01/50 — Shopify section missing from Add section? Free Liquid example + safe installation

[vistabylara-dev]

Use the free Shopify Help Finder to get checks for this problem and a copyable help summary. No email or store login required. This guides your next check; it does not inspect your store.

القسم الجديد لا يظهر في Shopify؟ ابدأ بالتحقق من طريقة إضافته

إذا أنشأت قسماً بالكود أو بالذكاء الاصطناعي ولم تجده في Add section، فقد تكون المشكلة في إعدادات القسم، وليس في التصميم.

هذا الدليل يقدم مثالاً كاملاً لقسم جديد قابل للإضافة من محرر القالب. جرّبه على نسخة غير منشورة، ولا تستبدل به ملف قسمك الحالي. المثال اجتاز فحص الكود، لكنه لم يُختبر على قالب متجرك.

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Problem 01/50: My Shopify section is missing from “Add section”

You have written the content, saved the file and opened your theme editor. Your new section is nowhere in the list.

Before rebuilding the design, check whether the theme editor has the information it needs to offer that section.

Short answer: A dynamically addable section needs an appropriate presets entry in its section schema. A missing preset is one possible cause. Template restrictions, section limits, the wrong file type or editing a different theme can also explain the problem.

First, check these five things

1. Same theme: Are you editing the same unpublished theme whose code you changed?
2. Correct location: Is this a section file in sections/? A snippet or a theme block is not automatically an item in Add section.
3. Saved without errors: Did Shopify accept the file and its JSON schema?
4. Availability: Do enabled_on, disabled_on or section limits prevent its use in this location?
5. Template support: Are you using a theme/template that supports dynamically adding sections?

Do not remove intentional restrictions simply to force a component into a place it was not designed to work.

Free code suggestion: a complete, separate example

What it does: Creates a simple note section with an editable heading and text. The preset makes this example available in the section picker.

Use it when: You want to understand and test a minimal, addable section in a compatible Online Store theme.

This is a new example—not a replacement for your existing section. Its CSS is scoped to its own class. It has no JavaScript or external dependencies.

Caution before copying: Duplicate and back up the theme first. Work on that unpublished copy. Create the new file below; do not overwrite your existing section. Do not paste this into layout/theme.liquid, a JSON template, or a Custom Liquid input. A section file must have only one schema block. If you are adapting an existing section, merge the relevant preset into its existing schema instead of pasting a second schema block.

Exact placement

1. From Online Store → Themes, open Edit code for the duplicated, unpublished theme.
2. In the sections directory, create a new file named vbl-owner-note.liquid. If that filename already exists, stop and inspect it rather than overwriting it.
3. Paste this entire example into that new file and save.

{% if section.settings.heading != blank or section.settings.body != blank %}
  <div class="vbl-owner-note">
    {% if section.settings.heading != blank %}
      <h2>{{ section.settings.heading | escape }}</h2>
    {% endif %}
    {% if section.settings.body != blank %}
      <div class="vbl-owner-note__body">
        {{ section.settings.body }}
      </div>
    {% endif %}
  </div>
{% endif %}

{% stylesheet %}
  .vbl-owner-note {
    max-width: 48rem;
    margin-inline: auto;
    padding: 1.5rem;
    overflow-wrap: anywhere;
  }
  .vbl-owner-note h2 {
    margin-block: 0 1rem;
  }
  .vbl-owner-note__body {
    line-height: 1.6;
  }
{% endstylesheet %}

{% schema %}
{
  "name": "VBL owner note",
  "tag": "section",
  "settings": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "id": "heading",
      "label": "Heading",
      "default": "Before you order"
    },
    {
      "type": "richtext",
      "id": "body",
      "label": "Text",
      "default": "<p>Add your actual delivery or product information here.</p>"
    }
  ],
  "presets": [
    {
      "name": "VBL owner note"
    }
  ]
}
{% endschema %}

Activate it in the theme editor

Open the same unpublished theme in the theme editor. Select the page template you want to preview.

Click Add section, search for VBL owner note, and add it. Replace the example heading and text with your actual information, then save the template.

You do not need to add a rendering line to theme.liquid for this approach. Adding the section through the editor places an instance in the compatible template. It does not automatically place it on every page in your store.

For a product template, remember that all products assigned to that template can share this section and its text. Do not enter product-specific delivery promises in a shared template unless they apply to every affected product.

How to check the result

• Confirm VBL owner note appears in the section picker.
• Change the heading and text; confirm the preview reflects both.
• Check desktop and mobile for readable text, spacing and contrast.
• Open another page assigned to the same template and confirm the content is appropriate.
• Clear both settings: the example's inner content should disappear. Any remaining spacing can come from the theme's outer section wrapper.
• Inspect the page source to confirm your saved text is present in HTML.
• Publish only after reviewing the preview and intended template assignments.

If it still does not appear: Report your theme name/version, the file path and the exact Shopify error, if any. Adding more CSS will not repair invalid schema or an incompatible placement.

How to undo this example

Remove VBL owner note from each template where you added it and save. Then delete only the newly created sections/vbl-owner-note.liquid file if no template references it. Keep your original theme untouched until you are satisfied.

If you adapted an existing section instead, restore your saved original file; do not delete that existing section.

What has actually been checked?

Code validation passed: Shopify AI Toolkit's Liquid/theme validator reported that vbl-owner-note.liquid passed all checks.

Not verified: Rendering and behaviour inside your specific theme, app combination or store. Validation is not a guarantee of compatibility.

Technical reference: Shopify section schema and presets. Reviewed 24 October 2026.

Still stuck? Ask before changing your live store

Reply with your theme name/version, intended template, file path and exact error. Share only the relevant code, with credentials and private information removed.

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