## Introduction {#intro}

If you’ve been keeping up with the Shopify ecosystem recently, you’ve likely heard the name “Horizon” pop up frequently. With their latest Summer Edition 2025, Shopify has heard (and addressed) major merchant concerns with the release of exciting updates, including smarter tools, faster performance, and future-ready features that work the way merchants need them to. At the heart of this is the groundbreaking Horizon theme, already earning recognition as the faster, leaner successor to Dawn throughout the Shopify community.

## Why Implement Horizon Theme Integration with Shopify Plus/Non-Plus {#why-implement-horizon}

### What is Shopify Horizon? {#what-is-shopify-horizon}

Horizon is Shopify’s newest Online Store 2.0 theme, built to meet the demand for modern, modular, and high-performing storefronts. Whether you’re selling 10 or 10,000 products, Horizon gives you full control over how your store looks and behaves, without the need for complex coding.

### What are the new features in the Shopify Horizon theme? {#shopify-horizon-features}

- Fast Performance: Built for speed from the ground up, Horizon delivers an app-like shopping experience that keeps customers engaged and reduces bounce rates.
- Effortless Customization: The intuitive block-based layout system allows you to drag, drop, and customize every section without touching code. The new and improved theme editor further simplifies this by enabling AI-powered block generation.
- Mobile-First Excellence: With mobile commerce driving the majority of sales, Horizon's responsive design ensures your store looks stunning and functions flawlessly on any device.

### Can you easily update from Dawn to Horizon?

Dawn paved the way for online store 2.0 themes, but Horizon builds on that foundation. It supports global blocks, offers more flexibility with nested sections, and is optimized for mobile from the ground up. Simply put, the new theme update gives merchants more power to design, customize, and optimize their solutions without sacrificing store performance; one of the top reasons to switch from Dawn to the Shopify Horizon theme.

## Why miniOrange is a Perfect Fit with Horizon? {#miniorange-perfect-fit-for-horizon}

A powerful theme is only part of the story. What happens after a visitor lands on your store? Can they log in securely? Do they see the right content? Are their accounts easy to manage? Are merchants or customers notified about important store events?

This is where miniOrange steps in to bridge the gap between a great-looking storefront and a smartly managed backend. It’s the perfect partner for Shopify stores utilizing the Horizon theme; enhancing speed, security, and scalability. For merchants looking to scale or serve wholesale buyers, miniOrange also brings enhanced B2B capabilities in Shopify Horizon through a variety of solutions tailored to different use cases.

Here’s how miniOrange supports Shopify Horizon for B2B/B2C stores:

### Single Sign-On (SSO)

Enable secure, [one-click login](https://plugins.miniorange.com/shopify-single-sign-on) to your Shopify Horizon store with a single set of credentials using identity providers like Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Cognito, and more. Whether you're running an exclusive [employee-only swag store](https://plugins.miniorange.com/employee-store-shopify-single-sign-on-integration) or multi-store setups, you can give users a fast and reliable login experience on desktop and mobile devices; especially helpful given Horizon’s focus on mobile-first performance.

### Store as an Identity Provider (IdP)

Turn your [Shopify store into an Identity Provider (IdP)](https://plugins.miniorange.com/how-to-use-shopify-as-an-identity-provider-for-single-sign-on-sso) and let customers use their Shopify credentials to log into other platforms, like connected LMS (Thinkific, Moodle, etc.), CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.), or even other [Shopify stores](https://plugins.miniorange.com/single-sign-on-sso-between-two-shopify-store) you own.

### Content Restriction

Whether you're building an exclusive B2B storefront or offering premium member content, our [content restriction solution](https://plugins.miniorange.com/content-restriction-for-shopify) lets you control who sees what based on tags, roles, location, or login status, without disrupting Horizon’s fast, flexible layout.

### SMS/WhatsApp Notifications

Send [automated alerts to customers](https://plugins.miniorange.com/shopify-order-and-sms-notifications) and merchants via SMS or WhatsApp for various store events, including account creation, abandoned cart updates, order updates, etc. This will help streamline your operations and improve customer satisfaction, all while maintaining a fast, mobile-first Horizon experience.

### Subscription & User Provisioning

Horizon gives you more flexibility in how products and store sections are showcased. Manage recurring purchases or membership billing around that setup using the [Subscriptions solution](https://plugins.miniorange.com/manage-subscription-in-shopify). Meanwhile, User Provisioning will keep customer accounts and access in sync across multiple Shopify stores or connected platforms.

## Use Cases {#use-cases}

Let’s consider some real-world use cases to see how different businesses can leverage miniOrange solutions to streamline Horizon theme integration with Shopify Plus/non-Plus stores.

### Use Case 1: Skincare Brand Ensures Members-Only Access to Premium Content with Content Restriction

Imagine a growing skincare brand offering curated subscription boxes through a Horizon-based storefront for better speed and mobile usability. However, they also needed to ensure that only paid subscribers could access exclusive store content, such as blogs, tutorials, and product pages.

miniOrange’s [Content Restriction](https://apps.shopify.com/content-restriction-and-fraud-prevention) feature enabled them to lock content based on login status and user tags, and hide specific pages, collections, and blogs. The setup ensured that while casual visitors could browse public products, subscribers had exclusive access to premium content. This helped the brand create a premium, members-only experience for subscribed users, bolstered by Horizon’s fast performance and responsive layout.

### Use Case 2: Digital Education Store with Horizon Layout Running SSO for LMS Access

Let’s look at another example; An online learning business offering video-based courses is using Horizon to revamp their Shopify storefront with a clean, block-based layout. But they needed a way to give students access to their LMS platform without making them juggle multiple logins.

The integration of miniOrange’s [Single Sign-On (SSO)](https://apps.shopify.com/single-sign-onsso) application helped solve this. Using SSO, students can log in once and instantly access all their courses and resources on the Shopify store and the connected LMS platforms, without the need for multiple credentials. This solution means fewer support requests for the store and a seamless, more professional learning experience for the students.

## Can you still use legacy customer accounts with the Horizon theme?

When you publish the Horizon theme, Shopify automatically enables the Customer Accounts experience. That’s great in terms of speed and UI; but what about stores still using legacy customer accounts?

Maybe your login process is customized. Maybe your loyalty system, tagging setup, or wholesale functions depend on the old account structure. It’s only natural that you might be concerned.

But here’s the good news: while Horizon does move you into the modern customer accounts setup, you don’t have to lose the functionality you rely on.

miniOrange can help you make the transition easier with features like custom login flows, tag-based access rules, and automated user management. Whether you’re running a B2B portal, managing memberships, or simply want more control over your store’s functioning, our apps ensure your store works the way you need it to, even after switching to Shopify customer accounts.

## Conclusion {#conclusion}

Themes evolve. Expectations rise. And Horizon is proof that Shopify is moving toward a more flexible, performance-driven future. But to really unlock its potential, you need the right apps working behind the scenes. miniOrange delivers seamless logins, airtight security, and effortless management, so you can focus on what's most important – growing your business.

Whether you’re just exploring the update or already planning Horizon theme integration with your Shopify Plus/non-Plus store, miniOrange’s advanced solutions are the best way to make the backend work as smoothly as your storefront.

Want to explore how miniOrange apps can turn your upgraded theme into a fully optimized, secure, and streamlined store? [Connect with us](https://plugins.miniorange.com/shopify-single-sign-on#demo) to explore how you can simplify your B2B login experience.

Shopify's latest Horizon theme update is here! Discover how miniOrange apps are fully compatible with the new features, ensuring seamless store management and enhanced performance

Horizon Theme

What the Shopify Horizon Theme Update Means for Your Store — And How miniOrange Apps Fit In