How to Build a Custom Section in Your Shopify Theme

Creating custom sections in your Shopify theme allows you to tailor your store’s appearance and functionality to better meet your business needs and provide a unique shopping experience for your customers. With Shopify’s Online Store 2.0, the process has become more flexible and powerful. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to build a custom section in your Shopify theme.

Step 1: Access Your Theme Files

1. Log in to your Shopify admin panel.
2. Navigate to Online Store > Themes.
3. Click on the “Actions” dropdown menu next to your current theme and select “Edit code”.

Step 2: Create a New Section

1. In the left sidebar, find the Sections directory.
2. Click on Add a new section.
3. Name your new section (e.g., custom-section) and click Create section.

This will create a new Liquid file in the Sections directory named custom-section.liquid.

Step 3: Define the Section Structure

Open the newly created custom-section.liquid file and define the basic structure of your section. Here’s an example of a simple custom section:

<!-- sections/custom-section.liquid -->
{% schema %}
{
  "name": "Custom Section",
  "settings": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "id": "heading",
      "label": "Heading",
      "default": "Custom Section Heading"
    },
    {
      "type": "textarea",
      "id": "content",
      "label": "Content",
      "default": "This is the content of the custom section."
    },
    {
      "type": "image_picker",
      "id": "image",
      "label": "Image"
    }
  ],
  "presets": [
    {
      "name": "Custom Section"
    }
  ]
}
{% endschema %}

<div class="custom-section">
  <h2>{{ section.settings.heading }}</h2>
  <p>{{ section.settings.content }}</p>
  {% if section.settings.image %}
    <img src="{{ section.settings.image | img_url: 'medium' }}" alt="{{ section.settings.heading }}">
  {% endif %}
</div>

Explanation:

• {% schema %}: This block defines the settings for the section that will be available in the Shopify theme editor.
• name: The name of the section.
• settings: An array of settings that can be customized in the theme editor. In this example, we have a text field for the heading, a textarea for the content, and an image picker for an image.
• presets: Defines a preset for the section, making it easier to add to a page.

Step 4: Add Styles and Scripts

You can add custom styles and scripts to your section to enhance its appearance and functionality. For example:

<!-- sections/custom-section.liquid -->
<style>
  .custom-section {
    text-align: center;
    padding: 20px;
    background-color: #f9f9f9;
  }
  .custom-section img {
    max-width: 100%;
    height: auto;
  }
</style>

<script>
  document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
    console.log('Custom section loaded');
  });
</script>

Step 5: Add the Section to a Page

To add your custom section to a page, you need to include it in a template file. For example, to add it to the homepage:

1. Open the index.liquid file in the Templates directory.
2. Add the following code where you want the section to appear:

{% section 'custom-section' %}

Step 6: Customize the Section in the Theme Editor

1. Go back to your Shopify admin panel.
2. Navigate to Online Store > Themes.
3. Click on Customize next to your current theme.
4. In the theme editor, you should see your new custom section available to add to your pages. You can customize the settings as defined in the schema.

Conclusion

Building custom sections in Shopify allows you to create a more personalized and engaging shopping experience for your customers. By following these steps, you can add custom content, images, and functionality to your Shopify store, making it stand out from the competition. With the flexibility of Shopify’s Online Store 2.0, the possibilities are endless. Happy coding!

Citations:
[1] https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/intro-to-shopify/initial-setup/sell-in-germany/german-merchants-product-page
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUVUIpNM2ng
[3] https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/add-update-products
[4] https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/theme-structure/page-types
[5] https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products