How GemPages works with your theme?

What is the Difference between Theme and Page Builder?

A theme in Shopify is the template code that determines how your website is presented. It allows you to change some specific settings of your store within the theme editor. If your theme doesn’t have a setting for the change you want to make, you will need to edit the theme code.

By using page builders, you can build and customize pages on your stores without the use of code. Additionally, rather than using a specific layout from a theme, you will have control over your design. 

Page builders like GemPages give you access to an effortless drag & drop editor. Instead of changing theme settings or adding lines of code to the backend, all you have to do is drag & drop different elements to the position you wish.

How does GemPages work with my Theme?

Even when using GemPages, you need to have a theme published. The Header, Footer, and Navigation bar are still managed by your theme. 

​​What GemPages essentially does is help you modify the body section: the content between the Header and Footer. With GemPages, you can even choose to hide the Header and Footer from your theme.

When GemPages is installed and used on a store, it generates codes into your theme. Refer to Shopify, you can quickly check the theme code by following these instructions:

• Log in to your Shopify admin account
• Go to Online Store > Theme
• Click the three-dot icon and hit Edit Code

• Hit the double-page icon in the top corner of the left sidebar to open Explorer. Scroll down to the template section and click to expand.
• Locate the target GemPages templates displayed under the template section to open the file code.

For example, click the collection.gem-1699584853-template.json to open the code.

When a page is created by GemPages, it is synced with Shopify’s backend, and a code template is created accordingly. 

After that, when you make any changes to the template from the editor, GemPages will automatically modify the code for you.

What Happens when I Change the Theme?

When you publish a new Shopify theme, all your created pages with GemPages will be automatically transferred over to the new theme.

After changing the theme, please navigate to the GemPages Dashboard > Pages and locate a random template to enter the editor. 

From the editor, hit the Publish button to republish your page.

This action helps to send a second signal for GemPages to start adapting to the new theme.

Furthermore, to avoid any unexpected issues that may impact customer experiences, it’s recommended to publish a new theme during light traffic periods.

GemPages is compatible with all Shopify themes, including Online Store 2.0.

To prevent this:

1. Ensure the Shopify Product template is set as the default in your Shopify theme settings.
2. Then, within GemPages, assign the custom template only to specific products as needed.

This way, only selected products will use the GemPages design, and the rest will continue using the default Shopify layout.

Refer to this guide for step-by-step instructions: Assign Different Products to a Template.

Learn more: How to Add Products to Shopify in Five Easy Steps