# Edit theme code

You can edit your theme code to make detailed changes to your online store. Most of the files that make up a theme contain [Liquid](https://shopify.dev/api/liquid), Shopify's templating language. Theme files also contain HTML, CSS, JSON, and JavaScript. Edit the code for a theme only if you know HTML and CSS, and have a basic understanding of Liquid.

Before you customize your theme, it's a good idea for you to [Duplicate your theme](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/managing-themes/duplicating-themes) to create a backup copy. This makes it easy to discard your changes and start again if you need to.

To edit your theme code, please follow the steps:

{% hint style="success" %}
**Step**

1. From your Shopify admin, go to **Online Store** > **Themes**.
2. Click **Actions** > **Edit code**.
   {% endhint %}

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