Presets

Presets let merchants add your section from the visual editor. Without a preset, the section can only be placed in the theme by editing code. With a preset, it shows up in the "Add section" menu.

Basic preset

Add a presets array to your schema. Each preset needs a name:

{% schema %}
{
  "name": "Featured Collection",
  "settings": [
    { "type": "text", "id": "heading", "label": "Heading", "default": "Featured" },
    { "type": "collection", "id": "collection", "label": "Collection" }
  ],
  "presets": [
    {
      "name": "Featured Collection",
      "category": "Collection"
    }
  ]
}
{% endschema %}

The name is what appears in the "Add section" menu. The category groups it with similar sections (like "Collection", "Image", "Text", or "Custom").

Preset with default values

You can set default values in a preset so the section looks good right away:

"presets": [
  {
    "name": "Featured Collection",
    "category": "Collection",
    "settings": {
      "heading": "Shop our picks",
      "columns": "3"
    }
  }
]

These values override the default in the setting definition. This is useful when the same section needs different starting points for different use cases.

Preset with blocks

Include default blocks so the section has content from the start:

"presets": [
  {
    "name": "Slideshow",
    "category": "Image",
    "blocks": [
      {
        "type": "slide",
        "settings": {
          "heading": "Welcome to our store",
          "subheading": "Discover our latest collection"
        }
      },
      {
        "type": "slide",
        "settings": {
          "heading": "Free shipping",
          "subheading": "On all orders over £50"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
]

The merchant sees two slides as soon as they add the section. They can edit, remove, or add more.

Multiple presets

A section can have more than one preset. This is useful when the same section template supports very different layouts:

"presets": [
  {
    "name": "Three Column Grid",
    "category": "Collection",
    "settings": { "columns": "3", "heading": "Shop the range" }
  },
  {
    "name": "Two Column Feature",
    "category": "Collection",
    "settings": { "columns": "2", "heading": "Featured picks" }
  }
]

Each preset appears as a separate item in the "Add section" menu. The merchant picks the one that fits their layout.

Categories

Categories group sections in the "Add section" menu. Use a consistent set across your theme:

You can use any string as a category. These are suggestions that keep the menu tidy.

When to skip presets

Not every section needs a preset. Sections that are part of the theme structure (like a header or footer) are placed once in the layout and should not appear in the "Add section" menu. Leave the presets array empty or omit it for these sections.

{% schema %}
{
  "name": "Header",
  "settings": [
    { "type": "image_picker", "id": "logo", "label": "Logo" }
  ]
}
{% endschema %}

No presets means this section will not show in the menu. It can only be added by including it in the theme layout file.