How to Add a Hotspot Section to Any Shopify Theme (No Code, $9)
A Hotspot section turns a static product image into an interactive experience. Instead of relying on a plain photograph and a block of text underneath, you place clickable markers directly onto the image itself — each one revealing a headline, description, link, or product detail when a customer taps or hovers over it. For Shopify merchants selling products with multiple features, materials, or components (think furniture, tech gadgets, fashion, skincare kits, or homeware bundles), a Hotspot section lets you communicate everything a buyer needs to know without forcing them to scroll through a wall of copy. The result is a cleaner page layout, higher engagement, and a more intuitive path from browsing to purchasing. If you are looking for other ways to enhance your store's layout, you can also explore custom Shopify hero sections that make a strong first impression above the fold.
Hotspots are particularly effective on homepages, product pages, and dedicated landing pages where visual storytelling drives conversions. A fashion brand can pin each item in a lifestyle flat-lay so customers can shop the entire look from one image. A furniture store can highlight material details, dimensions, and care instructions across a single room-scene photograph. An electronics brand can break down individual components of a device without cluttering the product description. Most default Shopify themes do not include a Hotspot section, which means merchants either need to write custom Liquid code, install a monthly subscription app, or use a one-time purchase section from a library like Section Store. The guide below walks through the Section Store approach — the fastest way to add a fully customisable Hotspot section to any Online Store 2.0 theme without touching code or committing to a recurring fee.
HOW TO ADD A HOTSPOT SECTION TO YOUR SHOPIFY STORE
Follow these steps to install and configure a Hotspot section using Section Store. The entire process takes just a few minutes and requires no coding or developer involvement.
Install the Section Store app
If you haven't already, install the Section Store app from the Shopify App Store. The app is free to install — you only pay for individual Sections you choose to add to your store.
Browse and purchase a Hotspot section
Inside the Section Store app, search for "Hotspots" to browse the available designs. You can preview each layout to find the style that best fits your store. Each Hotspot section is a one-time $9 purchase — no subscription, no renewal. You can also preview the Hotspots #4 section directly on the Section Store website to see the design in action before purchasing.
Install the section to your theme
Navigate to My Sections within the Section Store app. Click the Install button next to your purchased Hotspot section and select which theme you want to add it to. The app installs a .liquid file directly into your chosen theme. You can install the same section to as many themes as you want within a single store at no extra cost.
Add the section to a page in the Theme Editor
In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes and click Customize on your live theme. Use the page selector at the top to navigate to the page where you want the Hotspot section to appear (homepage, product page, collection page, or any custom page). Click Add Section in the left-hand sidebar and search for "ss - Hotspots". All Section Store sections are prefixed with "SS" in the Theme Editor — for example, "ss - Hotspots #4" — making them easy to identify. Click it to add it to your page, then drag it to your preferred position in the sidebar.
Upload your image and configure hotspots
Click on the Hotspot section in the sidebar to open its settings. Upload the main image you want to use — ideally a high-resolution lifestyle photo, product shot, or room scene. Then add individual hotspot blocks. For each hotspot, you can set the horizontal and vertical position to place the marker precisely where you want it on the image, add a headline and description text, include an optional link to a product page or collection, and adjust styling options such as icon colour and size. Repeat for as many hotspots as you need.
Save and preview
After customising each hotspot, click Save in the Theme Editor. Preview your store on both desktop and mobile to ensure the hotspot markers are positioned correctly and the pop-up content displays as expected. Because the section is native Liquid code built directly into your theme, it loads quickly and does not add external scripts that could slow down your page speed.
WHEN TO USE A HOTSPOT SECTION ON YOUR SHOPIFY STORE
Hotspot sections work best when you need to communicate multiple pieces of information from a single visual. On a product page, they replace the need for long-form feature lists by letting customers explore details at their own pace. On a homepage, they can turn a lifestyle banner into a shoppable image where every item in the photograph links directly to its product page. On a Shopify landing page, they add an interactive element that keeps paid traffic engaged and reduces bounce rates. Hotspots are especially powerful for stores that sell bundles, room setups, curated outfits, or multi-component products where showing everything in context matters more than isolating individual items.
Beyond product showcasing, Hotspot sections are also useful for educational content. A supplement brand can annotate an ingredient label. A skincare company can map a routine across a single face image. A home improvement store can label every tool in a workshop photograph. The interactive format encourages exploration and keeps visitors on the page longer, which is a positive engagement signal for SEO. If your store relies heavily on visual storytelling, pairing a Hotspot section with other interactive elements — like a scrolling announcement bar or a well-structured FAQ section — creates a cohesive, high-converting page layout.
TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR HOTSPOT SECTION
Start with a high-quality image. The image is the foundation of the entire section, so it should be clear, well-lit, and large enough to look sharp on desktop screens (at least 1920px wide is a good benchmark). Lifestyle and in-context photography works better than plain white-background product shots because it gives the hotspots meaningful placement — a marker on a jacket pocket in a styled outfit tells a stronger story than one floating on a blank background.
Keep the number of hotspots focused. Three to six markers per image is a good range for most use cases. Adding too many can overwhelm the visitor and make the image feel cluttered, especially on mobile screens. Each hotspot should serve a clear purpose — highlight a feature, link to a product, or answer a common question about what is shown in the image.
Always test on mobile. Over 70% of Shopify traffic comes from mobile devices, and hotspot positioning can shift between screen sizes. After saving your section in the Theme Editor, switch to the mobile preview to confirm that every marker is visible and tappable without overlapping. Most well-built Hotspot sections, including those from Section Store, handle responsive positioning automatically, but it is always worth verifying.
Finally, use hotspots strategically for internal linking. Each hotspot can include a link — use this to direct visitors to specific product pages, collections, or even blog posts that expand on the feature being highlighted. This keeps customers moving through your store and reduces the likelihood of them bouncing after viewing a single page. For more ideas on structuring pages that convert, take a look at our guide on building a high-converting Shopify product page template.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Adding a Hotspot section to your Shopify store is one of the simplest upgrades you can make to improve both user experience and time-on-page. It replaces static imagery with interactive content that educates, engages, and directs customers toward a purchase — all without requiring any code changes or monthly app subscriptions. Whether you are annotating a single hero product or creating a shoppable room scene, Hotspots give your visitors a reason to explore rather than scroll past.
Browse the full Section Store library of 730+ Sections — including multiple Hotspot designs — and add one to your store in minutes. Every Section is a one-time $9 purchase, works with all Online Store 2.0 themes, and is fully customisable inside Shopify's built-in Theme Editor.
