Custom Themes

What version of Drupal is the IndieCommerce site based on?    
I would like to update my custom theme. How do I go about doing that?
I have hired the help of a third party developer to update my site. How can the developer get started?
Are there rules for either customized or completely custom-built themes?
Can I have a staging environment to work with my custom theme?

IndieCommerce websites have been upgraded to the current version of Drupal 7.  Our sites are created using a multi-site install.  This allows ease of updating and managing our sites as they share the same code base.  Currently, there are over 400 IndieCommerce sites using this shared code base. For the security of all sites, there are restrictions on certain aspects of your IndieCommerce site.  If you plan on creating a custom theme or customizing a theme and you have questions after reviewing the FAQ, we encourage you to reach out to the IndieCommerce Team at [email protected] before you begin any development work.  This could save you valuable time.

While updating your current theme or creating a new one, you will need SFTP access to the themes folder of your site. Please contact [email protected] with a request. We will send the login information as soon as it becomes available. Before beginning any theme work, review this document in its entirety. If you have any questions, please contact the IndieCommerce team before beginning any work on your theme. When creating a custom theme, we recommend that you download an instance of the current version of Drupal 7 and begin working on your local environment before you upload the new theme to your themes folder for final tweaking. You must make sure that your theme does not have any module dependencies that are not supported by the IndieCommerce platform. If you are unsure about whether or not a module is pre-approved, please email us with the module name and a link to its information page on drupal.org.

First, send us an email informing us that you have hired a developer to work on your site (name and email). Second, have the developer review this FAQ section. Third, email us your plans for your new theme and the name of the theme you would like us to provide a copy of. We will then set up an SFTP account to provide access to your site's theme folder. If your developer has additional questions, they can email us at [email protected] and if needed, we can schedule a call.

There are three important considerations for any store planning to customize an IndieCommerce off-the-shelf theme, a purchased theme or a custom-designed and built theme. First, the final theme must be compatible with the current version of Drupal 7 and we require that the theme be renamed to something with the theme's default name and the store's name.  For example: responsive_storename. Second, the final theme must not be dependent upon any Drupal module unsupported by IndieCommerce.The IndieCommerce platform installation of the current version of Drupal 7 includes core and contributed modules that we have tested. We will again review, on a case-by-case basis, additional modules that might benefit all users, but this does not alter the requirement that custom themes be free of dependencies upon unapproved modules.Third, in order to avoid unnecessary expense, confusion with developers or web designers and a customized site that does not function as part of IndieCommerce, notify the IndieCommerce staff of your theme plans in advance by writing [email protected].