Cited Theme
For Shopify merchants with established operations (30000 dollars plus monthly revenue) who want a turnkey AI-optimized theme without integrating snippets themselves. Also suitable for Shopify Partners building stores for clients.
Cited Theme is a Shopify theme built from the ground up for AI search visibility. It includes a unified schema graph architecture that connects every page in a single knowledge graph, native llms.txt support, AI crawler permissions, and 5 design presets for different commerce verticals - DTC, software, services, content commerce, and bundles. Currently in pre-order with delivery estimated Q4 2026.
- Instant digital delivery
- Lifetime updates
- 14-day refund
Full description
Coming soon — pre-order with 40% lifetime discount. The first Shopify theme engineered for AI search citation. Estimated release: Q4 2026. Pre-orders lock in the $299 introductory price (vs $499 standard at public launch) and include lifetime updates.
The first Shopify theme engineered for AI search citation. Unified schema architecture, llms.txt support, and 5 design presets — get cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini out of the box.
Cited Theme is a Shopify theme built from the ground up for AI search visibility. Schema-Stitch architecture connects every page in a unified knowledge graph, native llms.txt support, AI crawler permissions, and 5 design presets cover the main commerce verticals — DTC, software, services, content commerce, and bundles.
Shopify's official AI optimization guide recommends adding "structured data and product attributes" and "comprehensive product descriptions" to your store. This product ships the technical implementation to actually deliver that — Schema-Stitch architecture, server-rendered schemas, and Answer Capsules — beyond what generic schema apps provide.
What pre-order customers get:
- Theme delivered as soon as it ships (estimated Q4 2026)
- $299 price locked in for life (vs $499 standard post-launch)
- Lifetime updates included
- Beta access 2 weeks before public launch
- Full refund anytime before delivery
Everything you get
What's included
- Pre-order with 40 percent lifetime discount (299 dollars vs 499 dollars at public launch)
- Unified schema graph architecture across all pages
- Pre-configured robots.txt with all major AI crawlers allowed
- Native llms.txt template with auto-population logic
- 5 design presets for different commerce verticals
- 20 metafield definitions ready to use
- Custom AI-Friendly Product Block section
- FAQ Accordion section with FAQPage schema
- Product Comparison section (2-4 products side-by-side)
- Benefits Grid section with 50 included icons
- Lighthouse Mobile Performance target 90 plus
- Total page weight under 200KB on homepage
- WebP images with fallbacks
- ARIA-compliant accessibility
- 4 language locales (EN, FR, ES, DE)
- Online Store 2.0 compatible
- 60-page setup PDF guide
- 5 video tutorials (90 minutes total)
- 12 months of theme support
- Lifetime updates for AI compatibility
- Beta access 2 weeks before public launch
- Full refund anytime before delivery
- Additional store licenses available at 149 dollars each
Frequently asked questions
When will Cited Theme be available?
Estimated delivery is Q4 2026. The theme is currently in active development (built on Shopify's Horizon architecture, integrating schema graph snippets, building 5 design presets). Pre-order customers receive the theme as soon as it ships, plus 2 weeks of beta access before public launch.
Why pre-order before the theme exists?
Pre-order locks in the 299 dollars launch price for life (standard price will be 499 dollars at public launch). It also reserves your beta access spot. You can request a full refund anytime before delivery if the timeline shifts beyond what you want to wait.
How is Cited Theme different from Dawn or Impulse?
Dawn is Shopify free starter - clean but no AI optimization. Impulse focuses on conversion features. Cited Theme is the only one built specifically for AI search citation: a unified schema graph architecture, llms.txt support, and AI crawler permissions are baked in, not added later.
Can I install Cited Theme on an existing store?
Yes. Installation involves uploading the theme to your Shopify, configuring brand settings, and migrating your product data. Most stores complete migration in 4 to 8 hours. The included 60-page PDF guide covers detailed migration instructions from Dawn, Sense, Craft, Horizon, and Impulse.
Will Cited Theme work with Shopify Plus features?
Yes. Cited Theme is Online Store 2.0 compatible and works with all Shopify plans including Plus. Plus-specific features like checkout customizations are not affected by the theme - those require Plus-tier configuration regardless of theme.
Do I need technical skills to customize Cited Theme?
Basic customization (colors, fonts, sections, images) requires no code - use the theme editor. Advanced customization (adding new sections, modifying logic) requires Liquid knowledge. The PDF guide includes a customization chapter covering the most common adjustments without code.
What is covered in the 12 months of support?
Email support with 48-hour response time for installation questions, configuration issues, and bug reports. Custom development requests are out of scope but can be quoted separately. After 12 months you keep the theme and updates; support is available via annual renewal or per-incident.
What about Lighthouse and Core Web Vitals?
Cited Theme is engineered for performance. On a standard test (50 products, 5 collections, no apps installed), the theme targets 90 plus Lighthouse Mobile Performance with LCP under 1.8 seconds and CLS under 0.05. Adding apps and third-party scripts will affect these scores; the theme itself starts from a strong baseline.
Why is it 299 dollars now and 499 dollars later?
The pre-order price of 299 dollars is available before public launch as an early-adopter incentive. After launch the standard price becomes 499 dollars to reflect the value and align with comparable premium Shopify themes. Pre-order buyers at 299 dollars get the same product as future buyers at 499 dollars - including all lifetime updates.
Can I use Cited Theme for client stores?
Yes, with the appropriate license. The single-store license covers your own store. For each additional client store, purchase an additional license (149 dollars each). Volume discounts available for Shopify Partner agencies installing on 10 plus stores - contact us for partnership pricing.
What if I change my mind before delivery?
Full refund anytime before the theme ships. Pre-order is risk-free: you lock the discounted price and beta access, and you can step out at any point during the production timeline if your needs change.