Working with the agent
Approving an idea
What happens between the moment you approve an idea and the moment a preview link arrives.
Approving an idea moves it into the build queue. It does not change your store.
Where to approve
You can approve in three places. They do the same thing.
- Ideas board — open the idea and click Approve.
- Slack — the buttons on a review card, once a build is ready.
- Web chat — ask HI Engine to approve a named idea.
What the agent does next
Reads your live theme
The agent pulls your published theme and finds the template, section or snippet the change belongs in. It checks what your theme already ships before it builds anything new.
Where your theme already has the capability and it is only switched off, the agent enables it instead of writing new code.
Writes the change
Two rules apply to every build.
It builds a real section or block. The change ships with a {% schema %},
so it appears in your theme editor as a normal, named element you can move,
configure or remove.
Customer-facing copy becomes a setting. Any text a shopper reads is exposed as a theme editor field. You can rewrite it later without asking anyone.
Validates it
The agent runs Shopify Theme Check and fixes what it reports. A build does not proceed while Theme Check reports an error.
Publishes a draft theme
The agent creates a draft theme named after the task, applies the change, and records the change log.
A draft theme is a complete copy of your live theme. Your customers do not see it.
Checks it visually
Before the build reaches you, someone loads the draft theme and looks at the rendered page — on mobile and on desktop, in every state the change can be in. Passing Theme Check only proves the code compiles.
Sends you the preview
You get a Preview changes link, in Slack and in the app. The task now waits for you.
How long it takes
Most builds land within a working day. A change that touches several templates, or one that needs a design decision from you, takes longer.
You are not blocked while a build runs. Approve several ideas and they queue.
Changing your mind
Before the build finishes, ask HI Engine to cancel it, in Slack or in chat. The idea returns to the board unchanged.
After the build finishes, use Reject on the review card. See Reviewing a build.