How to Manage Special Characters in Shopify Collection Handles: A Guide by BemeApps

By Tony Ng.
February 14th, 2025

How to Manage Special Characters in Shopify Collection Handles: A Guide by BemeApps

Understanding the Problem with Special Characters in Shopify

When managing an eCommerce store on Shopify, you may encounter issues with special characters in collection names. A common problem arises when you try to manipulate collection handles that include characters like "ø". For instance, if you have a collection named "pipe tilbehør", you might struggle with using this name in your code due to the special character "ø".

Why Special Characters Cause Issues

Shopify automatically converts collection names into "handles" by removing special characters and replacing spaces with dashes. This process ensures that handles are URL-friendly and can be easily referenced in code. However, this can lead to confusion when the handle differs from the original collection name, especially if you're not aware of how Shopify handles these transformations.

How Shopify Transforms Collection Names

To better understand how Shopify processes collection names, consider the following:

Special Characters: Characters like "ø" are replaced with their closest ASCII equivalents, such as "o".
Spaces: Spaces are converted into dashes "-".
Case Sensitivity: Handles are typically converted to lowercase.

For example, the collection "pipe tilbehør" would be transformed into the handle "pipe-tilbehor".

Step-by-Step Solution to Handle Special Characters

Step 1: Verify the Collection Handle

To ensure you're using the correct handle, follow these steps:

Navigate to Collections: Log in to your Shopify admin panel and go to Products > Collections.
Select the Collection: Click on your collection "pipe tilbehør".
Check the URL: Look at the URL in your browser. The part after /collections/ is your collection handle (e.g., /collections/pipe-tilbehor).

Step 2: Modify Your Code

Once you've verified the correct handle, update your code to reflect this:

{% if collection.handle == "pipe-tilbehor" %}
<style>
  .price { display: none !important; }
</style>
{% endif %}

Step 3: Implement the Code

Add the above code snippet to the appropriate Liquid file in your Shopify theme, such as collection.liquid or any template where you need to hide prices for this specific collection.

Additional Considerations for Featured Collections

If you need to hide prices for featured collections on a product page, follow these steps:

Identify the Section/Block

Theme Editor: Go to your product page in the Shopify theme editor.
Find the Section: Locate the section or block used for displaying featured collections and note its name or class.

Use Conditional Logic

Add a Liquid condition to check if you're on a product page, then apply custom CSS to hide the prices:

{% if template.name == 'product' %}
<style>
  .featured-collection .price {
    display: none !important;
  }
</style>
{% endif %}

Dynamic Approach

If featured collections are added using a specific block, wrap the logic around that block's identifier:

{% if section.settings.section_id == 'featured-collections' %}
<style>
  .price {
    display: none !important;
  }
</style>
{% endif %}

Common Questions and Answers

Q: How can I ensure that my changes do not affect other parts of my Shopify store?

A: Use specific class names or IDs in your CSS to target only the elements you want to change. This will prevent unintended changes to other parts of your store.

Q: What if I have multiple collections with special characters?

A: Repeat the verification process for each collection to determine their handles and apply similar logic in your Liquid templates.

Conclusion

Handling special characters in Shopify collection handles can initially seem daunting, but by understanding how Shopify transforms these names and applying the correct code, you can effectively manage your store's collections. If you encounter further challenges, don't hesitate to reach out for professional assistance.

Author: BemeApps AI