App extension theme app extension

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A developer is attempting to create a custom accordion section using Shopify’s theme app extension but cannot find it in the theme customizer’s “Add section” menu.

The Issue:

  • The developer shared their schema code with "target": "section" but the section doesn’t appear in the customization interface
  • They’re looking for guidance on making custom sections visible and accessible

Key Clarification Provided:

  • Theme app extensions are designed to modify or enhance existing theme elements, not create standalone sections
  • To create new sections that appear in the “Add section” menu, developers must create liquid files directly in the theme’s sections folder
  • Theme app extensions and traditional theme sections serve different purposes in Shopify’s architecture

Follow-up Question:
Another user asked which API to use for adding entire sections to the “Add section” menu if theme app extensions aren’t the right approach. This question remains unanswered.

Summarized with AI on October 27. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hello, guys, How are you, I am troubling to create an section using theme app extension i done some code for that but if i go in online Store>Theme>Customization and open an customization theme screen and go to add section i didn’t see any section that i created using theme app extension can some one help with that. how can i do that.Here is my code as well.

{% schema %}
{
“name”: “Custom Accordion Block”,
“target”: “section”,
“settings”: [
{
“type”: “text”,
“label”: “Accordion Title”,
“id”: “accordion_title”,
“default”: “Accordion Title”
},
{
“type”: “textarea”,
“label”: “Accordion Description”,
“id”: “accordion_description”,
“default”: “Accordion Description”
},
{
“type”: “checkbox”,
“label”: “Show Accordion by Default”,
“id”: “accordion_show_default”,
“default”: false
}
]
}
{% endschema %}

{{ section.settings.accordion_title }}

{{ section.settings.accordion_description }}

{% for block in section.blocks %}
{{ block.settings.item_title }}

{{ block.settings.item_content }}

{% endfor %}
1 Like
2

Hi,

This is Richard at PageFly - Shopify Advanced Page Builder app.

You’re on the right track, but there’s a critical misunderstanding about how theme app extensions and sections work in Shopify. Here’s a breakdown of the issue and how to fix it:

The Problem: Theme App Extensions vs. Sections

  • Theme App Extensions:
    • These allow you to add functionality to existing theme sections or blocks.
    • They primarily modify or enhance existing theme elements.
    • They are not designed to create entirely new, standalone sections that appear in the “Add section” menu.
  • Sections:
    • These are standalone, reusable modules that you can add to your theme’s pages.
    • Sections are created directly within your theme’s sections folder.
    • They are created using liquid files.

Hoping my solution helps you solve your problem.

Best regards,

Richard | PageFly

1 Like
3

Thank you.

4

Thank you for that response, I have an inquiry on this too. So if i wanted to add an entire section to the “add section” part of shopify which api would i use rather than the theme app extensions ?