Salve documents and safety notices

Salve can list each product's instructions for use and other documents, keep previous versions available, and show safety notices such as recalls on product pages, product cards, the cart and a dedicated page.

Salve helps you present product information clearly. It does not make your store, products or content compliant with any law or regulation. You are responsible for your product claims, labeling and regulatory obligations. Take professional advice.

Documents

Documents are Health document metaobject entries, linked to products through the health.documents metafield. One entry can be linked to several products, for example a quick start guide shared by a product range. To create the definitions, see the Health data setup guide.

Add a document

  1. Go to Content > Metaobjects and open Health document.
  2. Select Add entry.
  3. Fill in the fields:
    • Title: the link text, for example "Instructions for use".
    • Document type: one of Instructions for use, Quick start guide, Drug Facts, Supplement Facts, Declaration of conformity, Safety data sheet, 510(k) summary, Certificate, Warranty or Other.
    • File: upload the file, usually a PDF.
    • Language (ISO 639-1): a two-letter code, such as en.
    • Version, Effective date and Applies to: optional details that shoppers see under the title.
    • Leave Superseded off.
  4. If the entry has a status, set it to Active. Save.
  5. Open the product, find the Documents metafield and select the entry. Save the product.

On the product page, the Documents block groups documents by type. Each link shows the file format, size, language, version and effective date when available. The link text for screen readers includes the file format and size.

Documents in the shopper's language are listed first when Show shopper's language first is on. Language names appear in the shopper's language for English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and several other common languages.

Supersede a version

When a document is updated, keep the old version available instead of deleting it:

  1. Create a new Health document entry for the new version, with the new Version and Effective date.
  2. Open the old entry and turn on Superseded. Save.
  3. Add the new entry to the product's Documents metafield. Leave the old entry in the list.

The new version appears in the main list. The old version moves into a Previous versions list below it, if Show previous versions is on in the Documents block. The document library only shows current versions.

A simpler option: document files

If you don't need versions or languages, use the health.document_files metafield instead. It's a list of files. The Documents block uses it only when the product has no Health document entries. The file's alt text becomes the link text, so add clear alt text to each file.

The How to use block and documents

When a product has documents and the Documents block is on the same template, the How to use block adds the line "Always read the instructions for use." with a link to the documents.

Document library page

The Document library section lists products alphabetically, each with its current documents. Shoppers can search by product name and filter by document type.

  1. Go to Online Store > Pages and create a page, for example "Instructions and documents".
  2. Choose the page.documents theme template and save.
  3. In the theme editor, open the page and select the Document library section.
  4. Optional: choose a Collection. Leave it empty to include all products. Products without documents are skipped.
  5. Add the page to your header's Secondary menu or your footer.

Products are sorted alphabetically within each page of results. For a fully alphabetical list across pages, choose a collection sorted alphabetically from A to Z, or raise Products per page.

Product safety notices

Use a product safety notice for a recall, a field safety notice or other urgent information about one product.

Namespace and key Type What it does
health.safety_notice Rich text The notice text. Keep it short and say what the shopper should do.
health.safety_notice_url URL Optional. Adds a "Read the full notice" link, for example to a PDF or to the manufacturer's notice.

When a product has a safety notice:

  • The product page shows a warning callout titled "Safety notice". It appears at the top of the product information, or where you place the Safety notice block.
  • Product cards show a "Safety notice" chip. It takes the first badge position.
  • The cart shows a "Safety notice" flag on the item. It links to the full notice, or to the notice on the product page.

To remove the notice, clear the Safety notice metafield.

Site-wide safety notice bar

The Safety notice bar shows a notice above everything else on every page. It's in the header group and is off by default.

  1. In the theme editor, select Safety notice bar in the header.
  2. Turn on Show notice and write the Text. The bar shows only when both are set.
  3. Choose a Severity:
    • Information (can be dismissed): visitors can close the bar. It stays closed in that browser. If you change the text, it shows again.
    • Important (cannot be dismissed): the bar always shows, and screen readers announce it right away.
  4. Optional: add a Link and Link label, for example to your safety notices page.

The bar uses color scheme 5 by default, which has the notice colors. When the notice no longer applies, turn off Show notice.

Safety notices page

A safety notices page lists current and past notices in one place.

  1. Create a manual collection, for example "Safety notices". Add every product that has an active safety notice. You can hide the collection from your menus.
  2. Create a page, for example "Safety notices", and choose the page.safety-notices theme template.
  3. In the theme editor, open the page and select the Safety notices list section. Choose your collection in Collection.
  4. For notices about discontinued products, or notices without a product page, add Notice blocks. Fill in the Date, Title, Affected products, Summary and Link. Put the newest notice first.
  5. Link to the page from your footer and from the Safety notice bar.

Products in the collection show their own Safety notice metafield, so you update the notice in one place. Notice blocks appear after the product notices, in the order you set.

Publish a recall notice: checklist

  1. Add the notice to the affected product's Safety notice metafield and, if there is one, the notice link.
  2. Add the product to your safety notices collection.
  3. If the notice is urgent, turn on the Safety notice bar and link it to your safety notices page.
  4. If the product can't be sold, set its inventory to zero or unpublish it. The theme doesn't stop sales.
  5. Follow your own legal and regulatory process for contacting customers and authorities. The theme only displays the notice.