Creating Flexible FAQ Sections on Shopify Product Pages

Understanding the Challenge of Multi-Level Sections in Shopify

When designing product pages on Shopify, merchants often want to create dynamic, organized FAQ sections that can be easily managed and customized. However, implementing a multi-level section structure in Shopify can be challenging due to certain platform limitations. In this post, we’ll explore the issue and provide practical solutions for creating flexible FAQ sections on your Shopify product pages.

The Desired Structure

Many merchants envision a product page with categorized FAQs, where:

1. Multiple categories can be created (e.g., Formula, Porridge, etc.)
2. Each category can have a variable number of FAQ items
3. The entire structure is manageable through the Shopify admin interface

This setup allows for a clean, organized presentation of product information and addresses common customer queries efficiently.

The Shopify Section Limitation

One of the main obstacles in achieving this structure is Shopify’s section architecture. Shopify sections are designed to be modular and customizable, but they have a significant limitation:

Sections can only go one level deep.

This means that while you can create a section with multiple blocks, you cannot nest sections within sections or create multi-level block structures. This limitation poses a challenge when trying to implement a hierarchical FAQ system with categories and sub-items.

Solutions for Creating Dynamic FAQ Sections

Despite the limitations, there are ways to create dynamic and flexible FAQ sections on your Shopify product pages. Let’s explore some approaches:

1. Using Dropdown Categories with Associated FAQs

This method involves creating two separate sections that work together to achieve the desired result:

Section 1: Category Names

• Create a section for defining category names
• Use text areas for merchants to input category names (e.g., A, B, C)

Section 2: FAQ Items

• Create a section for individual FAQ items
• Include a dropdown list for category assignment (options: A, B, C)
• Add fields for FAQ question and answer

Implementation

In your Liquid template, you can use conditional statements to group and display FAQs based on their assigned categories. This approach allows for a dynamic number of FAQs per category while maintaining a manageable structure for merchants.

2. Utilizing Block Start and End Markers

An alternative approach involves using special blocks to define the start and end of category groups:

Block Types

• Create a “block-start” type to indicate the beginning of a category
• Use regular blocks for FAQ items
• Create a “block-end” type to close a category

Logic Implementation

Implement logic in your template to:

1. Set a counter to 0 and toggle a boolean when a “block-start” is encountered
2. Increment the counter for each FAQ block while the boolean is true
3. Reset the boolean when a “block-end” is encountered
4. Automatically close any unclosed categories after the loop

This method provides more flexibility and requires less manual category assignment from the merchant.

3. Custom Metafields for Advanced Structuring

For more complex scenarios, consider using Shopify’s metafields:

• Create custom metafields for FAQ categories and items
• Use the Shopify API or a custom app to manage these metafields
• Implement a custom UI in the Shopify admin for easier management

While this approach requires more development work, it offers the most flexibility and can handle complex, multi-level structures.

Best Practices for FAQ Implementation

Regardless of the method you choose, keep these best practices in mind:

Accessibility Considerations

Ensure your FAQ structure is accessible. Use proper HTML semantics and consider implementing an accordion-style layout for better user experience. For example:

<div class="accordion">
  <button class="accordion-trigger" aria-expanded="false">
    Question 1
  </button>
  <div class="accordion-panel" hidden>
    Answer to question 1...
  </div>
  <!-- More accordion items -->
</div>

Performance Optimization

When dealing with a large number of FAQs, consider lazy loading content or implementing pagination to improve page load times.

SEO Benefits

Properly structured FAQs can boost your SEO efforts. Use structured data markup for FAQs to potentially earn rich results in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Conclusion

While Shopify’s section architecture presents challenges for creating multi-level FAQ structures, creative solutions exist to achieve dynamic and flexible FAQ sections on product pages. By leveraging dropdown categories, block markers, or custom metafields, you can create an organized and manageable FAQ system that enhances your product pages and improves the customer experience.

Remember to prioritize accessibility, performance, and SEO in your implementation to maximize the benefits of your FAQ section. With these strategies, you can overcome Shopify’s limitations and create a robust FAQ system that serves both your customers and your business needs effectively.