How to Use Dynamic Sections in Shopify for Better Flexibility

Shopify’s dynamic sections are a powerful feature that allows you to create customizable, modular layouts without the need for in-depth coding knowledge. These sections enable you to add, reorder, or remove content on different pages, giving you more control over the look and feel of your store. This guide explains what dynamic sections are and how to use them effectively to improve the flexible store design of your Shopify store.

What Are Dynamic Sections?

Dynamic sections are flexible elements that can be placed on Shopify pages using the theme editor. Unlike regular sections, they allow merchants to easily change content directly in the Shopify admin area without editing code.

Common Dynamic Section Examples:

• Hero Banners
• Featured Collections
• Product Sliders
• Testimonials
• Custom HTML Blocks

Benefits of Dynamic Sections

• Drag-and-Drop Customization: Easily move sections around using the theme editor without needing to know how to code.
• No Coding Required: Merchants can edit content and adjust layout settings without having to use any code.
• Reusable Content Blocks: Use the same section across multiple pages for consistent content display.
• Enhanced Flexibility: Create unique page structures with custom layouts for different pages of your store, enabling a true Shopify dynamic layout experience.

Creating and Using Dynamic Sections

1. Identify Pages for Dynamic Sections

Dynamic sections can be used on various pages of your store. Some common examples include:

• Homepage: Supports dynamic sections to a full extent, allowing for maximum flexibility in layout. This is essential for customizing Shopify homepage content easily.
• Product Pages: Use dynamic sections to highlight unique product features or content.
• Collection Pages: Add dynamic sections to feature selected products or banners for collections.
• Custom Pages: Tailor landing pages for specific campaigns or projects using dynamic sections.

2. Add Custom Sections Through the Theme Editor

Custom sections can be added using the Theme Editor, which allows you to create and organize content without touching code. Here’s how:

1. Go to Online Store → Themes → Customize.
2. Navigate to the Homepage or the page where you want to make changes. This is key to Shopify theme customization.
3. In the left sidebar, click on the Add Section button.
4. Select a pre-built section, such as:
   • Slideshow
   • Featured Collection
   • Newsletter Signup
5. Customize the section’s images, text, and layout options as needed.
6. Drag and drop sections into the desired position to reorder them. This enables drag-and-drop sections for easy layout management.

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3. Create a Custom Dynamic Section Using Liquid

If your store requires a completely unique section, you can build a dynamic section using Shopify’s Liquid templating language. To create a custom section:

1. Go to Online Store → Themes → Edit Code.
2. In the Sections folder, click Add a new section and name it (e.g., custom-section).
3. Add the following basic section structure:

<div class=”custom-section”>

<h2>{{ section.settings.heading }}</h2>

<div style=”background-image: url({{ section.settings.image | img_url: ‘large’ }});”>

{{ section.settings.content }}

</div>

</div>

{% schema %}

{

“name”: “Custom Section”,

“settings”: [

{

“type”: “text”,

“id”: “heading”,

“label”: “Heading”,

“default”: “Welcome to Our Store”

},

{

“type”: “image_picker”,

“id”: “image”,

“label”: “Background Image”

},

{

“type”: “richtext”,

“id”: “content”,

“label”: “Content”

}

]

}

{% endschema %}

4. Save the file and return to the theme editor. The new section will now appear in the Add Section menu, allowing you to take full control over Shopify section blocks.

4. Customize Section Settings via Schema

Shopify’s schema JSON block defines how a section will be customizable in the theme editor. Some common schema settings include:

• Text Input:
  

{ “type”: “text”, “id”: “custom_text”, “label”: “Custom Text” }

• Image Picker:
  
  { “type”: “image_picker”, “id”: “custom_image”, “label”: “Upload Image” }
• Color Picker:

{ “type”: “color”, “id”: “background_color”, “label”: “Background Color” }

• Checkbox:

{ “type”: “checkbox”, “id”: “show_button”, “label”: “Show Button” }

5. Reuse Sections Across Multiple Pages

To make a dynamic section reusable:

1. Create the section as described above.
2. Assign it to multiple templates by adding the section tag in relevant Liquid files. For example, to add the custom section to product pages, include this line in product.liquid:

liquid

Copy code

{% section ‘custom-section’ %}

Best Practices for Using Dynamic Sections

• Keep Content Modular: Break content into smaller, reusable sections to enhance flexibility.
• Test Across Devices: Ensure your sections are responsive and look good on desktops, tablets, and mobiles.
• Use Lazy Loading: Optimize page speed by loading sections only when they become visible on the user’s screen.
• Leverage Metafields: Use Shopify Metafields to dynamically pull additional content into your sections.

Conclusion

Dynamic sections provide a game-changing way to create flexible, visually appealing Shopify stores without extensive coding. Whether you’re utilizing Shopify’s drag-and-drop theme editor or building custom sections with Liquid, you can create a dynamic, adaptable store that aligns with your brand’s needs. By taking full advantage of dynamic sections, you can significantly improve the user experience and management of your Shopify store, making it a true example of flexible store design and adding dynamic content in Shopify.