Users are frustrated by the inability to independently align different text elements (headings vs. paragraphs) within Shopify’s rich text blocks. The core issue: alignment controls apply to the entire block rather than individual elements, making it impossible to achieve common layouts like centered headings with left-aligned body text without custom CSS.
Key findings:
Alignment buttons exist but only control the entire rich text block, not individual components
Achieving different alignments for headings and paragraphs requires custom CSS code
One user found a partial workaround by editing in the “Pages” editor instead of theme settings, which provides better alignment functionality
User sentiment:
Multiple users express significant frustration with this limitation
Some view it as a fundamental UX failure for a major e-commerce platform
One user abandoned Shopify entirely, migrating clients to Webflow, citing this as emblematic of broader platform limitations
The discussion remains unresolved, with no official Shopify response addressing the core functionality gap.
Summarized with AI on November 1.
AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
I just registered for a shopify trial and the first thing I did was insert a rich text block and all the text is aligned to the centre. I can’t align the text to the left and everything I’m reading online is I need to go into the code, find the section and line and change it via the code???
Surely this is a mistake. There’s no way Shopify could have grown to this size without such basic functionality. This is the first thing I’m trying to do and while yes, I could go and modify the code, it’s a waste of my time. If it can’t provide this level of functionality, it’s not worth me even looking at anything else because I’m afraid of what else it’s limited to.
I am also missing these boxes to choose left right center on Rich Text block. Doesn’t matter if I select the Rich Text block on the left, or the text area to edit. None of the alignment buttons appear for me either.
I would like to know how to allow those buttons for Rich Text across the site.
[found partial solution]
I found there are alignment buttons but they apply to the entire block.
If you set Rich Text to left align, the heading in the block is also aligned left.
You cannot simply click the content you want to edit and align that item.
You mus click the left column menu section heading, Rich Text, and ALSO click the blue tab at the top left of that section in the center column of content being viewed.
Only after you click the blue tab with Rich Text label do you see the alignment buttons appear on the right.
Again this aligns the entire Rich Text block which contains the heading and text areas.
You still have to add custom CSS to get the heading to align centered, if you want different heading and paragraph alignment.
This seems like a common page layout since the first web page ever. Center heading and left align the paragraph beneath the heading.
Definitely frustrating for a new to Shopify person. And still not an ideal editing method.
I’m exasperated with exactly the same thing. I want my heading to be centered and the text below it to be aligned left. I’m going around in circles…grrrrrrr.
Give up. Honestly. I can code and align the text using the advanced css function to change a block but it’s such a waste of time when you got to modify the most basic things. The idea of a platform is that they provide tools to get you 70% there quickly so you can code the important stuff. Not having to write code just to align text as easy as that is, is a waste of time.
I’ve moved 12 clients to Webflow and it’s so much easier. Shopify is crap. It’s Wordpress 2.0. Nothing but plugins and builders needed to do anything. You literally can’t build a proper store with the original tools provided out of the box. You need to buy an ongoing subscription on top of the subscription you already just paid shopify for.
People say the shopify backend is great but it’s not. They just haven’t used another platform for so long, they haven’t realised they’ve all caught up with Shopify’s inventory management which isn’t great. The variants and how you modify variants is also a mess. The entire UX of Shopify is so incredibly bad. All the UX and Product managers should be fired. Honestly I got hired by a client that built a store on Squarespace and when I went into the platform, I couldn’t believe how much better Squarespace was than Shopify. How anyone makes their platform have a user experience worse than Squarespace is impressive.
