I’ve spent hours going in circles just trying to create and assign a custom page template in Shopify. Honestly, if I had known how unnecessarily complicated this platform was, I never would have chosen Shopify. From needing custom CSS just to shift text a few pixels to getting completely blocked by something as basic as adding a new template — it’s become clear this platform isn’t built for real-world users unless you’re a developer or have the budget to hire one.
Here’s what I’ve tried, step by step:
-
Created a new template in the “Templates” section (both .json and .liquid versions), named things like page.blank-custom.json and page.custom-plain.liquid.
-
For the JSON version:
-
I made sure the file name followed the correct format.
-
I created a new section file (custom-blank.liquid) and inserted a valid {% schema %} block with a proper preset and category.
-
The schema was formatted exactly like examples from Shopify documentation.
-
Despite all this, the template never appeared in the page editor dropdown.
-
-
For the Liquid version:
-
I created page.custom-plain.liquid with a full layout and content.
-
Assigned the layout and content manually using
elements, images, and even embedded YouTube content. -
Again, this template never showed up in the list of assignable templates under Online Store → Pages.
-
-
I even tried a workaround I found online where I temporarily connected the JSON template to an existing section (main-page) just to get it to “trigger” and appear — still nothing.
-
I tested in multiple browsers, cleared cache, and tried both existing and newly created pages.
Every single attempt ends the same way: when I go to Online Store → Pages → Create or Edit Page → Theme Template, the only options I see are “default” and “contact” — no custom templates show up no matter what I do.
I’ve watched over 10 tutorial videos, read dozens of forum posts, and even spent over an hour working through the steps with ChatGPT. I’m not a total beginner — I understand how to edit code, manage files, and follow instructions — but Shopify’s system seems actively hostile to DIY users.
All I want is to create a blank or custom page layout that I can assign and build freely. If anyone has a definitive fix for this — one that actually works — I’d be incredibly grateful.
But Shopify, if you’re reading this: You need to make the most basic features actually usable. No one should need to fake out the system just to make a blank page.
