# Shopify App Embeds: Test a Search App on a Duplicate Theme First

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Use Shopify app embeds to test a search app on a duplicate theme. Set up a test copy, run 7 checks on desktop and mobile, then go live safely.

Source: https://ai-autocomplete.com/blog/shopify-app-embeds

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![A live Shopify theme duplicated into a test copy with the app embed turned on, previewed on desktop and phone, next to a 7-item checklist](https://ai-autocomplete.com/assets/shopify-app-embeds-hero-52c2JERe.webp)

## Shopify App Embeds: How to Test a Search App on a Duplicate Theme Before Going Live

Last updated: November 2026

Guide · By the AI Autocomplete team · 4 min read

**Quick answer:** Test a search app on a copy of your theme, not your live store. Duplicate your live theme, turn on the app embed in the copy only, then preview it on desktop and on a phone with 7 checks. With AI Autocomplete by MagicX, the 30-day free trial covers this test. When everything passes, turn the embed on in your live theme.

## Why test on a copy of your theme?

Your search box appears on every page, so a problem there affects every shopper. A copy of your theme lets you test with your real products and design while shoppers keep seeing your live store.

Shopify apps add features to your theme through app embeds. App embeds are turned off by default after you install an app, and you switch them on in the theme editor ([Shopify Dev: Theme app extensions](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/online-store/theme-app-extensions/configuration)). That means you can switch one on in a copy without changing your live theme.

## How do you set up a test theme?

1.  **Duplicate your live theme.** In your Shopify admin, go to **Online Store > Themes**. Next to your live theme, click the three dots, then **Duplicate**. The copy is called "Copy of" plus your theme name ([Shopify Help Center: Duplicating themes](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/managing-themes/duplicating-themes)).
2.  **Install the app and import your catalog.** Install [AI Autocomplete by MagicX](https://apps.shopify.com/ai-autocomplete), link your account, choose a plan to start the free trial, and let it import your products. See the [full setup steps](https://ai-autocomplete.com/blog/shopify-search-filter).
3.  **Turn on the embed in the copy only.** Go back to **Online Store > Themes**, find the copy and click **Customize**. Open **App embeds**, turn on **AI Autocomplete**, and click **Save**. Don't use the app's **Add to existing search box** button for this test, because it opens your live theme.
4.  **Preview the copy.** Click the three dots next to the copy, then **Preview**. To check it on your phone, copy the preview link and open it there, or share it with your team. If your store has a password, send the password with the link.

![Test flow: duplicate the live theme, turn on AI Autocomplete in the copy, preview on desktop and phone, then turn it on in the live theme](https://ai-autocomplete.com/assets/shopify-app-embeds-test-flow-DEoYE2PZ.webp)

## What should you test before going live?

Run these 7 checks in the preview, on desktop and on a phone.

| # | Check | How to test | It passes if |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Broad search on desktop | Type a product type you sell, like "dress" | Choices for type, color and price appear under the search box |
| 2 | Broad search on mobile | Do the same on your phone | Choices show above the keyboard and are easy to tap |
| 3 | Narrow and search | Pick a type, a color and a price, then search | The results match what you picked, like "black dress under $100" |
| 4 | Something you don't sell | Type a product you don't carry | Search still works and shows your normal results or no-results page |
| 5 | Your design | Check the header, menu and sticky bar on each page type | Fonts and colors match, and nothing overlaps the search box |
| 6 | Other apps | Open the search with your chat, pop-up and review apps running | No widget covers the choices, and only one search dropdown appears |
| 7 | Results page and filters | Press Enter, then use your existing filters | Your Shopify Search & Discovery filters still work |

If check 6 shows two dropdowns, turn off the other search app's embed in the copy and test again.

## How do you go live after testing?

You have two options:

-   **Turn on the embed in your live theme (recommended).** Open your live theme's **Customize**, turn on **AI Autocomplete** in **App embeds**, and click **Save**. Your copy stays as a backup.
-   **Publish the copy.** Only do this if nobody changed the live theme after you duplicated it. Otherwise those changes are lost.

After you go live, run checks 1 to 3 once more on the live store.

## How much does it cost to test?

Nothing during the trial. AI Autocomplete has two plans, Starter at $10/month and Standard at $30/month, and both include a 30-day free trial. That is enough time to test on a copy and then run it live for a few weeks. See the [Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/ai-autocomplete) for current pricing.

## FAQ

### What is a Shopify app embed?

An app embed is how a Shopify app adds a feature across your storefront, like a search dropdown, without you editing theme code. You turn app embeds on or off in the theme editor under **App embeds**, and they are off by default after you install an app.

### Will installing a search app change my live theme?

Not by itself. Shopify app embeds are off by default after install. AI Autocomplete shows on a theme only after you turn on its app embed in that theme.

### Can I test a Shopify app on mobile before going live?

Yes. Open the preview of your theme copy on your phone, or share the preview link to a phone.

### What if the test fails?

Turn off the AI Autocomplete embed in the copy, or uninstall the app. Your live store doesn't change because the embed was never on there.

### Does AI Autocomplete work with my theme?

AI Autocomplete works with Online Store themes, and with headless storefronts through its SDK or API. Testing on a copy is the fastest way to confirm it on your own theme.

**Try it on a copy of your theme:** [start the 30-day free trial](https://apps.shopify.com/ai-autocomplete) and run the 7 checks before your shoppers see it.

Keep exploring: [Documentation](https://ai-autocomplete.com/docs) · [Pricing](https://ai-autocomplete.com/other/pricing) · [Enterprise](https://ai-autocomplete.com/other/enterprise) · [FAQs](https://ai-autocomplete.com/other/faqs)