Meniscus — Documentation

Version 1.0.0 · Author: Lizardassets · Documentation: https://lizardassets.com/pages/meniscus-docs · Support: https://lizardassets.com/pages/soporte

Status. Testing on a real Shopify store is NOT_RUN. Checks so far were made on a local simulation. This text doesn't claim that Shopify has reviewed or approved the theme.

1. Introduction

Meniscus is a Shopify theme for beauty and personal care stores. It ships with five presets. Each is a complete design with its own header, menus, product card, collection page, product page, quick view, cart, search and footer, not a color variation of one layout.

Preset Designed for Core idea
Meniscus Skincare Dose-led cards, a Morning and Evening header switch, and a bag ordered by routine step.
Pigment Makeup Shade bands on cards, a shade-tinted product stage, "Compare two shades", and a "Your palette" bag.
Strand Hair care Wash-day phases as navigation, "Wash day" pairings, and Wash, Condition and Style bag lanes.
Lather Bath and body A soap-dish header, soap-bar cards, refill cards with "Add refill", and a bottom bag tray.
Bristle Tools and accessories Monospaced specification plates, pivoting menus, a ruler in quick view, and a "Your kit" try-square cart.

In the editor the shopping cart is called "cart"; shoppers see "your bag" on the storefront. This document says "cart" for editor settings and "bag" for what shoppers see.

Before you edit theme code, duplicate the theme (Online Store > Themes > … > Duplicate). Code customizations aren't covered by support.

2. Installation and choosing a preset

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes.
  2. Add Meniscus from the Shopify Theme Store and choose a preset: Meniscus, Pigment, Strand, Lather or Bristle.
  3. Click Customize.

The preset sets the starting fonts, six color schemes, homepage and layout. Dark mode starts as Follow device, with the header switch shown. You can change the design later in Theme settings > Presentation > Presentation; that changes the layout and behavior of every page but not your fonts, colors or homepage sections. For a preset's full starting point, add the theme again with that preset.

Setup checklist after installing

  • Menus: choose the main menu in Header (default main-menu) and the footer menu in Footer (default footer). Up to three levels are supported. In Strand, build the main menu with one link per wash-day phase.
  • Collection links: open a collection in the editor, select the Collection section, and pick a collection in each Editorial collection link block (up to four). A new install has three empty blocks; the row isn't drawn until one has a collection.
  • Homepage: Hero, Product sequence, Featured product, Featured collection, Editorial and Glossary arrive without products or collections. Video, Comparison, Testimonials and FAQ arrive without media or quotes. Fill them in or remove them.
  • Announcement bar: replace the example "Welcome to our store" or remove the bar.
  • Preset choices: Meniscus uses Morning collection and Evening collection (Navigation) and Routine collection (Product section). Strand uses Wash, Condition and Style collection (Product and cart) and Wash day order. Pigment and Lather use Menu product (Navigation).
  • Product data: the signature features read product metafields and option swatches (section 6).
  • Password page: its message comes from Online Store > Preferences > Password page.

3. Global configuration

Open Customize > Theme settings.

Presentation

  • Presentation: the design (five presets).
  • Show animations: turn off to remove all movement. A visitor's reduced motion preference is always respected.
  • Open cart after adding.
  • Collection columns: 1–4 on large screens.
  • Favicon, Show image captions.
  • Show product rating: shows ratings on cards, product page, quick view and recommendations. It reads only ratings saved by a review app, and shows nothing without one.

Colors and schemes. Each scheme has Background, Card or alternate background, Text, Secondary text, Accent and links, Button, Button label, Secondary button border, Borders and dividers, Badge, Badge label, Sale price, Error, Success, Focus ring and Shadow. Each preset includes six schemes, which you can edit and extend. Keep at least 4.5:1 contrast for text. A scheme is assigned to each area: Page, Header and menus, Footer, Product cards, Sale badges, Primary buttons, Cart, Quick view and Search suggestions. Most sections also have their own Color scheme.

Dark mode

  • Color mode: Light, Dark or Follow device.
  • Show dark mode switch in header: available with Follow device; on in the five presets, off by default in the theme.
  • Dark page, Dark header and menus, Dark footer, Dark product cards, Dark cart, Dark dialogs: the scheme each area uses in dark mode.
  • The visitor's choice is stored in local storage under ritual-theme, only with Follow device and the switch on. Product images are never inverted.

Typography: Heading font, Body font and Specification font (used mainly by Bristle).

Preset Heading Body
Meniscus Source Serif 4 Figtree
Pigment Libre Bodoni Instrument Sans
Strand Host Grotesk Inter
Lather DM Serif Text Lato
Bristle Fira Sans Fira Sans

All presets start with IBM Plex Mono as the Specification font. Fonts show with a stand-in while loading; with a family other than the starting ones, headings may shift slightly on a slow first visit.

Header and menu: the header holds the logo, menu, search, an account button (when customer accounts are on), the cart, and the dark mode switch when enabled. Menu product (Navigation) features one product inside the menus: Meniscus shows its dose, Pigment its shades and Lather its refill. Menus close with Escape.

Footer: explanation, menu, Follow on Shop (needs Shop Pay), payment icons, an Email signup block, and country and language selectors when you sell in several markets or languages.

Cart (Product and cart):

  • Show dynamic checkout buttons in quick view.
  • Free shipping goal: an amount in your store currency; 0 hides it. Informative only: it doesn't create a shipping rate, so match it to your real rate in Settings > Shipping and delivery.
  • Show product pairings in cart: on by default; suggests products for the last one added.
  • Strand lanes: Wash, Condition and Style collection.

Search: predictive suggestions work with the keyboard and show a message when nothing matches. The Search section has Results per page (8–48) and Default results view (Grid or Specification rows).

Browser storage. Meniscus sets no cookies of its own. It stores ritual-theme (local storage, see above) and ritual:last-added (session storage, the last added product ID, only with pairings on). If you use a cookie banner, check how your local rules classify these values.

4. Sections and blocks

  • Announcement bar: up to six Text and Link blocks, color scheme. Messages never rotate on their own.
  • Header: logo, menu.
  • Footer: explanation, menu, Follow on Shop, payment icons, Email signup block.
  • Hero: image with focal point, eyebrow, heading and heading level, text, two buttons, signature product, up to six shortcut links, color scheme.
  • Product sequence: heading, text, link; up to 12 Product blocks (product, group, short note); each preset draws its own layout.
  • Featured product: product plus blocks (title, vendor, price, variant picker, quantity, buy buttons, description, Custom Liquid, app blocks); supports images, video, YouTube or Vimeo, and 3D models.
  • Featured collection: heading, collection, 2–12 products.
  • Editorial: heading, explanation, image, link; up to 8 Editorial note blocks (text, expandable note, or image and text).
  • Glossary: heading; up to 12 Entry blocks (term, explanation, link).
  • Video: poster image, uploaded video or YouTube/Vimeo URL, playback (Play when selected, or Muted loop while visible), .vtt captions file, video description. Never plays sound on its own.
  • Comparison: two-image slider with keyboard control, starting position 10–90 %, caption, up to 4 Fact blocks. Use only your own unedited photos, taken with consent, and state how and when they were taken.
  • Testimonials: up to 8 blocks (quote, name, detail, rating 0–5, product). Add only real quotes.
  • FAQ: up to 16 Question blocks, optional FAQ structured data (off by default; enable on one FAQ section per page).
  • Email signup: heading, explanation, button label; subscribers appear in Customers.
  • Custom Liquid: code and color scheme (outside support).
  • Product recommendations: Related or Complementary (complementary needs the Search & Discovery app), heading, 2–8 products.

5. Templates

  • Product: the Product section with Title, Vendor, Price, Variant picker, Quantity, Buy buttons, Description, Style feature, How to use, Ingredients, Product instructions, Custom Liquid and app blocks. It also supports gift card recipient fields, selling plans, pickup availability, and Shop Pay Installments where available. Style feature, How to use and Ingredients stay hidden when the product has no data.
  • Collection: Products per page (4–48, default 24), sorting and filters (set up in Search & Discovery), badges, "From" prices, unit prices, pagination, empty state. Meniscus can show one filter as a drop scale; Lather has an optional pause tile in the seventh position.
  • Blog and Article: the blog shows featured image and tags (tags filter the blog); articles show comments when enabled.
  • Pages: Page, Contact (page.contact, Shopify's contact form), Collections list, Password (message from Online Store > Preferences), Gift card (value, balance, code with copy button, expiry, QR code, Apple Wallet when available, print), Search and Search rows (search.rows).
  • 404: suggested links (up to six, default main-menu), a search field, and the Pigment shade product.

6. Preset features

Quick view. Opens from the product card with variant picker, quantity, Add to bag, and optional dynamic checkout. Each preset has its own: Meniscus opens from the right with the texture first and a "Next step" button; Pigment repaints the color field when the shade changes; Strand is a side sheet with previous and next product; Bristle has a "Spec" button and a ruler. It closes with Escape and returns focus to its trigger.

Filters. Sorting and filters on collection and search pages come from the Search & Discovery app.

Fixed purchase bar. All five presets. It shows the product (or chosen shade), variant, price and an Add button. It appears on all devices after scrolling, once the page's own buy controls are out of view, and is hidden without JavaScript. It has no settings.

Meniscus routine. "Dose and application", application steps, searchable ingredients, "In your routine" (previous and next step, from Routine collection), and a bag grouped by routine step.

Pigment Tocador (dresser). "Compare two shades" and the shade-tinted stage need an option with at least two values with swatches. The "Your palette" bag shows each line as a band of its shade color.

Strand lanes. The bag sorts lines into Wash, Condition and Style lanes by the three collections you choose; others go to "Other". "Wash day" shows the products in custom.phase_pairs, ordered by Product type.

Lather refill. The product page shows a Refill card with "Add refill" (from custom.refill), and the bag has a refill slot. The refill is added only when the shopper chooses it.

Bristle Escuadra (try-square). The "Your kit" cart orders pieces from longest to shortest, with a gauge against the longest piece. Lengths are read from custom.format, then custom.materials, then the variant options (numbers followed by "cm" or "mm"; decimals with a point). Pieces without a readable length go last, marked "No length". Search can show a grid or specification rows.

Free shipping goal. Shows how much is left and "Free shipping unlocked". Other market currencies are converted with Shopify's rate and rounded up; if the rate isn't available, the goal is hidden. It is hidden when the bag is empty or has nothing to ship.

Cross-sell (pairings). Up to three suggestions in the bag (four on /cart, two in the Bristle drawer) from Shopify's recommendations for the last added product. Nothing is added automatically. Each preset has its own logic: "Next in your routine", "Complete your palette", "Next phase", "For the bath", "Complete the set".

Ratings. Read from reviews.rating and reviews.rating_count. Meniscus doesn't collect or moderate reviews; install a review app that writes these metafields.

Product metafields (namespace custom, all optional; create them in Settings > Custom data > Products):

Key Type Used by
dose Single line text Meniscus
routine_step Single line text, "Step N · Name" (use two digits for ten or more steps) Meniscus
texture, format Single line text Meniscus, Pigment, Lather, Bristle
how_to_use Multi-line text, one step per line All
ingredients Multi-line text, first line comma-separated All
materials Multi-line text Bristle (also used if ingredients are empty)
refill Product reference Lather
phase_pairs List of product references (up to four shown) Strand

The theme never infers skin type, hair type or results; it shows only what you enter.

7. FAQ and troubleshooting

A feature isn't showing. Most signature features hide themselves when their data is missing. In the editor, a note names the metafield to fill (section 6).

The collection links row is missing. Choose a collection in at least one Editorial collection link block.

Ratings don't appear. Check that your review app writes reviews.rating, and that Show product rating is on.

Complementary products don't show. They need the Shopify Search & Discovery app; related products work by themselves.

Filters are missing. Set them up in Search & Discovery.

The free shipping goal doesn't match checkout. The goal is informative. Set the same minimum in Settings > Shipping and delivery. If your rate counts amounts differently (for example with taxes), figures can differ.

The Bristle cart shows "No length". Put the length in custom.format or custom.materials, for example "18 cm".

The dark mode switch is missing. Set Color mode to Follow device and turn on Show dark mode switch in header. Without JavaScript the switch isn't shown.

Videos don't autoplay. By design they never play sound on their own. A muted loop needs the Muted loop playback option and applies to uploaded videos only.

Languages. English and Spanish are included. Edit wording in Edit default theme content or use Translate & Adapt.

Not yet tested: a real Shopify store (checkout, accelerated checkout, Installments, Follow on Shop, pickup, markets, installing from the Theme Store), a real screen reader, Lighthouse on a real store, Safari, 200 % zoom, free shipping against real rates, captions from Shopify's CDN, YouTube and Vimeo playback, and rating data in structured data. Sample ratings and quotes in the local demo are invented.

8. Support

We reply within 24 hours. Support is maintained while the theme is on sale.

What support covers: bug fixes in any of the five presets, questions about settings, sections, blocks, color schemes, dark mode and product data, and setup guidance for the Shopify features the theme supports.

What it doesn't cover: customizations and edited theme code, Custom Liquid, third-party apps and their conflicts, store setup unrelated to the theme (payments, shipping, taxes, domains, data entry), themes not obtained from the Shopify Theme Store, review collection and moderation, and your shipping rates. For custom work, consider a Shopify Partner.

When you contact us, include: your name and email, store URL, theme and preset, theme version (optional), a description of what you expected and what happened and on which page, and screenshots or recordings. If we need to look at your store, we'll ask for a collaborator request. We never ask for your password. Before writing, check this documentation, use the latest version, and test on a duplicate with apps turned off.

9. Changelog

1.0.0

  • Five complete presets: Meniscus, Pigment, Strand, Lather and Bristle.
  • Color schemes with 16 roles, a scheme for each area, Light, Dark or Follow device modes, and an optional header dark mode switch.
  • Font pickers for headings, body and specifications.
  • Product page, featured product, quick view for each preset, fixed purchase bar, cart drawer and /cart page (which works without JavaScript).
  • Free shipping goal, product pairings in the bag, native product ratings, related and complementary recommendations, filters, sorting, pagination and predictive search.
  • Sections: Hero, Product sequence, Featured product, Featured collection, Editorial, Glossary, Video, Comparison, Testimonials, FAQ, Email signup, Announcement bar and Custom Liquid.
  • Blog, article, contact, page, collections list, 404, password and gift card templates.
  • Keyboard navigation, visible focus, reduced motion support, and a setting to turn off animations.
  • English and Spanish.
  • Real-store validation: NOT_RUN.