Boardwalk Block Guide

Gallery Blocks

Everything you need to set up and customize Gallery blocks — from arranging images and videos in a grid to adding color blocks with text overlays, adjustable aspect ratios, and content alignment.

About

A gallery is a visual layout that displays a collection of images, videos, or styled content blocks in a grid. Galleries are a great way to showcase products, lifestyle photography, brand stories, or promotional content in a visually engaging format.

In the Boardwalk theme, Gallery blocks work together as a system. A Gallery Items block acts as the container that controls the grid layout, aspect ratio, and corner rounding. Inside it, you add individual Image, Video, and Color Block items. Each of these can include text, buttons, and logo overlays, and they all share the overlay and alignment controls that give you precise creative control over how your content looks.


How to Set Up Gallery Blocks

Follow these steps to add and configure a gallery on any page of your Shopify store using the Boardwalk theme.

1
Open the Theme Editor

In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store → Themes, find Boardwalk, and click Customize. Navigate to the page where you want to display a gallery using the page selector dropdown at the top center of the editor.

2
Add a Gallery Items Block

Click Add block in the Theme Editor sidebar and choose Gallery items from the list. This is the container block that holds all of your gallery content and controls the grid layout.

3
Configure the Gallery Items Settings

Click the Gallery items block in the sidebar. Set the aspect ratio for all items in the gallery and adjust the border radius to round or sharpen the corners of each item.

4
Add Gallery Items

Inside the Gallery items block, click Add block and choose from Image, Video, or Color block. Add as many items as you need — the grid will automatically arrange them based on the number of columns set by the parent section.

5
Add Content Overlays (Optional)

Each Image, Video, and Color block can hold child blocks for Text, Button, and Logo overlays. Click into any gallery item and use Add block to layer content on top of your media.

6
Save and Preview

Click Save in the Theme Editor. Preview your page to verify the gallery grid, media, overlays, and any linked content are displaying as expected.


The Gallery items block is the container that holds all of your individual gallery items. Its settings control the shared visual properties that apply to every Image, Video, and Color block inside it.

Gallery Items Settings

Aspect ratio

Sets the shape of every item in the gallery. Options: Auto (fit content), Widescreen, Standard, Landscape, Square, or Portrait. Choosing Auto lets each item size itself based on its own content.

Border radius

Rounds the corners of every gallery item. Range: 0px to 40px.


Image Block

The Image block displays a photograph or graphic inside the gallery grid. It supports an optional link, color overlays for text legibility, and content alignment controls. You can add Text, Button, and Logo child blocks on top of the image.

Image

Select an image from the Shopify media library. If no image is selected, a placeholder graphic will display in its place.

Link

Optionally link the entire image block to any page, collection, product, or external URL. When a link is set, the image will gently zoom on hover to indicate it's clickable.

Overlay

Adds a colored layer over the image to improve the readability of any text or buttons placed on top. You can choose the overlay style and color.

  • Overlay typeNone, Solid, Fade from bottom, or Full gradient
  • Overlay color — The color used for the overlay layer
Content Alignment

Controls where overlay content (text, buttons, logos) appears on the image. These settings only take effect when child blocks are added.

  • Vertical alignmentTop, Middle, or Bottom
  • Horizontal alignmentLeft, Center, or Right
  • Text alignment — Aligns overlay text left, center, or right
  • Content padding — Spacing between the overlay content and the edges of the block. Range: 10px to 60px.
Color Scheme

Select a color scheme to style the overlay text and content colors for this image block.

Child Blocks

Image blocks accept Text, Button, and Logo child blocks. These appear as overlays positioned on top of the image, and their placement is controlled by the content alignment settings above.


Video Block

The Video block plays a video inside the gallery grid. You can use a video file uploaded to Shopify or paste a YouTube or Vimeo URL. Like the Image block, it supports overlays, content alignment, and child blocks for layering text, buttons, and logos on top.

Video File

Select a video file from the Shopify media library. This is the primary video source for the block.

Note: To upload videos to your Shopify media library, go to Settings → Files in your Shopify admin and upload your video file there. It will then be available for selection in the theme editor.

Or Video URL (YouTube/Vimeo)

Alternatively, paste a YouTube or Vimeo URL to embed an external video. This is used when no uploaded video file is selected.

Poster Image

An optional image displayed before the video plays or as a fallback. This is helpful for showing a preview frame while the video loads.

Link

Wraps the entire video block in a link. When set, clicking the block navigates to the linked page instead of playing the video.

Video Settings

Controls how the video behaves when the page loads and while it plays.

  • Autoplay — Starts the video automatically when it appears on screen. The video will be muted when autoplay is enabled.
  • Loop — Replays the video continuously after it finishes
  • Show controls — Displays play, pause, and volume controls on the video
Overlay

Adds a colored layer over the video to improve the readability of any text or buttons placed on top.

  • Overlay typeNone, Solid, Fade from bottom, or Full gradient
  • Overlay color — The color used for the overlay layer
Content Alignment

Controls where overlay content appears on the video. Identical to the Image block alignment controls.

  • Vertical alignmentTop, Middle, or Bottom
  • Horizontal alignmentLeft, Center, or Right
  • Text alignment — Aligns overlay text left, center, or right
  • Content padding — Range: 10px to 60px
Color Scheme

Select a color scheme to style the overlay text and content colors for this video block.

Child Blocks

Video blocks accept Text, Button, and Logo child blocks, just like Image blocks.


Color Block

The Color block is a flexible content card that uses a solid background color, color scheme, or background image instead of a standalone photo or video. It's ideal for promotional messages, calls to action, brand statements, or any content tile where you want full control over the background appearance.

Link

Wraps the entire block in a link. When set, clicking anywhere on the block navigates to the linked page.

Group Structure

Controls the layout and sizing behavior of the block and its child content.

  • Layout directionHorizontal or Vertical. Determines whether child blocks stack vertically or sit side by side.
  • WidthFit (sizes to content) or Fill (expands to fill available space)
  • HeightFit (sizes to content) or Fill (stretches to fill the container)
  • Content maximum widthAuto or Narrow. Constrains the width of the content area inside the block.
Overlay

Adds a colored layer over the background image (if one is set) to improve text readability.

  • Overlay typeNone, Solid, Fade from bottom, or Full gradient
  • Overlay color — The color used for the overlay layer
Content Alignment

Controls where content appears within the block.

  • Text alignment — Aligns text left, center, or right
  • Vertical alignmentTop, Middle, or Bottom
  • Horizontal alignmentLeft, Center, or Right
  • Content padding — Spacing between the content and the edges of the block. Range: 10px to 80px.
Appearance

Controls the background visual of the block.

  • Background color — A custom background color. Leave empty to use the color scheme background instead.
  • Background image — An optional background image that fills the block. When set, the overlay settings become especially useful for keeping text readable.
  • Color scheme — Select a color scheme to style the block's background and text colors
Child Blocks

Color blocks accept any theme blocks as children, giving you the flexibility to add Text, Button, Logo, and other blocks directly inside the color block.


Built-In Features

Gallery blocks come with features that work automatically — no apps or custom code needed.

Feature Overview

Responsive grid layout

The gallery grid automatically adapts across screen sizes. On large desktops it uses the configured number of columns, on smaller desktops and tablets it reduces to fewer columns, and on mobile it stacks to a single column.

Consistent aspect ratios

All items inside a Gallery Items block share the same aspect ratio, ensuring a clean, uniform grid. Choose from six presets or use Auto to let each item size based on its content.

Flexible overlay system

Every gallery block type (Image, Video, and Color) includes the same overlay system with four styles: None, Solid, Fade from bottom, and Full gradient. This makes it easy to keep text readable regardless of the background content.

Content overlays

Layer Text, Button, and Logo blocks on top of any gallery item. Content is positioned using the alignment and padding settings, giving you precise control without any coding.

Hover zoom on linked images

When an Image block has a link, hovering over it triggers a subtle zoom animation on the image. This provides a visual cue that the block is interactive and clickable.

Video autoplay and looping

Video blocks can be set to play automatically and loop continuously, making them ideal for ambient background videos and lifestyle clips. When autoplay is enabled, the video is automatically muted.

Multiple video sources

Video blocks support both uploaded video files from your Shopify media library and external YouTube or Vimeo URLs. External videos are embedded as iframes that fill the block area.

Color block flexibility

Color blocks can use a solid color, a color scheme, or a background image — and they accept any theme block as a child. This makes them a versatile building block for promotional tiles, brand statements, or calls to action within your gallery.


Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions about Gallery blocks.

The number of columns is determined by the parent section that contains the Gallery Items block. Check the section-level settings for column count and grid spacing options. The gallery grid within the Gallery Items block will use the column configuration from the section it belongs to.
Yes. The Gallery Items block accepts all three block types, and you can mix them freely. They will all share the same aspect ratio and border radius set on the Gallery Items container, creating a cohesive look even with different content types.
Make sure the Autoplay setting is turned on in the Video block settings. Keep in mind that most browsers require videos to be muted in order to autoplay — Boardwalk handles this automatically when autoplay is enabled. If you're using a YouTube or Vimeo URL, autoplay behavior may also depend on the platform's own embed policies.
Click on the Image (or Video, or Color) block in the sidebar, then click Add block inside it. Choose Text, Button, or Logo to add an overlay. Use the content alignment and overlay settings on the parent block to position the content and ensure readability.
Set a specific aspect ratio on the Gallery Items block instead of using Auto (fit content). Choosing a fixed ratio like Square, Portrait, or Widescreen forces all items to the same proportions. Images and videos will be cropped to fill the shape.
Yes. Color blocks work perfectly with just a solid background color or a color scheme — no image is required. Simply set a background color or choose a color scheme, and the block will display as a solid colored tile. This is great for promotional messages or calls to action.