Chemical Guys review for Avada SEO Image Optimizer
May 9, 2025
Installs a theme without asking you, seemed to have broken some things, overwritten readmes within theme files, etc, we had to revert to using a previous version of a theme Be careful using this app on a customized Shopify site with code edits etc. You'll probably be okay with a stock theme/ new store. EDIT: As noted by Avada below, the “addition of a lightweight include snippet” appears to use logic that searches for files like theme.liquid or index.liquid. In our case, we had a file named theme.liquid.readme containing critical documentation for custom code changes. Unfortunately, this file was overwritten by Avada, which led us to uninstall the app and share our experience in a review to help inform other users with custom code setups.
Thank you for sharing your experience, and we’re truly sorry for any confusion or disruption you may have encountered. We'd like to clarify a few important points for transparency, especially for other merchants who may be concerned. 1. Regarding the theme installation Our app does not install any new theme from the Shopify Theme Store. The theme named “Avada Assets – DO NOT REMOVE” is automatically created solely to store your original images, so you can revert to them at any time after using the image optimization feature. This theme is never published or activated on your store. It has no impact on your storefront or live theme, and it can be safely left in your theme list without concern. You can find more details in our help center: https://docs.avada.io/seo-suite-help-center/faqs#what-is-avada-assets-do-not-remove 2. Regarding code changes According to our internal logs, your store only installed the app and performed an SEO checklist rescan — no other features were used. Additionally, since your account was on the Free plan, the majority of advanced features that could make impactful changes to your theme were not accessible at all. Our development team also confirmed that the app does not alter custom code or README files. The only action taken upon install is the addition of a lightweight include snippet, which does not interfere with your theme’s structure or custom logic. We genuinely believe this may have been a misunderstanding or an unrelated issue that happened to coincide with the app installation. That said, we take all feedback seriously and are more than happy to investigate further if you can provide any documentation or specifics about what changed. 3. Note on theme compatibility Our app is compatible with customized themes, not just stock themes or new stores. Many of our users run highly customized Shopify sites with a wide variety of themes, and the app works well for them. If there’s ever any difficulty during setup or integration, our technical support team is always available to assist. If you’re open to it, we’d love the opportunity to support you directly and ensure everything is working as expected. Our team is always here to help.
