Shopify Liquid

Collection circles

This snippet creates an Instagram-style story navigation menu for Shopify collections or products. It features circular thumbnails with gradient borders and integrated Swiper.js support for a smooth, touch-friendly horizontal carousel on mobile and desktop.

MediumCollectionHeaderNavigationMobile-FirstSlider

264 lines · 9.3 KB

Setup 15–25 minutes 5 min read 264 lines

Key features

Circular image thumbnails with gradient borders
Swiper.js horizontal slider integration
Responsive design with desktop/mobile scaling
Custom CSS typography and Josefin Sans font support
Flexbox-based alignment for clean category links

Best use cases

Visual navigation for product categories on the homepage
Mobile-friendly 'Story' style collection menu
Highlighting featured brands or sub-collections

Compatibility

Most Shopify themes
Shopify Online Store 2.0

The code

Shopify Liquid

1<div class='section-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915-settings'>
2 <div class='circle-slider-wrapper-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915'>
3  <div class='swiper circle-slider-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 preview'>
4   <div class='swiper-wrapper'>
5    <div class='circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 swiper-slide'>
6     <a class='circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915' href='/products/snow-peak-titanium-single-wall-cup'>
7      <img alt='' src='//section.store/cdn/shop/products/mug.jpg?v=1663855357'/>
8     </a>
9     <p class='circle-text-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915'>
10      Mugs
11     </p>
12    </div>
13    <div class='circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 swiper-slide'>
14     <a class='circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915' href='/products/5-panel-hat'>
15      <img alt='' src='//section.store/cdn/shop/files/5-panel-hat_4ee20a27-8d5a-490e-a2fc-1f9c3beb7bf5.webp?v=1663859540'/>
16     </a>
17     <p class='circle-text-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915'>
18      Hats
19     </p>
20    </div>
21    <div class='circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 swiper-slide'>
22     <a class='circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915' href='/products/camp-stool'>
23      <img alt='' src='//section.store/cdn/shop/files/campstool-1.webp?v=1663859592'/>
24     </a>
25     <p class='circle-text-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915'>
26      Stools
27     </p>
28    </div>
29    <div class='circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 swiper-slide'>
30     <a class='circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915' href='/products/canvas-lunch-bag'>
31      <img alt='' src='//section.store/cdn/shop/files/Lunchbag_Khaki_Front_8ae0e1f4-407d-4ac0-89e6-961b306ef351.jpg?v=1663859624'/>
32     </a>
33     <p class='circle-text-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915'>
34      Bags
35     </p>
36    </div>
37    <div class='circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 swiper-slide'>
38     <a class='circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915' href='/products/foraker-canvas-coat'>
39      <img alt='' src='//section.store/cdn/shop/files/woolfill-jacket_6c39ae23-c0c8-4821-85f4-4b5d64333c62.webp?v=1663859701'/>
40     </a>
41     <p class='circle-text-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915'>
42      Jackets
43     </p>
44    </div>
45    <div class='circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 swiper-slide'>
46     <div class='circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915'>
47      <img alt='' src='//section.store/cdn/shop/products/1_637c75a8-33f9-4c38-aebf-5a3dc31162dc.png?v=1706026914'/>
48     </div>
49     <p class='circle-text-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915'>
50      Throws
51     </p>
52    </div>
53    <div class='circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 swiper-slide'>
54     <div class='circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915'>
55      <img alt='' src='//section.store/cdn/shop/products/2_c196c504-dfa8-41e9-b151-1094c4962009.png?v=1706026914'/>
56     </div>
57     <p class='circle-text-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915'>
58      Rugs
59     </p>
60    </div>
61   </div>
62  </div>
63 </div>
64</div>
65<style>
66    .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915,
67    .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 img,
68    .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 svg {
69      border-radius: 50%;
70    }
71
72    .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 img,
73    .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 svg {
74      border-radius: 50%;
75    }
76    
77  </style><style>
78    .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
79      background-image: linear-gradient(133deg, rgba(250, 220, 54, 1) 11%, rgba(254, 98, 146, 1) 49%, rgba(250, 220, 54, 1) 87%);
80      border: 0px;
81      padding: 2px;
82    }
83  </style><style>@font-face {
84  font-family: 'Josefin Sans';
85  font-weight: 400;
86  font-style: normal;
87  font-display: swap;
88  src: url('//section.store/cdn/fonts/josefin_sans/josefinsans_n4.c8300d95fd4ce72542a6efba9c682da40d144fba.woff2?h1=c2VjdGlvbi5zdG9yZQ&h2=c2VjdGlvbi1zdG9yZS1hcHAuYWNjb3VudC5teXNob3BpZnkuY29t&hmac=1081bc13bac779d73b77022741d8b8608aa5451af6a05907fc023625940c00f1') format('woff2'),
89       url('//section.store/cdn/fonts/josefin_sans/josefinsans_n4.ed7230a86e75b34b997bd12a5e1b87fcaf7104d8.woff?h1=c2VjdGlvbi5zdG9yZQ&h2=c2VjdGlvbi1zdG9yZS1hcHAuYWNjb3VudC5teXNob3BpZnkuY29t&hmac=3f19a3e11bab2423756ce410220df09957f15affd53a78fa0ec435e5660aa636') format('woff');
90}
91
92
93  .section-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
94    border-top: solid #000000 0px;
95    border-bottom: solid #000000 0px;
96    margin-top: 0px;
97    margin-bottom: 0px;
98    overflow: hidden;
99  }
100  
101  .section-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915-settings {
102    margin: 0 auto;
103    padding-top: 27px;
104    padding-bottom: 27px;
105    padding-left: 1.5rem;
106    padding-right: 1.5rem;
107  }
108
109  .circle-slider-wrapper-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
110    margin: 0px auto;
111    width: 100%;
112  }
113
114  .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
115    margin: 0px auto;
116    width: 100% !important;
117    max-width: fit-content !important;
118    overflow:visible;
119  }
120
121  .circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
122    width: 100%;
123    max-width: 66px;
124    box-sizing: border-box;
125  }
126
127  .circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915:last-child {
128    margin-right: 0!important;
129  }
130
131  .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
132    margin: 0px auto;
133    display: block;
134    width: 66px;
135    height: 66px;
136    border: 2px solid #000000;
137    overflow: hidden;
138  }
139
140  .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 img,
141  .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 svg {
142    display: block;
143    width: 100%;
144    height: 100%;
145    object-fit: cover;
146    border: 4px solid #ffffff;
147  }
148
149  .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 svg {
150    background-color: #DADADA;
151  }
152
153  .circle-text-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
154    margin: 0;
155    margin-top: 6px;
156    font-size: 10px;
157    color: #121212;
158    line-height: 130%;
159    text-transform: unset;
160    word-wrap: break-word;
161    text-align: center;
162  }
163
164  .circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
165    box-sizing: border-box !important;
166  }
167
168  @media screen and (min-width: 1024px) {
169    
170    .section-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
171      margin-top: 0px;
172      margin-bottom: 0px;
173    }
174    
175    .section-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915-settings {
176      padding: 0 5rem;
177      padding-top: 36px;
178      padding-bottom: 36px;
179      padding-left: 0rem;
180      padding-right: 0rem;
181    }
182
183    .circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
184      max-width: 100px;
185    }
186
187    .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
188      width: 100px;
189      height: 100px;
190    }
191
192    .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 img,
193    .circle-icon-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 svg {
194      border: 4px solid #ffffff;
195    }
196
197    .circle-text-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
198      margin-top: 8px;
199      font-size: 12px;
200    }
201
202    .circle-slider-wrapper-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
203      max-width: 100%;
204    }
205    
206  }</style><style>
207  .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__ss_instagram_menu_NWJX7Q.preview .swiper-wrapper {
208    display: flex;
209    align-items: top;
210    justify-content: space-between;
211    overflow: hidden;
212  }
213
214  .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__ss_instagram_menu_NWJX7Q.preview .circle-item-template--16651111629049__ss_instagram_menu_NWJX7Q {
215    width: 40%;
216  }
217
218  .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__ss_instagram_menu_NWJX7Q.preview .circle-item-template--16651111629049__ss_instagram_menu_NWJX7Q:not(:first-child) {
219    margin-left: 16px;
220  } 
221
222  @media(min-width: 1024px) {
223    .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__ss_instagram_menu_NWJX7Q.preview .circle-item-template--16651111629049__ss_instagram_menu_NWJX7Q:not(:first-child) {
224      margin-left: 16px;
225    } 
226
227  .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__ss_instagram_menu_NWJX7Q {
228    overflow:hidden;
229  }
230
231    .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__ss_instagram_menu_NWJX7Q.preview .circle-item-template--16651111629049__ss_instagram_menu_NWJX7Q {
232      width: 15%;
233    }
234  }
235</style><style>
236  .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915.preview .swiper-wrapper {
237    display: flex;
238    align-items: top;
239    justify-content: space-between;
240    overflow: hidden;
241  }
242
243  .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915.preview .circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
244    width: 40%;
245  }
246
247  .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915.preview .circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915:not(:first-child) {
248    margin-left: 16px;
249  } 
250
251  @media(min-width: 1024px) {
252    .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915.preview .circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915:not(:first-child) {
253      margin-left: 16px;
254    } 
255
256  .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
257    overflow:hidden;
258  }
259
260    .circle-slider-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915.preview .circle-item-template--16651111629049__1663859377890f7915 {
261      width: 15%;
262    }
263  }
264</style>

How to install Collection circles on your Shopify theme

This snippet belongs in sections/main-collection-product-grid.liquid, above the product grid. Expect the whole job to take about 15–25 minutes.

1From your Shopify admin, open Online Store → Themes, click the … button on your live theme and choose Duplicate. Always work on a copy so you can roll back instantly.
2On the duplicated theme, click … → Edit code to open the theme code editor.
3Open sections/main-collection-product-grid.liquid in the file tree. If your theme uses different file names, search for the template that renders the area where you want the block to show up.
4Click Copy code on this page, then paste the snippet above the product grid.
5The snippet ships with its own scoped <style> block, so you do not need to touch base.css or theme.css. If you prefer to keep CSS centralised, move the contents of the style tag into your theme stylesheet and delete the inline block.
6Click Save, then hit Preview and check the block on desktop, tablet and mobile widths.
7When you are happy with the result, publish the duplicated theme from Online Store → Themes → Actions → Publish.

How to customise it

Every value below lives inside the snippet, so you can adapt Collection circles to your brand without touching the rest of the theme.

Colours — the snippet uses #000000, #ffffff, #DADADA, #121212. Replace those values inside the style block with your brand palette, keeping at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio between text and background so the block stays accessible.
Gradient — swap the linear-gradient(...) declaration for a flat background colour if you want a more minimal, theme-native look.
Typography — the block declares font-family: 'Josefin Sans'. Delete that line to inherit your theme font instead, which usually looks better integrated.
Sizing — adjust the font-size values (10px, 12px) and the padding so the block carries the same visual weight as the elements around it.
Corners — border-radius: 50% controls the roundness. Set it to 0 for a sharper editorial look, or increase it for a softer, app-like feel.
Images — replace the placeholder image URLs with your own assets. Upload them under Content → Files in Shopify admin and use the generated CDN URL, or reference a theme asset with {{ 'my-image.png' | asset_url }}.
Responsive behaviour — the @media query defines the mobile breakpoint. Adjust the pixel value if your theme uses a different breakpoint scale.

Common mistakes to avoid

These are the issues merchants run into most often when installing a snippet like this one.

Editing the live theme directly. Duplicate it first — a single unbalanced Liquid tag can take a storefront down mid-campaign.
Pasting the code into the wrong file. Dropped into layout/theme.liquid instead of sections/main-collection-product-grid.liquid, this block will render on every page of the store, including ones where it makes no sense.
Renaming the CSS classes in the markup but not in the style block, or vice versa. The class names have to match exactly or the styling silently disappears.
Publishing without testing on a real phone. Most Shopify traffic is mobile, and layout problems almost always surface there first.

Performance notes

What this block costs you in load time, and how to keep that cost at zero.

The CSS is inline and scoped to this block, so it adds no extra network request. At a few kilobytes it has no measurable effect on your Lighthouse score.
Add loading="lazy" plus explicit width and height attributes to every image in the snippet. That prevents Cumulative Layout Shift, which is a Core Web Vitals ranking factor.
Run PageSpeed Insights before and after you add the block so you have a concrete number rather than a guess.

SEO & accessibility

How to add this block without damaging your on-page structure or your rich results.

Nothing in this snippet should replace your page <h1>. Keep product and page headings intact and use <h2> or <h3> for the block's own heading so the document outline stays clean.
Write a descriptive alt attribute for every image. Empty or generic alt text is one of the most common accessibility and SEO issues on Shopify stores.
Any link you add here is an internal link. Point it at a real collection or page rather than #, and use descriptive anchor text instead of “click here”.
If the block shows review or rating content, keep it consistent with the structured data your review app already outputs. Duplicating or contradicting rating markup can cost you the rich result entirely.
The block does not create a new URL, so there is no canonical or indexing change to make. It improves on-page engagement signals rather than crawlability.

Frequently asked questions

Collection circles — questions merchants ask

Will this snippet work with my theme?

It is built with standard Liquid, HTML and CSS, so it works with Dawn and virtually every Online Store 2.0 theme, as well as most vintage themes. The only thing that changes between themes is the file you paste it into — if yours has no sections/main-collection-product-grid.liquid, look for the equivalent template that renders the same area.

Do I need an app to use it?

No. This is theme code you own outright: no monthly fee, no third-party script tag, and no app that can break your storefront the next time it updates.

How long does it take to add “Collection circles” to a store?

Most merchants have it live in under fifteen minutes — duplicate the theme, paste the code, adjust the colours and copy, preview on mobile, publish.

The styling looks broken after pasting. How do I fix it?

Confirm you copied the whole snippet including the closing style tag, then check whether one of your theme's own CSS rules is overriding it. If a theme rule wins, increase the specificity of the snippet's selector rather than scattering !important through the file.

Will it slow my store down?

Not meaningfully. It is inline markup with scoped CSS and at most a few lines of vanilla JavaScript — no external libraries, no extra HTTP request. Optimising your product images will always have a far bigger impact on load time.

Can I use it on a client store or a commercial project?

Yes. Every snippet in the MCO Hub library is free to copy, modify and ship on any store, including client work. Attribution is appreciated but not required.