Shopify debuts Canvas, a way to build online stores by chatting with AI

Shopify announced a new site-building tool called Canvas on Thursday, allowing merchants to create online stores by chatting with an artificial intelligence agent named Sidekick. The tool builds upon Shopify's previous no-code builder, which required users to edit selected themes by rearranging sections or blocks, or to write code for deeper customizations.

With Canvas, merchants chat with Sidekick to build their site while the tool renders the actual underlying code in real time. Users can test the page's full interactivity, view pages on different screen sizes, and zoom in on specific details. Sidekick takes screenshots to view updates alongside the merchant, and users can still click individual elements to make manual changes.

While Sidekick was previously used to write code and customize themes, Canvas integrates these capabilities into a full site-building product by allowing the AI to work directly with theme files. Shopify simplified its theme architecture to help the AI understand and alter store structures. Canvas joins other AI site-building tools from companies like Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, and Framer, and aims to make online selling more accessible for individuals without coding skills or designer budgets.