Disable auto-select for variant on Dawn theme

Store Design
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Topic summary

Multiple merchants using Shopify’s Dawn theme want to disable automatic variant selection so the default page shows the main gallery image (showing all variants) before any variant is chosen. Currently, the first variant auto-selects and its image replaces the main photo unless manually clicked.

Key obstacles:

  • Many guides reference product-template.liquid, which these users don’t have. They’re unsure where to implement changes.
  • Desire: main product image first, variant options below, no pre-selected variant.

Latest update/suggestion:

  • A contributor points to a Shopify Community post (ID 1971021) claiming an implementation path.
  • Clarifies that in most modern themes (including Dawn), the relevant file is main-product.liquid rather than product-template.liquid.

Notes/terms:

  • “Auto-select” = a variant is preselected on page load, often swapping the main image.
  • Dawn = Shopify’s default theme; file structure differs from older guides.

Status/outcome:

  • No confirmed fix reported by participants yet. The suggested link and checking main-product.liquid are the current action items. Discussion remains open with unresolved questions.
Summarized with AI on January 16. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Hello, I have followed many tutorials about disabling the auto-select feature, but they aren’t working. I don’t have a product-template.liquid file and can’t figure out how to do it with the files I do have access to. I want a main photo that shows all the variants that they can choose from then have the variant options come next. Right now it shows the first variant and will only show the main photo if its physically clicked on. Can anyone help me? Thanks!

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2

I have the same problem. Did you solve this?

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3

Did you find the solution to disable auto variant selection on products? Share with us, please! I have the same problem.

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4

I haven’t yet. Shopify’s made it pretty hard to edit dawn without paying one of their experts to do it for you. If I figure it out I’ll let you know.

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5

Do anyone knows how to fix it?

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6

Hello

I too have been looking at many websites that promise a solution, but they refer to a product-template.liquid file. I am absolutely stuck.

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7

Hi @the_admiral @lilyandtwitch @Hoodys @HiKimiza

Request you to refer to the below URL to impliment the same

https://community.shopify.com/post/1971021

About product-template most theme have this file named main-product.liquid

Let me know if it helps…