with modular standalone css. it not properly knowing when to duplicate an existing section, start new section from scratch or add small customizer setting to an existing section. it keeps trying to edit base.css instead of just creating some modular overrides scoped just to that section, or a custom.css file. (so that future theme update merges are closer to possible) it not asking (or knowing when to ask) hardcode something vs making the block content as settings (eg colours) built in as a colour swatch vs hardcoding css. it not knowing when to split a section and setup into repeatable content blocks within. one example "need to add an icon" and it drops in some custom built SVG 20x via a snippet. Like I mean yeah it works, but it's making the html way heavier than it needed to be, just include once as an .svg asset from a popular icon library or something. another example - it just ignores the existing grid system and created its own for 1 section... I've ended up having to create soo much of my own context as I go because it keeps doing all this weird shit. at this point - I'm actually considering building my own starter theme from scratch (using Claude?) with an accompanying .md because so far it's just butchering Dawn. It's just OK, not great as a starter theme when using Claude. Also, it just rinses my $20 (lol) token session allowance in a couple hours. I guess because it has to read so many files etc. It's like Dawn (or themes in general) haven't been "AI optimised" to be worked on this way. Also a few times it has hallucinated and tried to reference .liquid files that didn't actually exist - which I've had to point out and it goes "yep sorry". Would be great if a theme came with theme unique context and best ways to edit/extend and wrote into an .md so that all new changes can be added following existing principles (as much as possible) while doing it in a token efficient way. Kinda frustrating having to constantly riff my own "when x do it like y" context for it to stay on the rails. Honestly I can see that AI optimized and contexted themes is where things will go eventually, just seems there aren't any out there yet.
Skeleton https://github.com/shopify/skeleton-theme
yeah that's handy actually might try that next time.
Check out the rc2.0.0 branch as well for a preview what’s coming
No, I haven't used Dawn either. My store predates AI so I didnt start it with the intention of making it AI compatible but my shopify 2.0 theme plays very nicely
You don’t need any of that Claude can just make new blocks and sections on any theme you’re really over thinking this. Liquid is highly documented. Tell it what you want and it’ll make it. Just pick a 2.0 theme Dawn is fine
Dawn is actually one of the easiest to deal with, because it doesn't have a lot of overhead
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Have you tried with Horizon? I really like Horizon compared to Dawn, by a huge margin!