The Magic of Shopify AI Blocks

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how theme blocks work, the current limitations, and a clever workaround to use them with any Online Store 2.0 theme, not just the new Horizon them

1. Introduction

2. Better Prompts

3. Enable on any theme

4. Master Shopify AI

The magic of shopify AI Blocks

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Shopify
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Tutorial

Building websites on Shopify just got a whole lot easier. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by Shopify or struggled with theme limitations, now might be the perfect time to take another look. With the introduction of AI-powered theme blocks, Shopify has made store customization not only more flexible—but also incredibly intuitive.

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how theme blocks work, the current limitations, and a clever workaround to use them with any Online Store 2.0 theme, not just the new Horizon theme. We'll also dive into how AI-generated blocks work and how you can get even more accurate results with a simple tool I built.

What Are Theme Blocks?

Before theme blocks, customizing layouts on Shopify meant relying heavily on pre-built sections that came with your theme. You were boxed in by whatever layout templates were available.

With theme blocks, that changes.

You now have the freedom to start with a blank custom section and add site-wide modular blocks (text, images, product cards, etc.)

The Power of AI Block Generation

Here’s where things get really exciting.

Shopify now lets you generate custom blocks using AI. You simply describe what you want in plain English, and Shopify’s AI builds it for you.

For example, if you want a product carousel slider with arrows and pagination dots, just type that in. Shopify will do the heavy lifting—generating the layout, code, and even customization settings like autoplay, spacing, and background.

You can further tweak the output with follow-up prompts or even edit the code directly if you’re comfortable with Liquid or CSS.

A Real-World Use Case

Let’s say we want to build a layout with a headline and two images side-by-side.

Here’s how it works:

1. Start a custom section using the Horizon theme.

2. Add a text block (set it as a heading).

3. Add two image blocks from your media library.

4. Switch to horizontal layout and align blocks to the top.

Want to spice it up with a product carousel in the third column? Just type in your prompt, like:

“A product carousel slider with arrows and pagination dots.”

The AI will generate a functional block — sometimes even smarter than expected. You can refine it with instructions like:

“Show one slide at a time.”

And instantly—you’ve got a responsive product slider, complete with product descriptions and buy buttons.

Better Results with Better Prompts

I found that the AI feature best works if we describe the layout that we envision in detail. Hence I built a simple tool to make your prompts more specific and effective.

Here’s how it works:

1. Upload a screenshot of your design.

2. The tool analyzes the layout and asks questions about functionality.

3. It then generates a tailored prompt you can paste directly into Shopify’s AI block generator.

The results? Much closer to your design vision, often with no need for follow-up tweaks.

How to Add AI Blocks to Any Theme (Yes, Even Dawn)

Right now, AI blocks are only available with the Horizon theme. But what if you want to use your favorite theme like Dawn?

Here’s a quick workaround:

1. Go to your theme, click the ellipsis icon, and choose Edit Code.

2. Open the sections folder, click Add new section, and name it theme-blocks.

3. Delete placeholder code and paste in the snippet. Get the snippet here ->

4. Save and refresh.

Now, when you add a section, you can search for “theme blocks” and use the AI generator exactly like you would in Horizon—across any page or template.

Advanced Resources

This just scratches the surface of what’s possible with Shopify’s new AI-powered theme blocks. From dynamic layouts to AI-generated carousels, the potential for custom design is huge.

If you're serious about mastering this, I invite you to join my Master Shopify AI Workshop. You’ll get access to:

1. My theme prompt builder

2. Guidance on polishing AI-generated blocks

3. Making the most of other Shopify AI features

For those wanting a more comprehensive program, from Shopify basics to building a service-based offering—check out the Standout Shopify Program. The AI workshop is included in the pro version.