How can I modify a menu based on page tags in the Refresh Theme?

Store Design

Topic summary

Goal: switch the header navigation menu in the Shopify Refresh theme based on conditions (e.g., page tags).

Issue: attempts to force a different menu by assigning section.settings.menu (e.g., {% assign section.settings.menu = ‘wsmenu’ %}) always rendered the main menu. Reason: section.settings.* values are controlled by the theme’s backend and are not reliably overridden in Liquid.

Key clarification: do not customize section.settings.xxx in code. Treat settings as read-only in Liquid and use local variables instead.

Solution: initialize a local variable to the configured menu, then conditionally reassign it to another menu object.

  • Example approach: assign menu_item = section.settings.menu, then, within if/else logic (e.g., based on page tags), set menu_item = linklists.wsmenu, and render menu_item.links in the nav.

Technical notes:

  • linklists refers to Shopify navigation menus (the list of links).
  • The header renders menus via section.settings.menu.links and respects menu_type_desktop (e.g., ‘dropdown’).

Outcome: the user identified the correct approach using a local variable and conditional reassignment. Resolution reached; specific tag-based conditions were implied but not detailed.

Summarized with AI on February 1. AI used: gpt-5.
1

I am trying to change a menu based on page tags on the Refresh Theme.

I am working in the Header.liquid and after trying three different ways I figured I am stuck so I will pose the question here.

Site: https://goldmedalwine.myshopify.com/

Password:3m3rt%3

Here is code change trying to just force all to one menu before I rewrap it in a if{% assign menu = ‘wsmenu’ %}
{% assign section.settings.menu= ‘wsmenu’%}
Menu: {{ section.settings.menu }}
{% assign menu_handle = ‘wsmenu’ %}

This is just above the Nav div and I have tried it below and when it displays it is always the main menu

Here is the code from the header at line 395
{%- if section.settings.menu != blank -%}
{%- if section.settings.menu_type_desktop == ‘dropdown’ -%}

    {%- for link in section.settings.menu.links -%}
  • {%- if link.links != blank -%}

    So all in all any help or directions would be awesome

2

You’re doing the wrong thing by customising section.settings.xxx!

Because the content of section.settings.xxx is defined primarily through the backend, not by you assigning values to it in code!

3

Thank you for your most supportive and informative missive.

4

Again thank you.

It was your snide message that allowed me to see the issue.

I needed to set the menu item to the proper section

assign menu_item = section.settings.menu
Then my if then , then assign the linked list.
assign menu_item = linklists.wsmenu
Thank the creator for docuentation