Spice Up Your Shopify Store: Adding Custom Background Colors to Pages

Making Your Shopify Store Pop: A Deep Dive into Background Colors

Hey everyone! I was browsing the Shopify Community the other day and stumbled upon a really common question: "How do I add a background color to my Shopify pages?" It seems like a lot of store owners are looking for ways to customize their store's appearance beyond the basic theme settings. Let's break down how to do it, based on the advice shared in the forum.

The original poster, Hiten567, was looking to change the background color of a specific page. They even shared their store URL (vaikunthatea) and password (uldoltttt) in the thread (which, by the way, is generally not recommended for security reasons!). This allowed another community member, James-Bell, to provide a very specific solution.

The Code Snippet Solution

James-Bell suggested adding some custom CSS to the store's theme files. This is a pretty standard approach for making design tweaks in Shopify. Here's the code they recommended:

section#shopify-section-template--20295600275655__main {
    background: #f3f3f3 !important;
}

Let's break down what this code does:

• section#shopify-section-template--20295600275655__main: This is a CSS selector that targets a specific section on the page. The long number (20295600275655 in this case) is unique to that particular section in that specific Shopify store. Important: This number will be different for your store! You'll need to inspect your page's code (usually by right-clicking and selecting "Inspect" or "Inspect Element" in your browser) to find the correct selector for the section you want to modify.
• background: #f3f3f3 !important;: This sets the background color of the selected section to a light gray (#f3f3f3). The !important tag is used to ensure that this style overrides any other styles that might be applied to the same element. Use this cautiously, as too many !important tags can make your CSS harder to manage in the long run.

Step-by-Step Instructions: Changing Your Page Background Color

Okay, so how do you actually implement this? Here's a step-by-step guide based on James-Bell's instructions, with a few extra tips:

1. Identify the Section: First, you'll need to figure out the correct CSS selector for the section you want to change. Go to the page in your Shopify store that you want to customize. Right-click on the section and select "Inspect" or "Inspect Element" (the exact wording might vary depending on your browser). Look for the
   tag that contains the content you want to change the background of. The id attribute of that tag will give you the selector you need (e.g., id="shopify-section-template--20295600275655__main").
2. Access the Theme Code: In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes.
3. Edit the Code: Click the Actions button (the three dots) next to your current theme, and select Edit Code.
4. Find the CSS File: In the code editor, look for a file named base.css or theme.scss.liquid (or something similar). The name might vary depending on your theme.
5. Add the CSS: Scroll to the bottom of the CSS file and paste the code snippet, making sure to replace the example selector with the one you found in step 1.

section#YOUR-SECTION-ID {
    background: #YOUR-COLOR-CODE !important;
}

1. Change the Color: Change the value of #YOUR-COLOR-CODE to the hexadecimal color code you want to use. You can find color codes using a color picker tool online.
2. Save Your Changes: Click the Save button in the top-right corner of the code editor.
3. Check Your Store: Go back to your store and refresh the page to see the changes.

Hiten567 also shared a screenshot, which highlights the area needing a color change:

Important Considerations

• Theme Updates: Be aware that if you update your theme, your custom CSS changes might be overwritten. It's a good idea to keep a backup of your custom code so you can easily re-add it after an update.
• Child Themes: For more advanced customization, consider using a child theme. This allows you to make changes without directly modifying the parent theme files, which makes updates easier and safer.
• Accessibility: When choosing background colors, make sure to consider accessibility. Ensure that the text color has sufficient contrast with the background color to be readable for everyone, including people with visual impairments.
• Be Specific: Avoid using very generic CSS selectors. The more specific you are with your selectors, the less likely it is that your styles will conflict with other styles in your theme.

So, there you have it! Adding a background color to your Shopify pages is a relatively simple process, but it can make a big difference in the overall look and feel of your store. Just remember to find the correct CSS selector, add the code to your theme's CSS file, and consider accessibility when choosing your colors. Happy customizing!