How Kingdom is built: sidebar, sections and blocks
How Kingdom is built: the Sidebar section, the Footer group, sections with their own blocks, and the Flex sections that use cards and theme blocks.
Applies to: Kingdom 6.2.0 and later. Added in: Kingdom 2.0.0. Last checked: 2026-10-13 against Kingdom 6.2.0.
Every Kingdom page is made of the same parts: fixed areas that appear on every page, such as the sidebar, and the sections of the page template in between. This page explains what you see in the theme editor and how the parts fit together.
Where to find it: Online Store → Themes → Customize. The left panel of the theme editor lists the parts of the page you are editing.
What you see in the theme editor
From top to bottom, the left panel of the theme editor shows:
- Announcement bar: the thin bar at the very top of the store.
- Sidebar: the logo, the menus, search, the account and cart icons. Kingdom has no Header section; the sidebar is its header.
- Template: the sections of the page you are editing, for example the home page or the product page. This is where you select Add section.
- Footer group: the Footer section and any sections you add above it.
- Popup and Cookies: the newsletter popup and the cookie banner.
The Announcement bar, Sidebar, Popup and Cookies are static sections: there is exactly one of each, they are the same on every page, and you cannot move, duplicate or remove them. Turn them off with their own settings instead.
Use the template picker at the top of the theme editor to switch between pages: Home page, Products, Collections, Pages, Blogs, Cart and the others. Each template has its own sections. See Sections.
Sections and their blocks
A section is a full-width area of a page, such as a slideshow, a featured collection or a rich text. Add one with Add section inside the template or the Footer group.
- Most Kingdom sections have their own blocks, which belong to that section only: the slides of a slideshow, the questions of the FAQ section, the columns of Text columns. They are documented on the section's own page.
- Some sections have no blocks, only settings, such as Image or Featured collection.
- Settings that many sections share, such as inner content spacing, custom colors and the heading tag, are explained once in General section settings.
Product grids have no product card block. Every product card in the store takes its look from Product card theme settings.
Flex sections, cards and theme blocks
Two sections work differently: Flex cards and Flex grid, added in Kingdom 6.0.0. They are built from cards, and the cards hold theme blocks.
- A card is a box inside the section with its own media, width, colors and content. Flex cards uses the Card; Flex grid uses the Media card and the Text card. See Cards.
- Each card sits in a 12-column grid: you choose how many columns it spans, and in Flex grid also how many rows.
- Inside the Card and the Text card you add theme blocks: Button, Caption, Content group, Custom Liquid, Divider, Empty space, Heading, Image, Text and Star rating. See Blocks.
Areas that appear on every page
- Announcement bar section: one short message, on every page or the home page only.
- Sidebar section: the header of the store. The cart drawer and the search drawer open from it.
- Footer group: the footer and the sections above it.
- Popup section: a newsletter or announcement popup after a delay.
- Cookies section: the cookie consent banner.
Store-wide settings, such as colors, fonts and the cart type, are in Theme settings, the gear icon of the theme editor.
Why can I not add sections above the sidebar?
Because the sidebar is not part of the page template. It is a static section that Kingdom places on every page, beside the content, not above it. Sections you add always go into the template or the Footer group. For a message above everything, use the Announcement bar section.
Why do most sections not accept theme blocks?
Because only Flex cards and Flex grid are built on Shopify theme blocks. The other sections were built with their own blocks, which fit their layout: a Slideshow accepts slides, a Gallery accepts images. To combine headings, text, buttons and images freely, use a Flex cards or Flex grid section.
Related pages
- Sidebar section: the header of Kingdom.
- Footer group: the bottom of every page.
- Sections: every section you can add.
- Cards: the cards of the Flex sections.
- Blocks: the theme blocks inside cards.