Using AI to Create a Shopify Section
Custom Shopify sections allow you to enhance your store’s design and functionality, but coding them from scratch can be time-consuming. Thanks to AI, you can now generate Shopify sections effortlessly using tools like v0 AI. In this guide, I'll show you how to go from a simple screenshot to a fully functional Shopify Liquid section—all with the help of AI.
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Step 1: Capture a Screenshot of Your Desired Design
The first step is to find a section you want to recreate. This could be a pricing table, a feature grid, or a testimonial slider from another website.
- Visit a website with a design you like.
- Take a screenshot of the section you want to replicate.
- Ensure the screenshot clearly captures the UI elements you want to recreate.
💡 Tip: Use tools like Lightshot (Windows/Mac) or built-in screenshot features (Cmd + Shift + 4 on Mac, Win + Shift + S on Windows).
Step 2: Upload the Screenshot to v0 AI
Once you have the screenshot, it's time to use v0 AI to generate code automatically.
- Go to v0.dev.
- Create a new account if needed (it's free!).
- Upload the screenshot.
- The AI will analyze the image and generate the corresponding HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code.
- Review the generated code to ensure it closely matches your design.
💡 Why use v0? v0 AI is a powerful tool that converts UI designs into ready-to-use code, saving hours of manual work.
Step 3: Convert the Code to Vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
While v0 AI provides a functional code snippet, it might include unnecessary dependencies or frameworks. The next step is to clean it up:
- Ask ChatGPT or another AI tool:
"Can you convert this into clean HTML, CSS, and JavaScript without any external libraries?" - Review the AI’s output to ensure it matches your original screenshot.
- Open a code editor (like VS Code) and create an
.html
file to test the UI locally. Or create a free account on Codepen and test the UI there.
💡 Best practice: Manually tweak the CSS styles and ensure JavaScript interactions work as expected before moving to Shopify.
Step 4: Convert the Code into a Shopify Liquid Section
Now that the UI is finalized, it’s time to integrate it into Shopify as a dynamic, customizable section.
- Ask the AI:
"Can you convert this HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into a Shopify Liquid section with customizable settings?" - Ensure the section includes:
-
Dynamic text and images using
{{ section.settings.text }}
- Customizable colors and styles
- Looping through products or collections (if needed)
-
Dynamic text and images using
Step 5: Add Liquid Code into Theme
Now that we have our code, we can create a file in your Shopify theme! Open the Theme Code Editor and under the 'Sections' directory, create a new file.
Then paste the code into the file and save.
Step 6: Customize in Theme Editor
If we have correctly saved the file in the code editor, we should now be able to add our new section!
To do this, open the theme editor and add the new section (referencing the name in the {% schema %} liquid.
Now you should be able to test your customizations!
Conclusion
Using AI to create Shopify sections eliminates repetitive coding tasks and accelerates the development process. By following these steps, you can go from a screenshot to a functional Shopify section in minutes—no advanced coding required!