How to add a popup to a Shopify store without a developer

By Andrey Davydov · updated September 29, 2026

A step-by-step guide to a popup on Shopify: install one line, write the modal in the Clew editor and decide when it appears — after a delay, on scroll, on a repeat visit — without touching the theme again.

Time: ● 10 minutes
Price: 14-day free trial, no card
Who does it: Store owner or staff with theme access

Example: a popup on Shopify

A clothing store wants returning shoppers to know about free shipping over $50 without greeting first-time visitors with an overlay. The popup “Free shipping over $50 this month” shows on collection pages on the second visit, once, and its button opens the shipping page.

This format is part of the Pro plan. Every new account starts with a 14-day free trial with all formats and audience rules, no card required. When the trial ends nothing is deleted and published items keep showing; the Free plan keeps tours and tooltips free.

How to add the popup on Shopify, step by step

Step 01
Copy your Clew snippet
Create a free account (or sign in), add your site and open Admin → Overview. Click the line in the “No signal from the widget yet.” card to copy it — it carries your real site key instead of the placeholder.
```

<script src="https://tryclew.io/widget/PASTE_YOUR_SITE_KEY.js" async></script>
```
Step 1 · schematic illustration
Step 02
Open the theme code
In Shopify admin go to Online Store → Themes, press … next to the live theme and choose Edit code.
Step 2 · schematic illustration
Step 03
Paste the line into theme.liquid
Open layout/theme.liquid, paste the Clew line right before </head> and press Save. It loads on every storefront page.
Step 3 · schematic illustration
Step 04
Check the storefront
Open the store in a new private window (with the storefront password if the store isn’t launched yet) and make sure pages load normally.
Step 4 · schematic illustration
Step 05
Write the popup in Clew
In Clew open Flows → + New flow, set Format to Modal window. Add one step: a short title, one or two sentences, and in Link text / Link URL the button text and the page it opens. The modal needs no element selector — it always appears in the center.
Step 5 · schematic illustration
Step 06
Choose where, when and for whom it shows
In the same editor, set Where to show (page URL), When to show, Audience targeting and Frequency. These are the settings of the example above:
Setting Value
Format Modal window
Where to show (page URL) Section by prefix /collections
When to show On the Nth visit: 2
Audience targeting No rules — everyone who opens the page
Frequency Once per visitor
Step 6 · schematic illustration
Step 07
Publish and check it on the live site
Set Status to Published and save. Open the page in a private window — Clew remembers who has already seen a “once” item, so your usual browser may skip it. Views, completions and drop-offs appear in the tour stats.
Step 7 · schematic illustration

Setting	Value
Format	Modal window
Where to show (page URL)	Section by prefix `/collections`
When to show	On the Nth visit: 2
Audience targeting	No rules — everyone who opens the page
Frequency	Once per visitor

Pitfalls: popup on Shopify

Checkout is out of reach

Shopify doesn’t run theme scripts on checkout pages, so a popup can live on product, collection, cart and content pages, not in checkout. Plan the message before the customer gets there.

Custom pixels can’t show UI

Settings → Customer events runs code in a sandbox without access to the page. It works for analytics, not for a popup — use theme.liquid.

Switching themes drops the line

The line lives in the theme. When you publish a new or updated theme, paste it into its theme.liquid again.

Don’t stack it with the builder’s own popups

If the theme or a plugin already shows a newsletter or cookie popup on the same page, visitors get two overlays. Turn one off or give Clew a different trigger (scroll or second visit).

Questions and answers

Can the popup show a discount code?

Yes, as text — for example “Use SPRING10 at checkout”. Clew doesn’t create or validate codes; create the discount in Shopify first.

Is there a Shopify app for Clew?

No, and none is needed: one line in theme.liquid is the whole install. It doesn’t add app charges or theme app blocks.

Can I show the popup only on one page?

Yes. Install the line site-wide and choose Exact path or Section by prefix in Where to show (page URL). The popup won’t appear anywhere else.

Is the popup free?

The modal format is part of Pro; new accounts get a 14-day trial with everything, no card. Tours and tooltips are free on the Free plan.

Where does the button lead?

To any page you enter in Link URL — it opens in a new tab so the visitor doesn’t lose the page they were on.

How to add a popup to a Shopify store without a developer

Example: a popup on Shopify

How to add the popup on Shopify, step by step

Copy your Clew snippet

Open the theme code

Paste the line into theme.liquid

Check the storefront

Write the popup in Clew

Choose where, when and for whom it shows

Publish and check it on the live site