How to Fix Images Not Showing in Carousel Within Shopify

In this in-depth guide, we will address a common issue faced by many Shopify users: images and product titles not displaying correctly within a carousel created using Flickity. We'll dive deep into the causes of this problem and provide a comprehensive, step-by-step solution. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a Shopify novice, this guide will equip you with the knowledge needed to troubleshoot and resolve this issue effectively.

Understanding the Problem

When building a carousel to showcase product recommendations on a Shopify store, you may encounter a situation where images and product titles are not appearing as expected within each carousel cell. This is a perplexing issue, especially when no obvious errors appear in the code or console.

The carousel may initially look like it’s functioning correctly, but upon closer inspection, you notice that the images and titles are missing. Here's what could be going wrong:

1. Incorrect DOM Structure: Often, the issue arises when the HTML structure doesn't align with what Flickity expects. Images and titles might be rendered outside the visible area or not be rendered at all.

2. CSS Visibility Issues: CSS rules might inadvertently hide the images and titles. For instance, setting visibility: hidden for carousel cells without appropriately updating them can lead to non-visibility of content.

3. JavaScript Initialization Problems: If the initialization script for Flickity isn't functioning properly, it may not correctly manipulate the DOM to display content appropriately.

4. Incorrect Image Sizing: The chosen size for images may be incompatible with carousel cell dimensions, causing them to not display correctly.

Solutions for Flickity Carousel Display Issues

Step 1: Correcting the HTML Structure

Ensure that each product image and title is properly nested within the carousel cell. Let's revisit the structure:

{% if section.settings.rec == 'product_recs' %}
  <div class="carousel">
    {% assign products = product.metafields.custom.product_recommendations.value %}
    {% for product in products %}
      <a href="{{ product.url }}" class="carousel-cell">
        <div>
          <img src="{{ product.featured_image | image_url: width: 270, height: 380 }}" alt="{{ product.title }}">
          <h4>{{ product.title }}</h4>
        </div>
      </a>
    {% endfor %}
  </div>
{% endif %}

Ensure each image and title is encapsulated within an anchor tag that also houses the class carousel-cell so that they are part of Flickity's scope.

Step 2: Adjusting CSS Styles

Review and adjust the CSS associated with your carousel cells, particularly focusing on visibility and sizing. Here's a more optimized CSS example:

.carousel-cell {
  width: 270px;
  height: 450px;
  margin-right: 10px;
  border-radius: 5px;
  visibility: hidden;
}

.carousel-cell.page-loaded {
  visibility: visible;
}

Step 3: Ensuring Proper JavaScript Initialization

Check your Flickity initialization script to make sure it operates correctly and integrates with page load events or AJAX completions appropriately:

<script>
  document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function(){
    // Initialize Flickity
    var carousels = document.querySelectorAll(".carousel");
    carousels.forEach(function(carousel){
        new Flickity(carousel, {
          draggable: true,
          freescroll: false,
          wrapAround: true
        });
        // Reveal the cells only once Flickity has initialized
        var carouselCells = carousel.querySelectorAll(".carousel-cell");
        carouselCells.forEach(function(cell){
          cell.classList.add("page-loaded");
        });
    });
  });
</script>

Step 4: Resizing Images Appropriately

Ensure that your images are the correct dimensions to fit your carousel cell layout, without being cropped awkwardly or scaled too small.

<img src="{{ product.featured_image | image_url: width: 270, height: 380 }}" alt="{{ product.title }}">

This code snippet resizes your images to fit within the set dimensions of the carousel cell, maintaining a balance between display quality and layout consistency.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

Why are my carousel images not displaying even with correct code?

CSS or JavaScript conditions might inadvertently hide your carousel images. Double-check the visibility property assigned to .carousel-cell and ensure your JS functions initialize without errors.

How can I ensure compatibility across different devices?

Implement responsive design strategies by using CSS media queries and image size adjustments to dynamically render content based on device screen size.

By following the outlined steps above, you can resolve the flickering issue with your carousel and achieve a seamless product recommendation display on your Shopify site. If you encounter any further issues or errors, consult the Shopify community forums for additional insights and shared experiences from other developers or consider enlisting expert help.