Cracking the Code: How to Translate "Off" in Shopify's Compare at Price Discount

Remember that time when you bought a coffee maker with all the bells and whistles, convinced it would turn your kitchen into a mini Starbucks? Then, a week later, you found yourself staring at the manual—pages and pages—just trying to discover how to change the coffee strength setting. That’s exactly how I felt when diving into the Shopify code to change a simple text label. Specifically, the word "off" in the compare at price discount needed translating, and it seemed like a straightforward task until—you guessed it—someone dropped that four-letter word: "code."

The Quest for Translation Glory

Picture yourself with a cup of coffee in hand, the smell dancing around the room, as you boot up your computer ready to tackle this seemingly insurmountable task. Where to start, you might wonder? Well, Sheila from customer service did mention code. An alluring, mysterious place laden with strings and tags that hint at labels and styles, a digital jungle waiting to be explored. Let’s conquer this beast together.

Peering into the Code Jungle

First thing’s first, we need to find the code. Don't fret, it’s not as scary as it seems. Here’s what we’ll do:

Open your Shopify Admin: Navigate to your Shopify admin area. That's our control room—where all journeys begin.
Themes Land: Click on "Online Store" on the left menu, then hit "Themes."
Customize Option on Themes: Right in front of you, you'll have your current theme displayed prominently. Find that drop-down menu called "Actions" and give it a click, like turning a doorknob to a secret garden.
Edit Code Awaits: From there, choose "Edit Code." A mystical wonderland of code… and ah, the monolithic wall of text that looks like alien script to the uninitiated.

The Hunt for “off”

We’re looking for some specific text, the so-called forage and gather mission of the day – focus! On the left side, there are folders. Now, most likely, the "off" you aim to change perches within Sections, Snippets, or Templates. Our best guess friend? Commonly, it’s perched within Snippets.

Search and Seek: Utilize the search bar (your new best friend). Type "off" in the search box. Initially, it might appear in several files, but we’re looking for the one that contextually fits the discount description in your product page.

Tinkering in the Code

Upon discovering the right file—momentous occasion, really—you’ll need a few lines of code. Don’t worry, it’s as easy as following a recipe. Replace the "off" with your desired translation. Here’s an example, assuming you've found price-off.liquid:

{% translate "OFF" %}

Replace it with:

{% "OFF" | t %}

Don't forget to add the translation key and its translation within your language files, usually found in the Locales directory of your theme.

Testing: Does It Work?

Now, take a moment. Let’s brew another cup of coffee because you deserve it. After modifying, click "Save”. Exit the coding realm and return to your store to check if the text has changed on the product page. A little refreshing hocus-pocus, as we call it. Voila! You’ve just become more bilingual than you were five minutes ago, at least in online retail lingo.

The Epilogue of Shopifying Success

As we bask in the newfound clarity and the wondrous feeling of overcoming a technical hurdle, it’s worth acknowledging that code—despite its intimidating nature—boils down to simple manipulations of text, like rewriting a personal letter. And now, my dear tech compatriot, you’ve empowered not just yourself, but those visiting your store in lands afar, speaking the word “off” in their tongue.

Let’s raise our coffee mugs to another victory, and if another challenge comes our way, we’ll meet it head on. Until then, here’s to more adventures with a touch of code and a whole lot of discovery.