Shopify reports that Shipping Rates Calculator Plus changed my theme

The Shopify Admin Dashboard sometimes displays a 'Store activity' feed, where you can find notifications like the following:

We understand this may be scary, but there is a simple explanation. Long story short, our app did not alter your theme content, only the reference to our app script.

Let's explain it in detail.

Our app functionality is packed in a single Javascript file, and that Javascript file has to be added to your store when a page is loaded.

There are two ways to add the Javascript file:

1. Shopify's ScriptTag functionality, described at https://shopify.dev/api/admin-rest/latest/resources/scripttag
   This is very convenient because it is resistant to theme changes and because it will be automatically removed by Shopify if you uninstall the app.
2. Theme script, which is a piece of HTML similar to
         <script src="//app.shippingratescalculator.com/js/core/main.min.js?timestamp=1647257779&shop=shipping-rates-calculator.myshopify.com" defer></script>
   
   This is optional, and it is controlled by the 'Fast loading' option in the app preferences:
   

   

This Javascript file is cached in your browser forever, which is very convenient for improving the page performance and ranking high on store speed reports.

As the file is cached forever, we have to refresh it when your app preferences or shipping options change or when you switch themes. Additionally, from time to time, we change our Javascript code to include new features and improvements or to ensure compatibility with Shopify changes.

To ensure that all customers get the latest version of the app, the script reference must be updated, which is reflected in the 'Store activity' report. 

Please note that the notification may also appear even if the 'Fast loading' option is disabled, although in that case, nothing changed in the theme.