When adding custom sections to the Dawn theme, do you prefer creating a custom Liquid section or using a custom Liquid block? What are the advantages of each approach?
It depends on the requirement.
I prefer using a Custom Liquid block for small, one-off customizations because it’s quick, flexible, and doesn’t require creating a new section file. It’s also easier for store owners to manage from the Theme Editor.
For more complex or reusable functionality, I prefer creating a custom Liquid section. It gives you more control over the structure, schema/settings, CSS, JavaScript, and allows the section to be reused across different pages.
In short:
- Custom Liquid block: Best for simple, quick, page-specific customizations.
- Custom Liquid section: Best for complex, reusable components with custom settings and greater control.
For a larger customization, I’d generally recommend a custom section to keep the code organized and maintainable.
Best regards,
Devcoder 
Agreed with devcoders on the practical split. I’d just add a way of thinking about it that usually makes the choice obvious before you get to the technical differences.
Think of the page as a house. Sections are rooms: each one is self-contained, you can add it, remove it or move it around, and it makes sense on its own. Blocks are the furniture inside a room. A sofa isn’t a smaller room, it only means anything in the context of the room it’s sitting in.
So the question I ask is whether the thing exists on its own or only as part of something else. A FAQ area is a section, each individual question is a block. A testimonials area is a section, each testimonial is a block.
The clearest signal is repetition. If the merchant is going to want two, five or ten of the same thing, those are blocks. If it’s a single self-contained unit, it’s a section.
Where this actually bites: if you stuff a whole repeating feature into one Custom Liquid block, the merchant can’t reorder the items, can’t delete just one, and gets no per-item settings, so they’re back to editing code every time. Go too far the other way and make every small thing its own section, and the section list turns into a mess while you lose control over how the pieces sit together.
Custom Liquid then falls into place on top of that. A block for something small inside an existing section, a section when the thing stands on its own.
I’d choose based on whether the section needs to be reusable or just needs a small customization.
A custom Liquid section is usually better when you want a standalone section with its own settings, schema, and reusable controls in the Theme Editor. It gives you more structure and makes the section easier to reuse across templates.
A Custom Liquid block is simpler when you only need to add a small piece of Liquid/HTML inside an existing section and don’t need a separate set of section settings.
So for something substantial or reusable, I’d lean toward a custom section. For a small one-off addition, a Custom Liquid block is usually cleaner.
Hi @olivianewuser123 ,
If you are working in Dawn, the choice between a Custom Liquid block and a custom Liquid section mainly comes down to how complex and reusable the feature needs to be.
A Custom Liquid block is usually best for small, one-off changes, like adding a bit of text, a badge, custom HTML , Liquid, or a simple piece of content to an existing section. It’s quick and doesn’t require creating a new theme file.
A custom Liquid section makes more sense when you’re building something larger or something you may want to reuse across different pages. You can give it its own settings, blocks, styling, and controls in the Theme Editor, which makes it easier to manage later.
Both can work well, so it depends on the design, what you are trying to build, and how you want to manage it later.
I usually use a custom Liquid block when it’s a small, page-specific tweak, like a bit of extra copy, a badge, or a one-off layout change inside an existing section. It keeps the Theme Editor cleaner.
I’d make a custom Liquid section when the block needs its own settings, gets reused in a few places, or you want it to behave like a real part of the theme instead of a patch inside another section.
I usually think of it this way, use a section when the custom Liquid is its own standalone area. Use a block when the custom Liquid is just one part of a section alongside other content like text, buttons, or images.
Hey @olivianewuser123, it comes down to where the markup has to sit. A custom Liquid block renders inside its parent section, so it inherits that section’s container width, padding and position in the content flow, which is what you want if something has to appear between price and add-to-cart in the product info. A section takes its own slot in the template with its own settings, so you can reorder or reuse it anywhere. Honestly, once the snippet grows past a few lines I’d drop the theme editor’s custom Liquid box and add a real file under sections/ carrying its own {% schema %}, JS and CSS. Then check it appears under Add section in the editor with your settings showing.