Content Releases

Content Releases let your team prepare a group of content changes and publish them all at once. They are useful for product launches, campaign updates, seasonal merchandising, localization updates, homepage refreshes, or any project where several content changes need to go live together.

Content Releases replace the previous Page Drafts and Storefront Settings Drafts workflows. Instead of making separate drafts for one page or one settings area, you can create one release and add all related edits to it.

For example, a holiday launch release might include:

• A new homepage hero
• Updated product page content
• A reusable promotional section
• Updated navigation or announcement bar settings

Everything in the release can be reviewed together and published together.

What changes when you use a release

When you select a release in the Customizer, your edits are saved to that release instead of going live immediately.

Only the content you edit becomes part of the release. Everything else continues to use the current live content.

For example, if your release only changes the homepage and two product pages, then publishing the release only updates those items. Pages that were not edited in the release are left alone.

Create a release

The fastest way to create a release is from the Customizer.

1. Open the Customizer.
2. Open the perspective picker in the toolbar.
3. Select Create a release at the bottom of the picker.
4. Enter a release name.
5. Optionally add a description so your team knows what the release is for.
6. Save the release.

Use clear release names like “Holiday Homepage Launch,” “Spring Campaign,” or “BFCM Product Updates” so your team can quickly understand what each release contains.

Edit content in a release

After you create or select a release, continue editing in the Customizer as usual.

1. Open the Customizer.
2. Open the perspective picker in the toolbar.
3. Select the release you want to work in.
4. Make your content changes.
5. Click Save to Release.

While a release is selected, saved changes are kept in that release. They do not update live content until the release is published.

You can include changes to:

• Pages
• Articles and blogs
• Product and collection pages
• Sections
• Templates
• Storefront or shop settings

Move unscheduled page edits into a release

If you already made page edits that are not scheduled and not part of a release, you can move those edits into a new release from the Customizer save menu.

1. Open the page with the unscheduled edits in the Customizer.
2. Open the save button dropdown.
3. Choose the option to move the page changes into a release.
4. Enter a release name and optional description.
5. Save.

Pack creates the release, moves the page edits into it, and switches you into that release so you can keep reviewing or editing.

Review a release before publishing

Before you publish, review the release to confirm what will go live.

In Pack Admin, open Releases to see:

• The release name, description, and status
• The drafts included in the release
• The type of content each draft changes
• Who last updated each draft
• Any conflicts that need review before publishing

You can also review release details from the Customizer when a release is selected.

Understand conflicts and overwrites

A conflict happens when content in a release and the live version of that same content have both changed.

This can happen when anyone publishes changes directly to live content while a release is being prepared. It does not matter whether the live change was made by another editor or by the same person who created the release. Live changes are not automatically added to existing releases.

Conflicts can also happen when two releases include changes to the same page, section, template, or settings area.

When Pack finds a conflict, the publish dialog shows what changed so you can decide what to do next.

When conflicts exist, you can:

• Cancel publishing to avoid changing live content.
• Publish anyway if the release should replace the current live content.

The important thing to know is that Pack publishes the saved release version of the content item. If the release includes the homepage, publishing that release updates the homepage to match what is saved in the release. It does not only publish the single field you remember editing.

Common publishing scenarios

Only your release changed the content. You update the homepage hero in a release, and no one changes the live homepage before launch. When you publish, the release version of the homepage hero goes live. Other pages and settings are unchanged.

Someone changed unrelated live content. You update the homepage hero in a release, and another editor updates a product page directly on live. Publishing your release does not change that product page, because it was not part of the release.

Someone changed the same live content. You update the homepage hero headline in a release, and then someone updates the live homepage hero image before your release launches. That person could be another editor, or it could be you making a separate live change. Pack warns you that the live homepage changed. If you publish anyway, the homepage goes live as it is saved in your release, which can overwrite the newer live image change.

Two releases changed the same content. Release A and Release B both include homepage hero changes. If Release A goes live first, Release B may not include Release A's changes. Publishing Release B later can replace the hero with the version saved in Release B.

When multiple editors or releases touch the same content, review the conflicts before choosing Publish anyway.

Publish a release

Publish a release when the content has been reviewed and is ready to go live.

1. Open Releases in Pack Admin, or select the release in the Customizer.
2. Review the included drafts.
3. Click Publish.
4. Review the publish confirmation.
5. If conflicts are shown, either cancel or choose Publish anyway.
6. Confirm the publish.

After publishing, Pack updates the live content included in the release and triggers the normal storefront update process.

Archive a release

Archive a release when you no longer plan to publish it.

1. Open Releases in Pack Admin.
2. Open the actions menu for the release.
3. Select Archive.
4. Confirm the archive action.

Archived releases can no longer be edited or published from the Customizer.

Best practices

• Create one release for each launch, campaign, or coordinated update.
• Use clear names and descriptions so your team knows what each release is for.
• Keep unrelated work in separate releases.
• Before publishing, review every draft included in the release.
• Be extra careful when multiple releases touch the same page, section, template, or settings area.
• If Pack shows conflicts, review them before choosing Publish anyway.
• Archive releases that are no longer needed.