Hi, I have a customized store theme that I want to transfer to a new Shopify account. I downloaded the theme file and then imported it to the new account. However, after opening the newly imported theme in the store, I keep getting a 404 page with the message: “Page not found. The link may be incorrect, or the page has been removed.” The same thing happens when I go to the homepage — in short, the theme can’t be used at all.
Is there a better way to transfer a theme? Or am I doing something wrong? I’d really appreciate any help!
The 404 issue after importing a theme usually happens because the theme file only contains layout + styling, but not the actual pages, products, or navigation links from your old store. When you load it on a new account, the theme is looking for pages/URLs that don’t exist yet — which is why you’re seeing “Page not found” even on the homepage.
Here are a few steps to fix it:
Check your navigation menu
Go to Online Store → Navigation in the new store.
Update the links in your main menu and footer so they point to existing pages (e.g., Home, Products, Collections, Contact).
Recreate key pages
In the old store, go to Online Store → Pages and copy the content for Home, About, Contact, etc.
Recreate those same pages in the new store so the theme has something to display.
Collections & products
If your homepage/sections point to specific collections, make sure those collections exist in the new account. Otherwise, you’ll get 404s.
Check theme editor settings
Open Online Store → Themes → Customize.
Some sections (like sliders or featured collections) may be blank because the content isn’t set up in the new store. Reassign them to new pages or products.
In short: transferring a theme moves the design, but not the content or structure. Once you recreate the missing pages and update navigation, the theme should display correctly.
Hi @Dat999
Sometimes it happens because the imported theme is not finished yet or its broken during the upload process, also it can be affected by the missing page templates or json files.
You can try to remove the theme first, then you can try to upload again.
Hopefully it can helps. Let me know if it’s still happen.
Hi @Dat999 ,
When you export and re-import a theme, only the theme code moves across - not your store content (pages, products, navigation, blog posts, etc.). That’s why you’re seeing 404 errors: the theme is looking for links and data that don’t exist yet in the new store.
To fix it:
Go to Online Store → Navigation in the new account and recreate your menus (Home, Catalog, Contact, etc.).
Re-add your pages, products, and collections so the theme has something to link to.
Check theme settings/customizations under Online Store → Themes → Customize, because these don’t always transfer 100% between stores.
So the theme file itself is fine - you just need to rebuild the store content structure in the new account.
In short: transferring a theme moves the design, but not the content or structure. Once you recreate the missing pages and update navigation, the theme should display correctly.