Why are my edits replicated across all pages and how can I fix it?

[JamesJones83]

I have added pages, but what I do one is replicated on the others. How do I solve this? 

[JHKCreate · Accepted solution]

You have to create a new Page Template, notice that each page on the bottom right has a template selection, as long as you use the same template, the changes will be reflected on all the pages using said template.

Should that help answer your query, we always appreciate liking & marking an as answer to let the community find quality solutions faster. Thanks!

[JHKCreate]

Hi @JamesJones83 

What theme are you using? 

[JamesJones83]

Dawn



So I create a page and it's the same as the previous, I edit it and it edits the other page. I cant work it out

[JHKCreate · Accepted solution]

You have to create a new Page Template, notice that each page on the bottom right has a template selection, as long as you use the same template, the changes will be reflected on all the pages using said template.

Should that help answer your query, we always appreciate liking & marking an as answer to let the community find quality solutions faster. Thanks!

[JamesJones83]

Hi, Thanks for the reply... when adding a new page It only gives an option for Theme Template or Contact.



There are no other options. It is so frustrating, as all I want to do is add a new page that has the same theme, but has different content to the previous.



Simple really

[Kathy_Dannel_Vi]

Did you ever get an answer on how to make this work? My head is exploding with all of this!

[Saltcreeksilver]

I also have the exact same experience as JamesJones 83.

When adding a new page It only gives an option for Default Page or Contact from the Theme Templates drop down.    How to I get more options for theme templates for that page?  I'm also using the Dawn theme and it is a published site. 

[Erin]

Hi, @Saltcreeksilver. Can you tell me more about the page you're trying to create and the template you're looking for? Are you trying to design this page with a different layout than your Default page template? Have you already created a new page template in your theme editor?

In order to see more options in the Theme Template drop down setting, your currently published theme needs to have more page templates created in your theme editor. If you haven't already created a new page template, the only options that will appear are the Default page and Contact templates. You can find the steps to create a new page template here. 

Let me know if you have questions about this.

[Kathy_Dannel_Vi]

I figured out my problem is I have not been able to wrap my head around having to create 1000+ different templates. To me that makes it NOT a template if it cannot be edited at all. In essence, to have separate product pages with tweaks to the Master Product page (my term) each product page is a separate template page. This is at least twice as much work and impossible to keep clear, at least for me.

Also, the fact that we can't change the NAME of the template or delete it without digging into the code adds to the layers of confusion for me. 

Is there ANY theme that anyone knows of that allows us to benefit from the versatility of Shopify 2.0 without having to create hundreds of templates to have slightly different product pages? 

Will THis Work??? Can I create a "Product Template" that has only the structure, no text or images and edit it at Product Page level? Like the attached? Sorry, system doesn't allow jpegs, so I had to Zip it...

I am so stressed out over this. I've spent two months trying to update a theme and utilize the 2.0 without breaking my site.  I wish it had been clear from the start that editing product pages at the product page level is impossible, would have saved me a $1000 or so on hiring people to help me. I could not find a firm YES do this or NO you're sunk - just lots of spin.

Ideas anyone???  Sorry for the pissy rant, but I'm truly beyond figuring this one out on my own.

[Erin]

Hi there @Kathy_Dannel_Vi. I understand that it can be a bit confusing and I'm happy to look into this with you. What differences do you want to have between your products? Is it the layout of the page or the content?

You can still edit your products at the product level the same way it was done prior to Online Store 2.0. You can make changes by going to Products in your Shopify admin and clicking the product you want to edit. You can read more about adding and editing a product on this page.

When you are making changes in your theme editor you are not editing a specific product, you are editing a specific template. So any changes you make in the theme editor will be applied to all products using the template you're editing. Think of a template as the layout for a page. If you want all of your products to have the same layout you will only need one product page template. You would only need to create a second template if you want a different layout for another product. For example, if you want one product to have an "ingredients" section and another product to have no "ingredients" section. In that case you would design one template to have an "ingredients" block and you would create a second template with the "ingredients" block removed. If you want both products to have an "ingredients" section (and each product has different ingredients), these products can use the same template. More information on templates can be found here. To answer some of your other questions as well, you can choose the name for a new template when you first create it. The steps to do that can be found on this page. To delete a template this must be done in the code editor, but we have the steps written out on this page.

All that being said, if you are trying to edit areas that don't exist in the product details page in your Shopify admin (the page in the screenshot above). For example, an area for "ingredients" or "materials". This is when you will want to use metafields. Metafields allow you to save and dispay information that is not usually captured in your Shopify admin. We have a guide on using metafields here, but there are ultimately three steps at the moment:

1. Add or create the metafield definition following these steps here.

2. Add the metafield value to the correct part of your store following these steps here.

3. Connect metafields to your theme to display specialized information on your online store following these steps here.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

[Kathy_Dannel_Vi]

Thank you so much! This makes sense. I'm not sure I had it so stuck in my head that I couldn't make changes on the product page. I panicked 😱 We will be jumping on it first thing tomorrow and I'll let you know how it goes.

Again, thank you! I am re-reading everything you shared and will be ready to start fresh!

Kathy

My plan is to keep a similar vibe to the way it is now, but better with the 2.0 options. I mentioned some products are the same but have different dog breed labels, so I use the area above the standard columns with photo and the FAQs to go into info on each dog breed. Fun for my clients, I love sharing all the Dog Geek stuff and it's better SEO...gotta keep Google happy!

[Erin]

Hi @Kathy_Dannel_Vi. I'm happy I was able to help you out! I completely understand the confusion. It took me some practice to understand the new features as well. Are you creating any other pages with the Online Store 2.0 features? Let me know if you have any other questions when you try it out. 

I also wanted to share this blog post we've written with you in case you're interested in learning more about SEO. It has some helpful tips and checklists for improving SEO that you may find helpful.

[ArieAdams]

Hello!

I'm having the same issue I believe. I have created several different page templates... ie FAQs, About, Contact but it's not allowing me to assign the page to any other theme than DEFAULT. I dont see the other themes listed.

[Erin]

Hi, @ArieAdams! I can take a look into this with you as well.

It sounds like you've created a few new page templates using your theme editor by following these steps. It also sounds like you are trying to change the assigned templates of your pages from the Default page template to your new page templates within your Shopify Admin. Is this correct?

If so, the most common reason for a new template not appearing is that it was created within an unpublished theme. When you are applying a new page template, only templates that exist within your Current theme will be shown as options. You can double check which theme you're using as your current theme by going to Online store > Themes in your Shopify Admin. Your current theme will be highlighted like in the example shown below.

If you created your new page templates using an unpublished theme, you will need to publish that theme before those specific templates can be applied. These steps can help you publish a theme when you're ready.

Please let me know if you're still having trouble after trying that out!

[Dee1860]

Hi there,

I'm also trying to individually edit my pages, but they are currently all set to the DEFAULT PAGE setting you highlight above.

How do I create a new Page Template for each page? I'm struggling to find where to do this.

Thanks! 

[Erin]

Hi, @Dee1860. Have you already tried the steps I've explained in my previous responses in this thread? If not, you can find the steps to create a new page template explained again here.

If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to ask!

[Erin · Accepted solution]

Hi there!

Where are you currently making these edits? Are you using your theme editor to edit your pages? Also, can you let me know which theme you are using?

If you are using your theme editor with an Online Store 2.0 theme you have the ability to choose specifically which page/template you are editing. This can be found at the top of your theme editor, shown here. If you select the specific template you are editing, the changes you make will only be applied to pages using that template. For example, if you keep "Default page" selected, the layout you create will be applied to all pages using the "Default page" template. However, if you are editing a template that is applied to only one page, the changes you make will be applied to only that one page. You can read more about using templates on this page here. If you would like to check which template is applied to your page you can check this by going to Pages in your Shopify Admin and selecting the page you want to view. The template will be listed on the right like in this screenshot here. The template being applied to the page can also be changed using this setting.

If you are using a vintage theme instead you would likely need an app or some custom coding to help you with this. I've included some app suggestions below, but I would recommend using an Online Store 2.0 theme going forward if you can because of the added benefits and customization abilities. You can read more about Online Store 2.0 themes on this page here.

Third party app suggestions (if you are using a vintage theme):

• PageFly Landing Page Builder by PageFly - Page & Form Builder
• Shogun Landing Page Builder by Shogun Labs, Inc.
• GemPages Page Builder & Funnel by GemPages

[JamesJones83]

Hi I am using Dawn

[Kathy_Dannel_Vi]

Hi Erin,

I have read and reread everything I could find to figure this out and so far no luck. Here we go...

I have several products that are the same product, but we offer different dog breeds on the label. Each dog breed has its own separate Product Page with custom info on that breed. The Product Info is the same (ingredients, sizes, etc.) but I customize each product by breed. 

This means I have 125+ product pages for one product alone. From what I understand I will need 125 different templates for EACH product. I could easily have 1000 different product templates!  

Bottom Line - Can a Product Page be changed at the Product Page level after the new Product Template 2.0 has been applied? 

I have a big old lump on my head from pounding it against the wall on this one.

Thank you!

Kathy

[jpc_202020]

Hello Erin,

I had a similar problem, which I managed to solve by creating templates for each page I wanted. The problem is, no matter how many times I change the navigation to go to my new template, it won't "stick" - it always goes back to "default page". This despite the fact that the website has been published. Any reason it might be doing this? A solution would be greatly appreciated.

Best,

Megan

[courtneysdesign]

The answer is here. https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/theme-structure/templates#managing-your-templ...

You have to get into the back end coding.  Find the folder called templates : Then add a new template. Save under name.jason then when you go back to your pages section, you will see a new template under theme template. This will separate templates by page.