Collection list

Collection list shows a row of collection cards you pick by hand — each card leads to one collection page.

What it does

Use it as a shelf guide: Dogs, Cats, Birds, or New / Bestsellers / Sale. Unlike Featured shops (decorative badges) this section shows full product-card-style collection cards with photo and name.

Add it to a page

1. In Shopify admin, go to Online Store → Themes and click Edit theme. (Older admin versions label this button Customize.)
2. Open the template where you want the section.
3. Click Add section and choose Collection list.
4. Click Add block → Collection card for each collection and pick it.
5. Save.

Choose a style

No layout setting — the look comes from these two:

Setting	Default	Options	What it does
Columns on desktop	3	2–5, step 1	Cards per row on wide screens
Product image ratio	Portrait (4:5)	Square (1:1) / Portrait (4:5) / Portrait (3:4)	Photo shape of every card

Set it up: quick start

1. Add the section and set the Heading.
2. Add one Collection card block per collection (pick it in the block).
3. Set Columns on desktop to match the number of cards.
4. Save — on phones the cards sit two per row.

Settings

Section settings

Setting	Default	Options	What it does
Heading	“Shop by friend”	Text	Section title; leave empty for no title
Columns on desktop	3	2–5, step 1	Cards per row on wide screens
Product image ratio	Portrait (4:5)	Square (1:1) / Portrait (4:5) / Portrait (3:4)	Photo shape of every card
Show “View all” link	Off	On / Off	Adds a link after the cards to your collections list page (/collections) — the page listing all your collections, not the full product catalog

Blocks

Block	Limit	What it adds
Collection card	Add one per collection	One collection card

Collection card settings

Setting	Default	Options	What it does
Collection	Empty	Collection picker	Where the card leads
Image	Empty	Image picker	Photo used when the collection has no featured image
Heading	Empty	Text	Card name. Defaults to the collection title when empty

Images and content tips

• Cards prefer the collection’s featured image — set good cover images on your collections, or upload a fallback Image per block.
• Portrait (4:5) around 1200×1500 px suits the default ratio; squares work for 1:1.
• Keep card names to one or two words.

Good to know

• Cards link to collections; they don’t show products. For products, use Featured collection or Collection tabs.
• Three fallbacks for the photo: the collection’s featured image first, otherwise the block Image, otherwise a placeholder. Uploading a block Image does not replace a featured image the collection already has — for a different photo, change the collection’s image in your Shopify admin or pick a collection without one.
• On phones cards sit two per row, so even a 4-card list stays balanced.

Example setups

Species shelf. Four cards — Dogs / Cats / Birds / Small pets — Portrait ratio, 4 columns, “View all” off.

Seasonal trio. Three cards (Summer / Rainy day / Cozy winter), 3 columns. For seasonal photos, either set those photos as each collection’s featured image in your Shopify admin, or pick collections without a featured image and upload the photo in each block — a block Image never overrides a collection’s existing image.

Common questions

A card shows the placeholder graphic. The collection has no featured image and the block has no Image — upload one of the two.

The card name is wrong. The block’s Heading is empty, so the collection’s title shows — type the name you want in the block.

Can cards show how many products each collection has? Not in this section — it shows photo and name only.