Create a Collection Carousel in Shopify (4 Methods, No Code Required)

A collection carousel lets your customers swipe through your product categories instead of scrolling through a long list. Think of it like a slideshow of your collections—customers can browse Men’s, Women’s, Kids’, and Sale sections by clicking arrows or swiping on their phone.

This guide covers four ways to add a collection carousel to your Shopify store, from the easiest built-in options to apps for older themes. No coding knowledge needed.

Which Method Should You Use?

Before diving in, here’s a quick guide to choosing the right approach:

• Using a Horizon theme? → Use Method 1 (built-in carousel section)
• Using Dawn, Sense, or similar 2.0 themes? → Try Method 2 first
• Using an older theme without carousel options? → Use Method 4 (apps)

Method 1: Horizon Framework Themes (Easiest)

Shopify’s newer Horizon themes (like Flavor, Flavor, and Publisher) have carousel functionality built in. This is the simplest option—no apps or code needed.

How to add it:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store → Themes → Customize
2. Click Add section on the left sidebar
3. Select Collection list: Carousel
4. Click each collection block and choose which collection to display (you can add up to 8)
5. In the section settings, make sure Enable desktop slider is turned on
6. Set Collections per row to 3 or 4 (this controls how many show at once)
7. Enable Swipe on mobile so phone users can swipe through
8. Click Save

That’s it. Your customers will now see left/right arrows to browse through your collections.

Method 2: Dawn and Other Shopify 2.0 Themes

If you’re using Dawn, Sense, Craft, or another Shopify 2.0 theme, you may have carousel options hidden in the collection list settings.

How to check and enable it:

1. Go to Online Store → Themes → Customize
2. Click Add section and select Collection list
3. Look for these settings in the section options:
   • Enable desktop slider — turn this ON
   • Columns on desktop — set to 3 or 4
   • Swipe on mobile — enable this
4. Add your collections and save

Don’t see these options? Your theme version might not support carousels. Check if there’s a theme update available, or skip to Method 4 (apps).

Alternative approach: Some stores use multiple “Featured collection” sections stacked together, each with slider settings enabled. This creates a similar effect.

Method 3: Using Shopify’s AI Assistant (Horizon Themes Only)

If you’re on a Horizon theme and want something custom, Shopify’s AI section generator can help.

1. In the theme editor, click Add section
2. Select Generate with AI
3. Describe what you want, for example: “Create a collection carousel showing 4 product categories in sliding format with rounded corners”
4. Review what the AI creates and adjust as needed

This is useful when you want a specific layout or styling that isn’t available in the standard carousel section.

Method 4: Using Apps (For Any Theme)

If your theme doesn’t have built-in carousel support, apps are the next best option. These work with virtually any Shopify theme.

Popular carousel apps:

• PageFly — A page builder that includes carousel elements. Good if you want to redesign other parts of your store too.
• qwiqode Theme Sections — Offers pre-built collection carousel sections you can add to any theme.
• MIT Sections Pro — Another section library with carousel options.
• Slider Revolution — More advanced with animations, but has a steeper learning curve.

How to set up an app:

1. Go to the Shopify App Store and search for “collection carousel”
2. Install the app (most offer free trials)
3. Follow the app’s setup wizard
4. Add the carousel section through your theme editor (apps usually add new section options)

Tip: Before paying for an app, check if your theme has a recent update that might have added carousel features. Theme developers regularly add new functionality.

Quick Troubleshooting

Carousel not showing arrows? Make sure you have more collections than the “per row” setting. If you show 4 per row but only have 3 collections, there’s nothing to scroll to.

Looks different on mobile? Most carousels switch to a swipe-only format on phones (no arrows). This is normal and actually better for mobile users.

Carousel is slow? Large collection images can slow things down. Make sure your collection images are optimised—Shopify automatically creates smaller versions, but starting with appropriately sized images helps.

Summary

Collection carousels help customers browse your product categories without endless scrolling. The best approach depends on your theme:

• Horizon themes have the easiest setup with a dedicated carousel section
• Dawn and 2.0 themes often have slider options in their collection list settings
• Older themes work best with carousel apps from the App Store

If you’re starting a new store, consider choosing a Horizon theme from the start—it’ll save you time on features like this.