How to Create a Unique Gifts Page in Shopify Without Using Collections

Once, there was a time in our digital journey—we can all relate—when simplicity felt like a distant dream. Especially when navigating the labyrinthine alleys of Shopify. Many of us have been there, desperately wanting a page just for ‘gifts’ but tripping over the ever-present collections fully armed with their breadcrumb-tangling chaos. It’s like trying to orchestrate a symphony with one too many conductors, isn’t it? But worry not, dear Timo, and fellow Shopify navigators. We’ve battled this digital dragon and emerged with a gleaming solution.

Let’s concoct that coveted ‘gifts’ page, flowing majestically like a river untouched by breadcrumb pollution, unburdened by those restricting collections. The essence is in embedding a certain touch of HTML and a sprinkle of Liquid magic. We’ll create an individualized URL, custom-made and seamless, without the collection many-headed hydra mucking things up.

The Plan: Painting Outside the Collections

Remember when we were kids, drawing outside the lines on purpose? That’s essentially our approach here. A bit rebellious, a lot more fun. But instead of wax crayons, we’re using Shopify's tools. Let's begin by crafting a custom page template. It's our blank canvas, carte blanche!

Step 1: Create a New Page Template

Breathe in, we’re just getting started. In your Shopify admin panel, toddle over to the "Online Store" and click on "Themes." From there, tap on "Actions" and dive into "Edit Code." Yes, it looks like a digital jungle, but we shall machete through.

1. In the "Templates" directory, create a new file. Select "page" from the dropdown, and let’s name our masterpiece page.gifts.liquid.

Step 2: A Dash of Code Magic

Here’s where we summon the powers of Liquid without stepping on any breadcrumb tails.

In page.gifts.liquid, add the following masterpiece of a Liquid snippet:

{% comment %}
  Page template to display all products
{% endcomment %}

{% assign all_products = collections.all.products %}

<div>
  <h1>Gifts For You!</h1>
  <ul class="gift-products-list">
    {% for product in all_products %}
      <li>
        <a href="{{ product.url }}">
          <h3>{{ product.title }}</h3>
          <p>{{ product.price | money }}</p>
          <img src="{{ product.featured_image | img_url: 'small' }}" alt="{{ product.title }}">
        </a>
      </li>
    {% endfor %}
  </ul>
</div>

This mighty snippet pulls every dawn-blooming product from your shop and displays it under one glorious umbrella. Notice the collections.all.products—a trick, not a collection per se, but rather a whispered shortcut to all your catalog without breadcrumbs.

Step 3: Link the Page

Are we feeling adventurous? Good. Now castle-hop back to "Pages" in your Shopify admin. Click "Add page," and fill in a title—"Gifts," because clarity is key—and under "Template suffix," select ‘gifts.’

Step 4: Test, Refine, Celebrate

We’re almost there, like finishing a marathon and seeing the shiny refreshment stand at the end. Navigate to your new page, try every goofy product name you’ve stored, click around and watch in enjoyment as products line up without breadcrumby overlaps. If everything feels wrong—first off, take a small moment to breathe. Errors are just new friends here to teach us something.

Final Thoughts

Together, we’ve woven a tapestry that outsmarts, sidesteps, and triumphs over collection-induced woes. It’s like creating order in a world bent on chaos, one line of code at a time, like our digital tidying up with a hint of wizardry.

Remember, my Shopify explorers, it’s okay to color predictably within lines, but every so often venture hazardously out and create something spectacularly your own. Share this newfound gift logic, let others marvel, and keep inventing. This isn’t just a success; it’s your first step into a world where collections are optional. We’ve turned the complex into the beautifully simple, art into business, chaos into order—and that’s a win we can all share a smile over.