Shopify Launches Canvas, an AI Tool That Builds Stores From Chat

Shopify has introduced Canvas, an AI-driven website builder that enables merchants to craft and modify online stores through conversation with the company’s Sidekick assistant. Unlike previous no-code tools that required manual customization of themes, Canvas allows users to describe their desired design in natural language. As Sidekick implements these changes, Canvas generates the actual store in real time, displaying the live code behind the storefront.

This feature enables merchants to experiment with animations, interactions, and layouts as they will appear on the final site. Users can also preview how the store will appear on different devices by switching between various screen sizes. Sidekick captures the interface’s screenshots while working to see the same version of the store that the merchant views.

Although users can still manually edit individual elements using Canvas, they are not restricted to chat commands. The tool also offers zoom and pan controls for easy navigation of the entire storefront. Sidekick, which has been used by Shopify for coding, app building, theme customization, and other store modifications, is integrated into Canvas as a unified site-building environment.

To enable Canvas, Shopify granted Sidekit direct access to theme files and simplified the underlying theme architecture, making it easier for AI to comprehend and modify the store’s structure, logic, and design. However, Canvas is currently in its early stages and is only compatible with desktop devices. At launch, it lacks support for third-party themes, app blocks and extensions, Markets, translations, rollouts, or theme updates.

Shopify plans to gradually introduce support for these features. The AI-powered site-building tool joins a growing list of competitors such as Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, and Framer, as well as newer vibe-coding platforms like Lovable and Replit.