Getting started

Before you start, duplicate your current live theme if you have one (Online Store > Themes > ... > Duplicate), so you can always go back.

#1. Add Balm to your store

1. In the Shopify Theme Store, open Balm and select Try theme or Add theme.
2. Balm is added to your theme library in Online Store > Themes.
3. Select Customize to open the theme editor. Nothing changes on your live store until you select Publish.

Balm works straight after install. Sections without your content show line-art placeholders, and products without ritual data show as plain products (see Products without a step).

#2. Create the four step collections

Balm links each step to a collection. Create four collections in Products > Collections, one per step, for example "Cleanse", "Treat", "Moisturize" and "Protect".

The easiest way to fill them is an automated collection with the condition Product tag is equal to step:1 (and step:2, step:3, step:4). The tags are explained in the next step.

Then, in the theme editor, open Theme settingsRitual and pick them:

Balm uses these collections for the step links on collection pages and in the image banner, the breadcrumb on product pages, and to fill a step that has no product picked (in Build your ritual, AM and PM rituals, Complete the ritual and the cart's missing step suggestion).

#3. Give your products ritual data

The fastest way is product tags. On each product, add a step tag and, if it's not used both morning and night, a time of day tag:

You can add texture, skin type and dose the same way, for example texture:Water-light, skin:Normal to oily and dose:Two drops. Ritual data lists every tag, and explains the metafields option, which is better for larger catalogs and needed for named filters.

To tag many products at once, use the bulk editor (Products > select products > Bulk edit) or a product CSV import with the tags in the Tags column.

#4. Set up your main menu

The first four links of your main menu become the ritual steps 01 to 04 in the header. Go to Content > Menus > Main menu and add:

1. Cleanse, linked to your step 1 collection
2. Treat, linked to your step 2 collection
3. Moisturize, linked to your step 3 collection
4. Protect, linked to your step 4 collection

Any further top-level links (for example "Journal" or "About") show after the four steps as plain links. Nested links under a step show inside its column of the ritual menu, as product types. Each column also shows one morning and one evening pick from the collection the step links to.

In the theme editor, the header uses this menu through HeaderMain menu (it defaults to your store's Main menu). You can also pick a Secondary menu for the links next to the logo and Featured links for the foot of the ritual menu.

#5. Set up filters and "Complete the ritual"

Both come from Shopify's free Search and Discovery app (listed in the Shopify App Store as Shopify Search & Discovery). Install it, then:

• add the filters you want on collection and search pages, and
• pick complementary products, which fill the Complete the ritual section on each product page.

Filters and recommendations walks through both.

#6. Make the home page yours

The home page ships with sections that tell the ritual story, in this order: Image banner (with steps), Step by step, Build your ritual, AM and PM rituals, Featured collection, Ritual set, Ingredient index, Before you begin, Shop by skin type, Story with figures, Testimonials and Blog posts.

Work through them top to bottom in the theme editor: add your images, pick products and collections, and rewrite the text in your own voice. Remove any section you don't need, or add others from Add section. Every section is described in Sections and blocks.

#7. Check the rest

• Theme settingsLogo and Favicon: upload your logo and a 32 x 32px .png favicon.
• Theme settingsColors and Typography: adjust the color schemes and fonts. See Theme settings.
• Footer: pick your footer menus and add your social media accounts in Theme settingsSocial media.
• Product page: open a product in the theme editor (use the page selector at the top) and check the blocks in Product information. See Product page.
• Preview on a phone: select the mobile icon at the top of the theme editor.

When you're happy, select Publish.