How to Adjust Video Background Overlay Opacity in Shopify Dawn Theme with BemeApps

By Tony Ng.
February 25th, 2025

How to Adjust Video Background Overlay Opacity in Shopify Dawn Theme with BemeApps

Understanding the Issue with Video Background Overlay

When working with Shopify's Dawn theme, you might encounter an issue where adjusting the overlay opacity on a video background doesn't seem to have any effect. This can be particularly frustrating when you want to enhance text visibility over the video by adding a colored overlay with adjustable opacity. The problem often arises due to the way CSS opacity is applied, especially when dealing with HTML video elements.

Common Causes of the Problem

CSS Opacity Property: The opacity property affects not only the background but also all child elements. This means that if you apply opacity to a parent element, it will also apply to any child elements, including your video.
Incorrect Liquid Syntax: If the Liquid code syntax is incorrect, the values for overlay color and opacity might not be applied correctly.
Video Element Positioning: The video might be overlapping the overlay, or the overlay might not be positioned correctly, resulting in no visible change.
Theme Editor Settings: Sometimes, changes made in the theme editor might not reflect due to caching issues or incorrect settings.

Step-by-Step Guide to Solve the Overlay Opacity Issue

Step 1: Review and Correct the Liquid Code

Ensure that your Liquid code is correctly formatted. Use the rgba() function to set the background color with transparency directly, which prevents the transparency from affecting child elements.

<div style="
  position: absolute;
  top: 0; left: 0;
  width: 100%; height: 100%;
  background-color: rgba({{ block.settings.overlay_color | remove: '#' | slice: 0,2 | hex_to_rgb }},
                        {{ block.settings.overlay_color | remove: '#' | slice: 2,2 | hex_to_rgb }},
                        {{ block.settings.overlay_color | remove: '#' | slice: 4,2 | hex_to_rgb }},
                        {{ block.settings.overlay_opacity | times: 0.01 }});
  z-index: 1;
"></div>

Step 2: Verify Theme Editor Settings

Check Overlay Settings: Ensure that the overlay color and opacity settings in the theme editor are correctly configured. Sometimes, the default values might not be set properly.
Clear Cache: Clear your browser cache or use an incognito window to ensure you're viewing the latest changes.

Step 3: Adjust CSS and HTML Structure

Ensure Proper Z-Index: Make sure the overlay has a higher z-index than the video element so that it appears on top.
Positioning: Double-check that the overlay and video elements are correctly positioned using CSS to ensure they align as expected.

Step 4: Test and Validate

Preview Changes: Use Shopify's preview feature to test changes before publishing them live.
Cross-Browser Testing: Check the appearance of your overlay in different browsers to ensure consistent behavior.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is my video background not displaying correctly in the Shopify theme?

A: This could be due to incorrect aspect ratio settings or the video file not being properly linked. Ensure that your video settings in the theme editor are configured correctly.

Q: Can I use a different color format for the overlay?

A: Yes, you can use rgba() for more control over transparency, or hex for solid colors. Make sure to adjust the syntax accordingly.

Conclusion

Adjusting the video background overlay opacity in Shopify's Dawn theme requires careful attention to Liquid syntax, CSS properties, and theme settings. By following the steps outlined above, you can effectively manage overlay transparency and enhance text visibility on your Shopify store.