Recto theme documentation

Quick install (5 minutes)

After you purchase Recto you'll receive an email with a signed download link. The link points at a .zip containing the theme files.

To install in your Shopify admin:

1. Open the theme upload page. From your Shopify admin: Online Store → Themes. Scroll to Theme library at the bottom, then click Add theme → Upload zip file.
2. Upload the .zip you downloaded. Don't unzip it first: Shopify expects the archive.
3. Wait for "Theme added." Shopify validates the files; takes 30–60 seconds on a normal connection.
4. Customize before publishing. Click Customize next to Recto in your theme library. Do not publish yet. You can do all configuration on the unpublished copy, then publish once it's ready.

If the upload fails, the most common cause is a corrupt or partial download. Re-download from your original email link and try again. If it still fails, email support and we'll send a fresh signed URL.

Recommended: install on a development store first

If you have a live store with significant traffic, install Recto on a development store first, configure it, and use Online Store → Themes → Actions → Duplicate once you're happy. This avoids customers seeing your work-in-progress.

You can also use Shopify's preview mode (Actions → Preview) to share a private link with your team for review before publishing.

Brand colors and typography

Almost everything visual in Recto is controlled from the Theme settings panel. You don't need to edit code for branding.

In the theme editor (Customize → Theme settings):

• Colors. Six brand colors: primary, accent, ink (body text), cream (page background), success, and error. Recto's default cream + ink + emerald palette is designed for premium feel; tweak to your brand.
• Typography. Pick a heading font and a body font. Recto ships with editorial defaults; you can swap to any Google Font Shopify supports.
• Buttons. Set radius, fill style, and hover state.
• Spacing. Section padding scales (compact / normal / generous).

Logo, favicon, hero image

In the theme editor sidebar:

• Header → Logo image: upload a PNG or SVG. SVG is preferred for crisp display at any size.
• Theme settings → Favicon: upload a 32×32 PNG. Will show in browser tabs and Apple bookmarks.
• Homepage → Hero section: drag in an image (wide landscape works best, at least 2400px wide) and write your headline + CTA.

Per-section customization

Every page is built out of sections you can rearrange. Hover over any section in the live preview and you'll see a "drag handle" that lets you move it. Inside each section, click any element to edit it inline.

Available sections include: Hero with video background, Featured collection, Lookbook grid, Testimonial slider, Image with text, Logo bar, Rich text, FAQ, Newsletter signup, and a fully custom Section blank you can build with your own Liquid.

Theme settings (every page)

Per-template settings

Each template (homepage, collection, product, blog) has its own settings panel. The most-used:

• Product page → Variant picker style: dropdown vs buttons vs swatches
• Product page → Image zoom: on hover, on click, or off
• Product page → Engraving / personalization: toggle to enable a custom-text field at checkout
• Collection page → Filters: which filter types appear (color, size, price, vendor, custom)
• Blog page → Reading progress bar: toggle to show the thin progress indicator at the top

Email & SMS marketing

Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Omnisend. Drop in your account ID under Theme settings → Integrations → Email and Recto will route every newsletter signup, abandoned cart, and product browse to the right system. No app required.

Postscript / Attentive (SMS). Same setup under Integrations → SMS. Phone collection happens at checkout (Shopify default) or via an SMS field on the popup.

Reviews

Judge.me, Yotpo, Stamped.io, Trustpilot. Each has a one-toggle integration. Recto displays the review widget on product pages and aggregate stars on collection cards. Configure under Integrations → Reviews after installing the app.

Analytics

Google Analytics 4 + Meta Pixel. Standard Shopify field, paste your IDs in Online Store → Preferences. Recto automatically sends view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, and purchase events.

Shop Pay / Apple Pay / Google Pay. Enabled by default; configure under Settings → Payments in your Shopify admin.

Localization

Shopify Markets support is built in. Recto reads the active locale and currency from Markets and displays them. The currency selector in the header appears automatically when you have more than one Market configured.

What Recto does to be fast

Recto targets 90+ on mobile Lighthouse for the homepage and product page on a fresh install. We get there by:

• Responsive image sources. Every image uses Shopify's CDN with explicit srcset and sizes attributes. Browsers download the right size for the device.
• Explicit image dimensions. Every <img> has width and height so the browser reserves space (zero CLS).
• Lazy loading by default. Below-the-fold images use loading="lazy". Hero stays eager.
• Deferred JavaScript. Interactive features (cart drawer, predictive search, modals) load on first interaction, not on page load.
• No web fonts on critical path. Fonts use font-display: swap so text appears immediately with a system fallback while the brand font loads.
• No theme-level analytics or third-party calls. Apps you install add their own; Recto itself ships zero third-party requests.

How to stay fast after you install

The biggest cause of slow Shopify stores is app sprawl. Each installed app injects scripts, increasing time-to-interactive.

A few tips:

• Audit your app list quarterly. Uninstall anything you can't justify in 10 seconds.
• Avoid apps that promise to "optimize" your speed. Most of them add weight, not reduce it.
• Use Shopify's CDN-served images everywhere; never link to external image hosts.
• Run PageSpeed Insights on your live store monthly. Aim to keep mobile score above 80.

For a deep speed audit and concrete fixes, browse our blog or get a paid optimization audit.

Frequently asked

Can I use Recto on multiple stores? Each Recto license covers one live (published) store. You can install Recto on as many development stores as you want: only the live published store needs a license. Multi-store brands buy multiple licenses.

Will Recto work with Shopify Plus? Yes. Recto uses standard Shopify theme conventions: no Plus-only features required. If you're on Plus and want to use Plus-specific extensions (Functions, custom checkout extensions), they slot in naturally.

Does Recto work with [my favorite app]? Probably. Recto follows Shopify's theme app extension standards, so any well-built modern Shopify app should install cleanly via the theme editor. If you hit a conflict, email support and we'll help.

What if I find a bug? Email [email protected] with a description and a screenshot. Bug fixes are free for the lifetime of your license. Major fixes ship in the next update; emergency fixes ship same-day.

Will Recto get future updates? Yes, free for life. Updates include new sections, performance improvements, Shopify API compatibility, and accessibility refinements. See the changelog below for the version history.

Can I get a refund? Yes, within 7 days of purchase, if the theme is broken or doesn't install correctly. We don't refund "I changed my mind", themes are digital, instant-download products. The 7-day window is for genuine defects.

How do I get support? Email [email protected]. We respond within 4 hours on business days (UTC). No ticketing system, no support tier, direct response from a human who actually wrote the theme.

Version history

Recto is launching soon. The release-notes feed appears here on launch day and updates with every release after that.

If you'd like a launch-day notification, drop your email on the Recto page and we'll let you know the moment it ships.

What's on the radar

A short list of things we're exploring for early-version releases, directions, not commitments:

• Bundle / cross-sell section on the product page (today this needs an app)
• Quick-view modal on collection cards
• Built-in wishlist (today this needs an app)
• Apple Pay express directly on the product page

Have something specific you'd want? Email [email protected]. We read every one and prioritize based on what real customers ask for.

How to get help

Email is the only channel. [email protected]. We deliberately don't run a Slack community, Discord server, or ticketing system, too much overhead for a solo operation. Email is fast, searchable, and direct.

Response times. Within 4 hours on business days (Mon–Fri UTC). Weekend emails get answered Monday morning. Genuine emergencies (live-site broken) get priority handling regardless of day.

What's covered for free. Installation help. Bug fixes in Recto itself. Quick configuration questions ("how do I show prices in EUR?"). Compatibility questions about specific apps.

What's billable. Custom modifications beyond Recto's built-in settings (new sections, custom Liquid templates, integrations not on the supported list). We quote these as one-off jobs. Email with what you need and we'll send a fixed price.

What we can't help with

• Shopify platform issues. If checkout is broken, that's Shopify. Contact Shopify Plus support if you're on Plus, or Shopify's standard support otherwise.
• Third-party app bugs. Contact the app developer; we can help diagnose but can't fix their code.
• Migration FROM Recto to another theme. Once you've customized Recto, exporting that work to a different theme is essentially a re-theme job. Worth quoting separately.