Tackling the Puzzle of Manual Sorting in Shopify's Spotlight Theme

Picture this: it’s a chill Sunday morning, and there’s a mug of coffee steaming beside us. We’re sipping and scrolling through our beloved online store, hoping to make everything look perfect. Bam! We hit a snag - our manual sort isn’t cooperating. Believe me, I’ve been there. In fact, a few months back, I was wrestling with the same beast, and let me tell you, nothing is more frustrating than feeling like your products have minds of their own.

The Spotlight theme, in particular, can be a bit of a paradox. It’s stylish and functional... until it's not. So, what do we do when our products like the jumper and jogger refuse to dance to our manual-sorting-tune? Let’s roll up our sleeves together and set this right.

Discovering the Root of the Manual Sort Mishap

In my own saga, I remember calling my friend Jamie, a true Shopify wizard. She reminded me that even the sleek Spotlight can sometimes hide settings in the shadows. Often, the culprit isn’t obvious. You see, the first battleground is the Products page in your Shopify Admin. Sometimes, we’ve got a sneaky automatic sorting rule acting as a firewall, and all we need is to override it with sheer will - ok, not will, but a couple of clicks!

1. Head into your Shopify Admin and select Products.
2. Under Collections, find the collection you’re working with. Let’s shine a spotlight on it by clicking it.
3. Here’s where magic happens - look for Sort at the top right and choose Manually.

Now, this seems simple, right? Well, it often is - until it isn’t! Check if the little gremlins still defy you. If they do, hang in there. It’s time for another layer. The Spotlight theme sometimes demands a more in-depth spell - coding!

Dipping Into the Code Cauldron: A Metaphor for Courage

I remember staring down the prospect of editing code like I was about to jump into an abyss. What if I break something? But then, it’s thrilling to slay demons, isn’t it? Plus, the Shopify code editor does save your bacon with an “undo” button. So, let’s venture there, with courageous hearts, and tweak the order code.

First, always back up your theme. We need an exit strategy just in case our tweaks go sideways.

1. Go to Online Store and choose Themes.
2. Find your Spotlight theme, and on its menu, click Actions > Edit Code.
3. Now, locate the collection-template.liquid file. It can vary, so use your search bar, dear friend!

Within this file, let’s check for lines resembling sort_by codes.

{% if collection.sort_by == 'manual' %}
  {% assign products = collection.products %}
{% endif %}

Sometimes, our solution lies in bizarre rearrangements. Ensure our {% assign products = collection.products %} is there so our manual sort takes the wheel.

The Sweet Satisfaction of Taming the Beast

Do you remember scoring your first goal or acing an exam? That’s how it feels when the collection finally obeys. I dare say that moment is akin to caffeinated euphoria, where our jumper and jogger finally perform their roles like a well-choreographed ballet.

Let’s recount: we’ve checked settings, dabbled in code, and most importantly, remained resilient. After this rollercoaster, take a breather. Maybe it’s time for a victory dance. Our store’s tidied up, the products gracefully lined like soldiers in rank. And next time Shopify throws a curveball, we know how to catch it.

Wrapping up, let this journey be our rally anthem. Through each hiccup, let’s keep exploring, tweaking, and laughing - sometimes at our mistakes. Shopify may be a platform, but it's also our canvas. And mastering manual sort is just one tiny masterpiece amidst our e-commerce adventures.

Why not leave a comment, share your stories of Shopify mishaps? Because, let’s face it, tech mysteries are more fun when we unravel them together. Till next time, keep those creative juices percolating and our products perfectly aligned.