Getting started with Salve

This guide takes you from installing Salve to a store that shows your products' health information. Plan for about an hour for the basics, plus the time it takes to enter your product data.

Install Salve

  1. Open the Salve listing in the Shopify Theme Store.
  2. Choose a preset: Salve, Gauge or Remedy. The next section explains the differences.
  3. Select Try theme. Salve is added to your theme library in Online Store > Themes. It isn't live yet.
  4. When you're happy with it, buy the theme and publish it.

You can customize and preview the theme before you publish it, so your live store doesn't change while you work.

Choose a preset

Each preset sets colors, fonts, corner shapes and the layout of the home, product and collection templates. All presets include every Salve feature.

  • Salve suits wound care, first aid and skin care supplies. Product cards have quantity steppers for fast reordering, and the home page includes a product selector.
  • Gauge suits home health devices. Product comparison is on, product pages use a device layout, and regulatory statuses are limited to the United States.
  • Remedy suits supplements and OTC products. Product pages use a label-style layout with ingredients, and HSA/FSA display is off.

To try another preset later, add Salve again from the Theme Store and choose the other preset. It's added to your theme library as a separate theme.

Duplicate the theme before you edit

Always keep a copy you can go back to. This matters most before you publish, before big layout changes and before any code edits.

  1. Go to Online Store > Themes.
  2. Next to the theme, select the ... button, then select Duplicate.
  3. Edit the copy. Publish it when it's ready.

Set your logo, colors and fonts

Open the theme editor: go to Online Store > Themes and select Customize. Then select Theme settings (the gear icon).

  1. Logo and favicon: upload your logo and set Logo width. Upload a square favicon.
  2. Colors: each preset has five color schemes. Edit the schemes rather than individual sections, so your colors stay consistent. Keep the Safety notice background and Safety notice text colors distinct from promotional colors.
  3. Typography: choose a Heading font and Body font, and set the Body text size.

If you change colors, check that text and buttons still have enough contrast. See Accessibility.

Add menus

  1. In your Shopify admin, open your menus. Depending on your admin, they're under Content > Menus or Online Store > Navigation.
  2. Build your Main menu. Salve supports up to three levels. For a mega menu, set Desktop menu type to Mega menu in the Header section.
  3. Optional: create a short menu for the header's Secondary menu setting, for example Help, Documents and Track order.
  4. Create footer menus, then add them to the footer with Menu blocks.

Fill in your business details

  • In the footer, open the Legal information section. Add your Legal company name, Registered address and any Registration numbers that apply to your business.
  • In theme settings, review Safety and privacy: the Form privacy notice, Medical disclaimer and Emergency line. Change the wording to suit your business and your advisers' guidance.
  • In theme settings, review HSA and FSA. Turn off Show HSA/FSA eligibility if you don't sell to shoppers in the United States. See HSA and FSA display.

Use the right templates

Salve includes alternate templates. Assign them in the admin: open a product, page or collection and choose a Theme template.

Template Use it for
product The default product layout. In the Gauge and Remedy presets, it's the device or supplement layout.
product.device Devices: specifications, documents and identifiers near the top.
product.supplement Supplements and OTC products: highlights, ingredients and the disclaimer.
collection.compare A collection with horizontal filters, for use with product comparison.
page.contact Your contact page, with a contact form and the Expert help section.
page.about An about page with image with text, multicolumn and reviewer sections.
page.documents A store-wide document library.
page.safety-notices Your recalls and field safety notices page.
page.hsa-fsa A page that explains HSA and FSA shopping.

Connect your health data

Salve reads health information from product metafields in the health namespace. Until you add data, the health blocks stay hidden. To connect your data:

  1. Create the metafield and metaobject definitions. Follow the Health data setup guide. You only need the fields you'll use.
  2. Enter data for one product and check it in the theme editor. The Health data setup panel at the top of the product information lists the fields that have values. Only you see it, and only in the editor.
  3. Set regulatory statuses. See the Regulatory status reference.
  4. Add documents and, if you need them, safety notices. See Documents and safety notices.
  5. Fill in the rest of your catalog. Bulk editing tips are in the setup guide.

Before you publish

  • Preview the home page, a collection, a product with full health data, a product with none, the cart and the contact page.
  • Check your pages on a phone.
  • Add alt text to your images. See Accessibility.
  • Remove any preset text that doesn't apply to your store, such as service promises in the Trust strip section.

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.