Technically, the PreOrder Now app is designed to work with your published theme. That’s because it stores key settings directly in your theme files, and those settings are specific to the live theme. If we update them for an unpublished theme, it could break the app on your current published theme.
That said, if your unpublished theme is a duplicate or very similar to your published one, there’s a workaround to install PreOrder Now on it.
Here's how to install PreOrder Now on an unpublished theme:
In your Shopify Admin, go to Sales Channels > Online Store > Themes.
Locate the unpublished theme you'd like to test and click Customize.
In the theme editor, open the App Embeds section (bottom left).
Toggle PreOrder Now WOD to enable it.
Click Save.
⚠️ Note: If your unpublished theme is very different from your published theme (not a duplicate), the app may not work correctly, even if files and scripts are installed.
That’s because different themes can use very different layouts and code structures.
In these cases, we recommend waiting until you’re ready to publish the new theme. Once it’s live, our support team can help with any necessary adjustments to ensure everything works as expected.