A Simple Guide to Adding Custom CSS to Shopify Themes

1. Step-by-Step Guide on How to Add Custom CSS to Shopify Theme​ In 2024, Shopify has continued to grow as one of the leading eCommerce platforms, with over 4.1 million websites built using its infrastructure. As businesses aim to provide unique shopping experiences, Shopify custom theme development has become more relevant than ever. Custom CSS allows store owners to make small, yet impactful, visual changes without altering the core functionality of their themes. In this guide, we will walk through how you can add custom CSS to your Shopify theme and create a distinct look for your store. Let’s begin by understanding why it’s beneficial to add custom CSS to your Shopify theme.

2. Why Add Custom CSS to Your Shopify Theme? Custom CSS gives you the freedom to style your Shopify store exactly how you want it. It allows for visual changes like font updates, layout tweaks, and color changes that can make your store stand out. Making changes through custom CSS is often a faster and more effective way to design your store than using built-in settings. Customizing your store’s look is essential to building a brand identity and improving the overall user experience. How to Safely Backup Your Shopify Theme Before making any changes, it’s a good idea to back up your theme to avoid losing your work. Shopify allows you to create duplicate copies of your theme, making it easy to revert to an earlier version if needed. To back up your theme: ● ● ● Go to your Shopify admin panel. Navigate to Online Store > Themes. Click on Actions next to your active theme and select Duplicate. By following this simple process, you can make changes with peace of mind.

3. Step-by-Step Process for Adding Custom CSS Accessing the Theme Editor The first step in adding custom CSS is accessing the theme editor. You will need to navigate through your Shopify dashboard to find the theme’s code editor. To do this: ● ● ● Log in to your Shopify admin panel. Click on Online Store, then go to Themes. From here, click Actions, and then select Edit Code. This opens up the code editor where you can start modifying your theme’s files. Identifying the Correct CSS File In the code editor, you will see various folders. The one you’re interested in is the Assets folder, which contains all the CSS and JavaScript files used by your theme. Look for files like theme.css.liquid or theme.scss.liquid. These are the files where your theme’s current CSS resides. It’s in these files that you will add your custom CSS.

4. Writing and Inserting Custom CSS Once you’ve located the correct file, you can start writing your custom CSS. Here’s an example of a simple change, such as modifying the background color: css body { background-color: #f0f0f0; } To add this code, simply scroll to the bottom of the theme.css.liquid or theme.scss.liquid file and insert your custom CSS. It’s a good practice to add a comment above your changes for future reference, like this: css /* Custom Background Color */ body { background-color: #f0f0f0; } Adding Inline CSS in Liquid Templates (Alternative Approach) Another way to add custom CSS is by directly inserting it into specific Liquid templates. This is useful if you only want certain pages, like the product page or collection page, to have custom styling. To do this: ● Open the desired .liquid file, such as product.liquid. Add your CSS inside the <style> tag, like this: ● html <style> .product-title { color: #ff0000;

5. } </style> This will change the product title color on your product page. Testing Your Custom CSS Changes Once you’ve added your custom CSS, it’s time to test how it looks on your live store. Shopify provides a Preview feature that allows you to view changes before publishing them to your active theme. Simply click Preview after saving your changes to see how they affect your store’s design. It’s essential to test the new styling across different devices (desktop, mobile, tablet) to ensure that the changes look good on all screen sizes. Common Errors and How to Fix Them Adding custom CSS is straightforward, but sometimes issues can arise. If your custom styles aren’t showing up, it’s often due to a few common errors. ● Cache issues: Sometimes the browser will cache old CSS, preventing new changes from appearing. Clear your browser cache and refresh the page to see the changes. Conflicting styles: If your custom CSS isn’t overriding the default theme styles, try adding !important to your CSS rule. For example: ● css h1 { color: #000000 !important; } This forces the browser to prioritize your rule over the existing ones. Advanced Custom CSS: Using Shopify’s Theme.scss.liquid Shopify supports SCSS, which is a preprocessor that allows for more advanced CSS features like variables and nesting. If your theme uses theme.scss.liquid, you can take advantage of these features to write cleaner and more efficient CSS.

6. For example, you can define variables for colors and reuse them throughout your styles: scss $primary-color: #ff0000; h1 { color: $primary-color; } This way, you can easily update your site’s primary color by changing it in one place. Also read: Want to Choose Shopify Premium Themes? Know Everything About It Tools and Resources to Help with CSS Customization Several tools can help you streamline the process of adding custom CSS to your Shopify theme. Using a text editor like Sublime Text or Visual Studio Code can make editing code easier, as they offer features like syntax highlighting and auto-completion. Additionally, browser developer tools (available in Chrome and Firefox) allow you to test changes live without affecting your site. You can inspect elements and experiment with different CSS rules directly in the browser before copying them to your theme’s CSS file. Conclusion At CartCoders, we specialize in Shopify custom theme development to help businesses create visually appealing and functional online stores. Our team of experts works closely with clients to understand their brand and design needs, delivering tailored solutions that stand out in a competitive market. Whether you're looking to revamp your store’s look or add custom features through CSS, CartCoders is here to bring your vision to life and elevate your store’s performance. Trust us to transform your Shopify store into a unique shopping experience that resonates with your customers.