---
title: Shopify Platform
published: true
index: 0
---

# Shopify reference

This file supplements [SKILL.md](../../SKILL.md) with terminology and links. For block-type patterns when the theme uses `blocks/`, follow **Discover allowed block types** and **Analyze block and section schemas** in the [JSON editing workflow](../workflows/json-editing.md). Optional theme-specific recipes are indexed in [the example catalog](../workflows/examples/catalog.md). **Always** confirm `type` values and settings against the **target theme**'s `sections/`, `blocks/`, and `{% schema %}`.

## Standard templates

| File | Typical use |
| --- | --- |
| `templates/index.json` | Homepage |
| `templates/product.json` | Product pages |
| `templates/collection.json` | Collection pages |
| `templates/page.json` | Online Store pages |
| `templates/blog.json` | Blog index |
| `templates/article.json` | Blog articles |
| `templates/cart.json` | Cart |
| `templates/search.json` | Search results |
| `templates/list-collections.json` | Collection list (if used) |
| `templates/404.json` | Not found (if JSON) |
| `templates/password.json` | Password page (if JSON) |

**Alternate templates:** `<resource>.<suffix>.json` — e.g. `product.preorder.json`, `page.contact.json`.

## Platform limitations

Per Shopify's JSON templates documentation:

- Up to **25 sections** per template; up to **50 blocks** per section
- Up to **1,000** JSON templates per theme
- Root may include optional `layout` (layout filename or `false`) and `wrapper` (HTML wrapper for all sections); see the docs for syntax

## Concepts

- **Section `type`:** String matching a section the theme provides (usually the basename of `sections/<type>.liquid`).
- **Section instance id:** Key in the template's `sections` object; can differ from `type` (e.g. two `"type": "image-banner"` sections with ids `image_banner_top` and `image_banner_bottom`).
- **Block `type`:** Defined in the section schema's `blocks` array; each block entry may allow nested `blocks` and `block_order`.
- **`order`:** Top-level array listing section instance keys in render order.
- **`block_order`:** Per-level array listing block instance keys under that parent.

## Sources

| Shopify doc | What it covers |
| --- | --- |
| [Theme architecture](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture) | How templates, sections, blocks, and assets relate |
| [JSON templates](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture/templates/json-templates) | Structure, `sections`, `order`, limitations |
| [Templates](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture/templates) | Alternate templates, customer templates, layout key |
| [Sections](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture/sections) | Liquid sections and schema overview |
| [Section schema](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture/sections/section-schema) | `{% schema %}` tag, settings, blocks, presets, limit |
| [Section groups](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture/section-groups) | Optional grouping in JSON / layouts where applicable |
| [Blocks](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture/blocks) | Block files, `@theme`, `@app` references, nesting rules |
| [Theme blocks](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/architecture/blocks/theme-blocks) | Standalone block files under `blocks/`, how they differ from section-defined blocks |
| [Theme dev](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/shopify-cli/theme/theme-dev) | Development-theme preview command, URLs, live reload, and target flags |
| [Shopify CLI for themes](https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/tools/cli) | Development-theme lifecycle and preview behavior |