Boardwalk Block Guide

Image Block

Everything you need to add and customize the Image block — from choosing aspect ratios and sizing options to setting up separate mobile images and adding clickable links.

About

An Image block lets you place a single picture anywhere inside a Group block on your page. Images are one of the most common building blocks for any online store — they can showcase products, highlight lifestyle photography, display brand logos, or add visual interest between other content.

In the Boardwalk theme, the Image block is a responsive element that automatically adjusts to fit the screen size. You can control the shape of the image with aspect ratio presets, scale it down to a custom width, round the corners, flip it horizontally, and wrap the entire image in a clickable link. The block also supports a separate mobile image and an independent mobile aspect ratio, giving you full control over how images look on phones versus desktops.


How to Add an Image Block

Follow these steps to add and configure an Image block 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 add the image using the page selector dropdown at the top center of the editor.

2
Locate a Group Block

Image blocks live inside Group blocks. In the Theme Editor sidebar, find an existing Group or add a new section that contains one. Click the Group to expand it.

Note: The Image block cannot be added directly to a section — it must be placed inside a Group block. If you don't see a Group available, add a section that includes one first.

3
Add the Image Block

Inside the Group, click Add block and choose Image from the list. A placeholder image will appear on your page.

4
Upload Your Image

Click the Image block in the sidebar and use the Image picker to upload or select a photo from your media library. The image will replace the placeholder on your page.

5
Adjust Settings

Configure the aspect ratio, width, corner radius, and other options described in the settings reference below. You can also add a link, set up a separate mobile image, or choose a different aspect ratio for smaller screens.

6
Save and Preview

Click Save in the Theme Editor. Preview your page on both desktop and mobile to make sure the image looks the way you want at every screen size.


Settings Reference

These settings are available when you click an Image block in the Theme Editor sidebar. They control the image's appearance, sizing, and link behavior.

Image Block Settings

Image

The picture displayed by this block. Use the image picker to upload a new photo or select one from your Shopify media library. If no image is selected, a placeholder graphic is shown.

Desktop aspect ratio

Controls the shape of the image on desktop screens. Options: Adapt to image (uses the photo's natural proportions), Widescreen, Standard, Landscape, Square, or Portrait. When a fixed ratio is selected, the image is cropped to fit.

Image width

Determines how wide the image appears within its parent Group. Options: Full width (100%) (fills the available space) or Custom scale (lets you set a specific percentage).

Width scale

Sets the image width as a percentage of the parent Group. Range: 10% to 100% (in 5% steps). This setting only appears when Image width is set to Custom scale.

Corner radius

Rounds the corners of the image. Range: 0px to 40px (in 2px steps). Increase this value to create softer, rounded edges on the image.

Flip image horizontally

Mirrors the image left-to-right. This is useful when you want to reverse the direction of a photo to better match your page layout.

Link

Makes the entire image clickable. Enter a URL to any page, product, collection, or external website. When a link is set, visitors can click the image to navigate to that destination.

Open link in new tab

When turned on, clicking the image opens the link in a new browser tab instead of navigating away from the current page. This setting only appears when a Link is provided.


Mobile Settings

These settings let you customize how the image appears on mobile devices. You can use a completely different image and a separate aspect ratio for smaller screens.

Mobile Settings

Use desktop image for mobile

When turned on, the same image is used on both desktop and mobile. Turn this off to upload a separate mobile image that may be better suited for smaller screens (for example, a tighter crop or a vertical composition).

Mobile image

A separate image shown only on mobile devices. Use this to display a photo that is optimized for portrait or narrow screens. This setting only appears when Use desktop image for mobile is turned off.

Use desktop aspect ratio for mobile

When turned on, the mobile image uses the same aspect ratio as the desktop image. Turn this off to choose a different shape for mobile — for example, a square ratio on mobile while keeping widescreen on desktop.

Mobile aspect ratio

Controls the shape of the image on mobile screens. Options are the same as the desktop aspect ratio: Adapt to image, Widescreen, Standard, Landscape, Square, or Portrait. This setting only appears when Use desktop aspect ratio for mobile is turned off.


Built-In Features

The Image block comes with features that work automatically — no apps or custom code needed.

Feature Overview

Responsive sizing

The image automatically scales to fit the available space in its parent Group. On desktop it displays at up to 1200px wide, and on mobile it scales down to 800px for faster loading.

Separate mobile image

Upload a different image for mobile devices. On small screens the mobile image is shown automatically while the desktop image is hidden, so visitors always see the version best suited to their screen.

Independent mobile aspect ratio

Choose a different shape for the image on mobile versus desktop. For example, you can use a widescreen ratio on desktop and a square on mobile for a better fit on narrow screens.

Aspect ratio presets

Six aspect ratio options let you control the image shape without editing the original file. Choose Adapt to image, Widescreen, Standard, Landscape, Square, or Portrait — the image is automatically cropped and centered to fit the selected ratio.

Clickable image link

Wrap the image in a link to any page, product, collection, or external URL. When a link is set, the entire image becomes clickable. You can also choose to open the link in a new browser tab.

Lazy loading

Images are loaded only when they are about to scroll into view. This speeds up your page's initial load time, especially on pages with many images.

Scroll-triggered fade-in

The image fades in smoothly as it enters the viewport, adding a polished animation effect to your page without any extra setup.

Alignment inheritance

The image automatically inherits its alignment (left, center, or right) from the parent Group block. Adjust the Group's alignment settings to position the image where you want it.


Frequently Asked Questions

The Image block is designed to be used inside Group blocks — it cannot be added directly to a section. To add an image, first make sure your section contains a Group, then click Add block inside that Group and choose Image.
When a fixed aspect ratio is selected (such as Widescreen or Square), the image is cropped to fit that shape. To show the full image without any cropping, set the Desktop aspect ratio to Adapt to image. This uses the photo's original proportions.
In the Image block settings, scroll down to the Mobile settings section and turn off Use desktop image for mobile. A new Mobile image picker will appear where you can upload a separate photo for small screens.
Yes. Set the Image width to Custom scale, then use the Width scale slider to choose a percentage between 10% and 100%. The image will shrink within its Group, and its position is controlled by the Group's alignment settings.
The Width scale slider only appears when Image width is set to Custom scale. If it's set to Full width (100%), the slider is hidden because the image already fills the entire width of the Group.
The Image block inherits its alignment from the parent Group. To position the image (left, center, or right), click on the Group block in the sidebar and adjust its alignment settings. This is especially useful when the image width is set to a custom scale smaller than 100%.