Boardwalk Section Guide

Custom Liquid Section

Everything you need to add custom code to your store using the Custom Liquid section — from understanding what Liquid is and how to use it, to configuring layout, padding, and color scheme settings.

About

Liquid is the templating language used by Shopify to display dynamic content on your store. It acts as the bridge between the data in your Shopify admin (like products, collections, and pages) and the HTML that visitors see in their browser. With Liquid, you can pull in store information, create conditional content, loop through lists of items, and build layouts that update automatically when your data changes.

Liquid code is written using special tags wrapped in curly braces. Output tags like {{ product.title }} display a piece of data on the page. Logic tags like {%- if ... -%} let you show or hide content based on conditions. You can also use filters to format text, dates, prices, and more.

In the Boardwalk theme, the Custom Liquid section gives you a dedicated space to write your own Liquid code directly within the Theme Editor. This is useful for adding custom content, embedding app snippets, or creating advanced layouts that go beyond what the standard sections offer. Whatever you type into the Custom Liquid field is rendered directly on your page, giving you full control over the output.

Use with care: Liquid code runs directly on your live storefront. Incorrect or broken code can cause parts of your page to display incorrectly or not appear at all. If you're not comfortable writing code, consider reaching out to a Shopify developer for help. Always preview your changes before publishing them to your live store.


How to Set Up the Custom Liquid Section

Follow these steps to add and configure the Custom Liquid section 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 custom code using the page selector dropdown at the top center of the editor.

2
Add the Custom Liquid Section

Click Add section in the Theme Editor sidebar and choose Custom liquid from the list under the Advanced category. The section will appear on your page ready for you to enter your code.

3
Enter Your Liquid Code

Click the Custom liquid section in the sidebar. You'll see a text field labeled Custom Liquid where you can write or paste your Liquid code, HTML, or app snippets.

For example, you could display a custom message using basic HTML, output dynamic store data with Liquid tags like {{ shop.name }}, or embed a snippet provided by a third-party app.

Note: The Custom Liquid field supports standard HTML, CSS, and Liquid code. JavaScript is not supported in this field. If you need to add JavaScript to your store, you'll need to edit your theme files directly.

4
Configure the Section Settings

Adjust the section width, color scheme, and padding to control how your custom content fits within the rest of your page layout. These settings are covered in detail in the next section of this guide.

5
Add App Blocks (Optional)

The Custom Liquid section supports app blocks, which let compatible Shopify apps inject their own content directly into the section. Click Add block inside the section settings to see available app blocks from your installed apps.

6
Save and Preview

Click Save in the Theme Editor. Preview your page to verify that your custom code is rendering correctly. Always check both desktop and mobile views to make sure the output looks right on all screen sizes.


Section-Level Settings

These settings apply to the entire Custom Liquid section and are accessible by clicking the top-level section in the Theme Editor sidebar.

Custom Liquid Section Settings

Custom Liquid

A text field where you write or paste your Liquid code, HTML, or app snippets. Whatever you enter here is rendered directly on the page. You can use Liquid output tags, logic tags, and filters to create dynamic content.

Section width

Controls the maximum width of the section content. Options: Page (matches your theme's content width) or Full (stretches to 100% of the browser window). Use Page to keep your custom content aligned with the rest of your store layout, or Full for full-bleed designs.

Section color scheme

Select any defined color scheme to style the section background and text. Color schemes are defined in your theme settings and apply consistent colors across your store.

Desktop padding

Controls the top and bottom padding of the section on desktop screens. Range: 0px to 100px.

Mobile padding

Controls the top and bottom padding of the section on mobile screens. Range: 0px to 100px.


App Blocks

The Custom Liquid section supports Shopify app blocks. App blocks are content modules provided by third-party apps that you've installed on your store. When an installed app offers an app block, it will appear as an option when you click Add block inside the section.

App blocks are rendered below your custom Liquid code in the order they appear in the sidebar. You can reorder them by dragging and dropping within the section. This makes the Custom Liquid section a flexible container for combining your own code with app-provided content in a single area of the page.

Note: App blocks only appear if you have compatible apps installed on your store. If no apps support app blocks, the Add block option may not show any choices.


Common Use Cases

Here are some popular ways store owners use the Custom Liquid section to add unique content and functionality to their pages.

Example Use Cases

Embedding app snippets

Many Shopify apps provide Liquid snippets that you can paste into a Custom Liquid section. This is useful for adding things like trust badges, countdown timers, review widgets, or social feeds without editing your theme code files directly.

Displaying dynamic store data

Use Liquid output tags to display information from your store, such as your shop name, the current customer's name (if logged in), or details about the current page. For example, {{ shop.name }} outputs your store's name wherever the section is placed.

Custom HTML content

Add custom HTML directly — things like styled banners, embedded maps, iframes, or informational callouts that aren't covered by the theme's built-in sections.

Conditional content

Use Liquid logic tags to show or hide content based on conditions. For example, you could display a special message only to logged-in customers, or show different content based on which page the visitor is viewing.

Custom inline styling

Add <style> blocks with custom CSS to adjust the appearance of your content. This is helpful when you need specific spacing, colors, or typography that aren't available in the section settings.


Admin Steps and Requirements

Keep these points in mind when working with the Custom Liquid section to avoid issues on your live store.

Before You Begin

Always preview first

Before saving changes to your live store, use the Theme Editor's preview mode to check that your Liquid code renders correctly. Broken code can cause layout issues or blank areas on your storefront.

No JavaScript support

The Custom Liquid field accepts HTML, CSS, and Liquid code, but it does not run JavaScript. If your customization requires JavaScript, you'll need to add it to your theme's code files directly through Online Store → Themes → Edit code.

Color schemes

The section uses your theme's color schemes for background and text colors. These are defined in Online Store → Themes → Customize → Theme settings → Colors. Make sure you've configured the color schemes you want to use before setting one on this section.

App compatibility

If you're embedding app snippets, make sure the app is installed and active in your Shopify admin. Some apps require their own setup steps (like creating an account or configuring settings within the app) before their Liquid snippets will produce any output.

Liquid errors

If your Liquid code contains a syntax error, Shopify may display an error message on the page or simply show nothing. Check that your tags are properly opened and closed (e.g., every {%- if -%} has a matching {%- endif -%}). Shopify's Theme Inspector browser extension can help identify issues.


Frequently Asked Questions

You can enter standard HTML, inline CSS, and Shopify Liquid code. This includes Liquid output tags (like {{ shop.name }}), logic tags (like {%- if -%} and {%- for -%}), filters, and app snippets provided by installed apps. JavaScript is not supported in this field.
Yes. You can add multiple Custom Liquid sections to any page. Each section operates independently with its own code, width, padding, and color scheme settings. This is useful when you need different custom elements in different parts of the page.
This usually means the Liquid code contains a syntax error, such as a missing closing tag or an incorrect variable name. Double-check that all your tags are properly opened and closed. You can also try pasting a simpler piece of code first (like <p>Hello</p>) to confirm the section is working, and then build up your code from there.
Shopify's Custom Liquid field has a character limit, but it's generous enough for most use cases. If you find yourself running into the limit, consider moving your code into a Liquid snippet file within your theme's code editor and referencing it with a {%- render 'snippet-name' -%} tag in the Custom Liquid field instead.
No. The Custom Liquid field does not support JavaScript, so tracking scripts and analytics tags won't run here. For scripts like Google Analytics or Meta Pixel, use the Custom pixels feature in your Shopify admin under Settings → Customer events, or add the code to your theme's theme.liquid file through the code editor.