Shopify Rollouts, announced in December 2025 and expanded gradually since, is a native A/B testing feature that lets you test theme or checkout/customer account changes on a portion of live traffic: it opened up to Basic and higher plans in March 2026, and checkout and customer account configurations were added to its scope in June 2026. A hurdle we run into often at Nodus Works in conversion optimization projects was store owners having to install a third-party app just to answer "is the new theme performing better?", with that app adding extra load to page speed. Rollouts moves this need inside the admin, without requiring a separate app install. This guide covers how Rollouts works, which plan levels can use it, and how to set up your first test.
What Is Shopify Rollouts, and What Problem Does It Solve?
Shopify Rollouts is an in-admin tool that lets store owners test a change to their theme or checkout/customer account configuration on a small percentage of traffic first and measure the result, instead of opening it to all traffic at once. It's located in the admin panel under Markets > Rollouts.
The problem it solves is concrete: before switching to a new theme or adding a new upsell block to checkout, you don't know whether this change actually improves your conversion rate. Previously, answering this question meant either installing a third-party A/B testing app and relying on a JavaScript-based traffic-splitting mechanism, or opening the change to 100% of traffic directly and risking the outcome. Rollouts manages traffic as part of the admin panel; this is an architectural choice that, in practice, reduces the "old version flashes before the new one loads" (flicker) risk commonly seen in third-party A/B testing tools relying on client-side JavaScript. Shopify doesn't detail the technical specifics of this mechanism (whether it's server-side or a different method) in its public documentation; what we're reporting here is an assessment based on observed behavior.
Note: The core difference that sets Rollouts apart from client-side A/B testing apps is that traffic is split on Shopify's server, not in the browser; this means tests can run without added JavaScript weight or visual delay.
Rollouts can be used for three different purposes: gradual rollout (opening a new theme to 10%, then 25%, 50%, and 100% of traffic), temporary event management (for example, a different checkout configuration for a campaign period), and direct A/B testing (comparing two versions head to head). The system automatically adapts its settings based on the purpose you select during setup.
Which Plan Levels Does Rollouts Work On?
Different Rollouts functions unlock at different Shopify plan levels; this is a constraint that directly affects which test you can run.
| Function | Minimum Plan |
|---|---|
| Scheduling and gradual rollout | Basic and above |
| Traffic-split A/B testing | Grow and above |
| Market-specific targeting | Advanced or Plus |
Critical Note: A store on the Basic plan can use Rollouts for a gradual rollout, but needs to upgrade to the Grow plan for a genuine A/B test (splitting traffic by percentage to compare two versions). Before upgrading your plan, clarify whether what you need is a gradual rollout or a real A/B test; mixing the two up can lead to an unnecessary plan upgrade.
Market-specific targeting is especially valuable for brands selling across multiple countries or markets: showing a checkout change only to customers in a specific market (for example, only the Gulf region) isn't currently accessible to stores on the Grow plan, since this feature requires Advanced or Plus.
Step by Step: Setting Up Your First A/B Test
To set up your first Rollouts test, all you need to do is go to Markets > Rollouts in the admin panel and create a new rollout; the steps below walk through the process from start to finish.
Step 1: Make the change you want to test (for example, an edit to your theme). In the current flow, Rollouts automatically creates the test copy for you; your live version isn't affected during this.
Step 2: In the Rollouts panel, choose the rollout type: gradual rollout, temporary event, or A/B test. The exact flow of this step may change with interface updates; follow the guidance on your current screens.
Step 3: Set the traffic percentage. To test the new version, you could, for example, route 20% of traffic to the new version and 80% to the current one.
Step 4: Check the "conflict review" warnings on the setup screen. Shopify flags incompatible settings here (for example, a conflict between two rollouts running at the same time); resolve these warnings before ignoring them.
Step 5: Start the test and track how much traffic each version is getting and the split between them from the rollout panel. Once enough data has been collected, open the winning version to 100% of traffic.
Tip: Don't end the test too early. Declaring a "winner" based on a few days of data on a low-traffic store carries the risk of interpreting a statistically insignificant coincidence as a real effect; keep the test running until you reach a sufficient sample size.
There are a few limitations you should know before setting up Rollouts: if you launch a rollout as a gradual rollout rather than an A/B test, detailed analytics data isn't collected, which is why setting a date range is mandatory in experiment (A/B test) mode. Vintage themes, some direct Liquid file changes, and headless checkout setups aren't currently supported under Rollouts.
Theme Test or Checkout Test? Choosing the Right Scenario
The two most commonly used test surfaces for Rollouts are the online store theme and the checkout/customer account configuration; Shopify has expanded this scope over time to areas like discounts and product catalogs as well. Which surface you test depends on the question you're trying to answer.
A theme test fits changes that affect the pre-purchase experience, such as product page layout, homepage components, or navigation structure. Measuring whether a new product page layout increases the add-to-cart rate is a classic theme test scenario.
A checkout test is used to measure how a change at the payment step (for example, an upsell block added to checkout or a different shipping option presentation) affects average order value or checkout completion rate. Since checkout is the most critical and sensitive conversion point in a Shopify store, testing changes here on a small percentage first, rather than opening them to 100% of traffic directly, significantly reduces the risk.
Critical Note: In checkout tests, make sure the change is limited to a single variable. If you're testing a new upsell block and a different payment method ordering at the same time, you won't be able to tell which change produced the effect.
For optimization work that goes beyond a single test and affects your conversion rate more broadly, we cover native tools like Rollouts together with page speed improvements and user behavior analysis as part of our Shopify conversion optimization service; Rollouts is the tool for testing one change, while CRO work is the strategic layer that determines which changes are worth testing in the first place.
Comparing Rollouts with Third-Party A/B Testing Apps
Rollouts' biggest advantage is cost and performance: it doesn't require an additional app subscription or extra JavaScript that affects page speed. That said, third-party A/B testing apps can still be necessary for some scenarios Rollouts doesn't yet cover.
| Feature | Shopify Rollouts (Native) | Third-Party A/B Testing App |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Inside the admin, no additional app required | Requires installation from the App Store and a separate subscription |
| Traffic-splitting method | Part of the admin panel, low flicker risk | Generally client-side, can carry flicker risk |
| Test scope | Theme and checkout/customer account | Usually more flexible at the on-page component level (button, headline, image) |
| Plan requirement | Grow and above for A/B testing | Varies by app, generally plan-independent |
If your store is already on the Grow plan or higher and your need is a theme- or checkout-level test, Rollouts should be your first choice since it doesn't add extra cost. For stores wanting to fine-tune a single on-page component (like a button's color or text), staying on the Basic plan, or needing more granular test control, third-party apps are still an option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install an additional app to use Shopify Rollouts?
No. Rollouts comes built into the admin panel under Markets > Rollouts; it doesn't require a separate app installation or subscription.
Which plans can use Rollouts?
Scheduling and gradual rollout work on the Basic plan. Traffic-split, true A/B testing requires the Grow plan or above; market-specific targeting requires Advanced or Plus.
What can I test with Rollouts?
You can test your online store theme and checkout/customer account configuration. For granular testing of a single on-page component (like a button's text), third-party apps may still be more suitable.
How long should I wait before evaluating test results?
It depends on your store's traffic volume; reaching sufficient statistical significance takes longer on lower-traffic stores. Deciding early based on a few days of data can lead to misleading results.
Can I run more than one rollout at the same time?
Technically yes, but you need to carefully check the conflict review warnings on the setup screen; overlapping settings can lead to results being misinterpreted.
Conclusion
Shopify Rollouts takes the need to test theme and checkout changes before going live out of dependence on a third-party app and makes it part of the admin panel. Using it correctly comes down to knowing which function unlocks at which plan level, limiting the change you're testing to a single variable, and not interpreting the result too early, before enough traffic has been collected.
If you'd like to figure out which changes are worth testing in your store and integrate Rollouts into your existing conversion optimization strategy, get in touch with Nodus Works; let's clarify your testing priorities together.
