Shopify Winter Editions 2026: A Renaissance for the Modern Merchant

Shopify has just unveiled its Winter ’26 Edition, and the theme is unmistakable: we are entering a new renaissance of commerce. With over 150 updates, this edition focuses heavily on how artificial intelligence can amplify human creativity, giving merchants of all sizes the tools to pioneer the future.

Whether you’re a developer looking for more robust tooling or a merchant trying to streamline your day-to-day operations, there is something in this release for you. We’ve combed through the announcements to highlight the most impactful updates you need to know about.

Sidekick evolves from assistant to collaborator

Sidekick, Shopify’s AI admin assistant, has been on the scene for a while, but in Winter ’26, it gets a massive upgrade. It’s no longer just a chatbot in the sidebar, it’s a strategic command center for your store operations. Sidekick will now be able to perform complex tasks like setting up custom automations in Flow or even building a custom app from scratch, directly in your Shopify admin.

With Shopify’s AI tools, you can now manage complex schedules and testing with ease. Easily schedule a specific set of changes, like a theme update or a flash sale discount, for a future date. You can also facilitate A/B testing directly natively in Shopify - test a new homepage banner or different page layouts to see what works best.

One of the most futuristic additions is SimGym. This tool allows you to validate store changes using AI agents that simulate real shopper behavior. SimGym uses data from billions of purchases to predict how your changes will perform. You can run simulations on different themes, pricing strategies, or layouts to see projected outcomes before you ever hit publish.

Monetize your traffic with the Shopify Product Network

Ever wished you could fill a product gap or sell a complementary product without the hassle of sourcing and shipping it? The new Shopify Product Network allows you to display products from other top-tier Shopify brands directly in your search results, collections, or post-purchase pages.

You earn a commission on every sale, and the original merchant handles the fulfillment. It’s a low-risk way to test new categories or simply monetize the traffic you’re already generating. If you’re worried about brand dilution, don’t be, you have full control to exclude specific brands or categories, ensuring the recommendations feel native to your store.

B2B gets smarter with dynamic terms and review rules

Managing wholesale orders often involves a delicate dance of negotiation and validation. Winter ‘26 brings two powerful tools to choreograph this process: dynamic payment terms and conditional order review rules.

Previously, requiring a manual review was often an all-or-nothing setting. Now, you can set granular checkout rules, for example, automatically flagging orders over $10,000 for review while letting smaller reorders flow through to fulfillment. Similarly, dynamic payment terms allow you to adjust net terms or deposit requirements automatically based on the customer’s history or order value, giving you flexibility without the administrative burden.

The 2048 variant limit is finally here

For years, the 100-variant limit per product has been a thorn in the side of merchants with complex catalogs. If you’ve been waiting, Shopify has officially shattered that ceiling, raising the limit to 2,048 variants per product. This is huge news for brands selling apparel with extensive size/color combinations or industrial parts with intricate specifications.

Explore the full edition

This is just the tip of the iceberg. The Winter ’26 Edition includes updates to everything from checkouts to developer tooling and more information about the features announced is continuously being released. We highly recommend taking some time to explore the full list of features to see how they can support your growth this year.

Read the full Winter ‘26 Edition announcement