Alternate templates

Give some products, collections or pages a different layout from the rest, for example a landing page for one collection or a product page with its own blocks.

You need: no app · about 10 minutes for a new template, plus the time to set up its sections.

How templates work

Every page of your store uses a template: a set of sections and their settings. All products use the default product template, all collections the default collection template, and so on. An alternate template is a second version that you assign to selected items. Changes to a template apply to every item that uses it.

Shopify feature

Templates are created in the theme editor and assigned in your Shopify admin. See Templates in the Shopify Help Center.

Ready-made templates in Alpha Start

Alpha Start comes with these alternate templates, set up and ready to assign:

Type	Template	What it is for
Collection	list	The same collection page, opening in list view: one wide row per product with a short description, the variant choice and an Add to cart button. Good for collections where customers compare details or buy several items at once. See Collection page.
Page	about	The page text in the Card layout. Add a cover image in the Page section, then add sections such as advantages or a video under it. See Content pages.
Page	contact	A map, the page text and a contact form with the heading “Feedback”. Assign it to your contact page. See Content pages.
Blog	services	Turns a blog into a services catalog: category tiles, service cards with prices and order buttons. See Services.
Blog post	services	The page of one service, with the price, an order box, features and a photo gallery. Assign it to every post of the services blog. See Services.

Other templates exist once: the home page, product, search, cart, collections list, 404, password and gift card pages.

Step 1. Create a template in the theme editor

Skip this step if a ready-made template fits.

1. In your Shopify admin, open Online Store → Themes and click Customize next to Alpha Start.
2. In the page selector at the top of the editor, choose the type, for example Products, and click Create template.
3. Enter a Name, for example gift-card or bundle. Customers don’t see it.
4. In Based on, choose the template to copy, usually Default product.
5. Click Create template. The editor opens the new template.
6. Change its sections and blocks: for example, add a Specification row or remove Complete the look.
7. Click Save.

The new template starts as a copy, so later changes to the default template don’t reach it. Edit both when you change something that should apply everywhere.

Step 2. Assign the template in Shopify admin

1. Open the item in your Shopify admin:
   • a product: Products → the product;
   • a collection: Products → Collections → the collection;
   • a page: Online Store → Pages → the page;
   • a blog: Content → Blog posts → Manage blogs → the blog;
   • a blog post: Content → Blog posts → the post.
2. In Theme template, choose the template.
3. Click Save.

Check the result

Open the item on your storefront. It shows the sections of the new template. In the theme editor, open the template from the page selector to see which sections it has.

FAQ

Why can’t I see my template in the Theme template list?

The list shows templates of your published theme. If you created the template in a theme copy that isn’t published yet, publish the theme first, or create the template in the published theme.

I changed the default product template, but some products didn’t change. Why?

Those products use an alternate template. Open one in your Shopify admin and check Theme template.

Will my templates stay when I update the theme?

Templates are part of the theme. When you add a new version of Alpha Start, your templates and their settings are carried over to it. See Install the theme.

Content pagesPage templates with a map, a contact form and a side menu.

ServicesA services catalog built on a blog.