Apps
Add features from apps, such as reviews, wishlists or chat, to your store without editing code.
You need: an app from the Shopify App Store that supports Online Store 2.0 themes · about 5 minutes per app, plus the app’s own setup.
Two ways apps add content
Section titled “Two ways apps add content”- App blocks are blocks that you place inside a section, like any theme block: a reviews list under the product price, an upsell under the cart lines. You choose where they go.
- App embeds add something to every page without a fixed place: a chat bubble, a pop-up, tracking code. You only switch them on or off.
When you uninstall an app, Shopify removes its blocks and embeds from the theme.
Sections that accept app blocks
Section titled “Sections that accept app blocks”| Section | Where the app block appears |
|---|---|
| Product | In the purchase column, in the order of the blocks. See Product page blocks. |
| Featured product | Under the price, above the buy buttons. See Featured product. |
| Collection products | Under the products. See Collection page. |
| Search | Under the results. See Search page. |
| Cart | Under the product lines. See Cart. |
| Page | In the order of the blocks, together with the page text, map and contact form. See Content pages. |
| Customer reviews | Below the reviews, at full width. See Customer reviews. |
Many apps also offer blocks that can be added as their own section on any page. Shopify wraps them in an Apps section.
Step 1. Install the app in Shopify admin
Section titled “Step 1. Install the app in Shopify admin”- Find the app in the Shopify App Store and click Install.
- Follow the app’s setup. Many apps ask you to open the theme editor at the end; you can also do it yourself as in step 2.
Step 2. Add the app in the theme editor
Section titled “Step 2. Add the app in the theme editor”An app block
- In the theme editor, open the page where you want the block, for example Products → Default product.
- Under the section, for example Product, click Add block and open the Apps tab.
- Choose the app’s block and drag it to its place among the other blocks.
- Set its options, if it has any, and click Save.
To add an app as its own section, click Add section where you want it and choose the block in the Apps tab.
An app embed
- In the theme editor, click the App embeds icon in the left sidebar.
- Turn on the toggle next to the app.
- Click Save.
App code without a block
Some apps give you a piece of code to paste instead of a block. Paste it into a Custom Liquid block (in the Product, Featured product, Collection products, Search, Cart and Page sections) or into a Custom Liquid section. See Custom Liquid.
Apps that pair with Alpha Start
Section titled “Apps that pair with Alpha Start”These apps fill in features that Alpha Start is built to show:
| App | What it gives the theme |
|---|---|
| Search & Discovery (free, by Shopify) | Collection and search filters, and complementary products for Complete the look. See Collection filters and Complete the look. |
| A product reviews app | Star ratings on product cards and the product page, and a reviews widget as an app block. See Ratings and reviews. |
| Translate & Adapt (free, by Shopify) | Translations of the theme and your content into other languages. See Languages and markets. |
| Shopify Forms (free, by Shopify) | Sign-up forms and pop-ups beyond the theme’s newsletter forms. See Forms and messages. |
| Shopify Messaging (by Shopify, formerly Shopify Email) | Email campaigns to the customers who signed up through the theme’s newsletter forms. |
| A subscriptions app | Purchase options, such as “Subscribe and save”, which the product page shows above the buy buttons. |
Features left to apps on purpose
Section titled “Features left to apps on purpose”Some features depend so much on how your store works that an app does them better than a theme can. Alpha Start leaves them to apps:
- Wishlist: saving products for later, often with customer accounts and reminder emails.
- Product compare: comparing products side by side.
- Loyalty, referrals and gift wrapping, and other features with their own rules and admin.
Look for apps that support app blocks or app embeds, so they work with Alpha Start without code changes.
Check the result
Section titled “Check the result”Open the page with the app block on your storefront. The app’s content appears where you placed it. For an app embed, open any page: the chat bubble or pop-up appears.
The app’s block isn’t in the Apps tab. Why?
Section titled “The app’s block isn’t in the Apps tab. Why?”The section doesn’t accept app blocks, or the app’s block is made for another page type, for example a product page only. Check the table above, and the app’s documentation for where its blocks work.
The app is installed but nothing shows on the storefront. What should I check?
Section titled “The app is installed but nothing shows on the storefront. What should I check?”Open App embeds in the theme editor and check that the app is turned on. Some apps also need their own setup to be finished in the app.
Who helps if an app doesn’t look right?
Section titled “Who helps if an app doesn’t look right?”The app’s developer. Apps are styled by the app, and their support can adjust the widget for your theme. Their contact details are on the app’s page in the Shopify App Store.