For independent booksellers
An online store that feels like your independent bookshop
People choose an indie bookshop for its taste: the front table, the handwritten picks, the sections nobody else has. InShelf brings that curation to your Shopify store as a 3D bookshelf, with one shelf per collection.
Why so many indie bookstore websites look alike
Most bookshop websites end up as a grid of covers, a search bar and a sort menu. It works, but it's the same layout the big marketplaces use, with a much larger catalog behind it. When your store looks like theirs, the only thing left to compare is the price.
- Curation gets buried. Your sections live in a dropdown menu that few visitors open.
- Staff picks lose their voice. A "Recommended" collection looks exactly like "All books".
- Browsing disappears. People search for the book they came for, and leave with just that one.
What makes your shop worth visiting is the selection. Online, it needs to be in plain sight, not tucked away in a menu.
Your curation, on real shelves
One shelf per collection
Staff picks, New in, Local authors, Poetry: each collection you choose becomes a shelf, in the order you set.
Spines that look like books
Each spine is generated from the cover, with the title and author in the font you pick. More on that on our virtual bookshelf page.
Badges on the cover
New, Signed and discounts show on the cover and in the book details, so signed copies and fresh arrivals stand out.
A look that matches your shop
12 ready-made styles, from Classic and Vintage to Nordic and Kids, plus wood, colors and fonts, all with a live preview.
Staff picks and recommendations, like in the shop
An easy place to start: create a collection in Shopify called "Staff picks", or one per bookseller, add the titles and put it on the top shelf. Shoppers can open any book to see its cover, author and price, and add it to the cart without leaving the page.
You can also bring the picks to your home page. The Bookshelf strip block shows one collection as a low shelf that slides as people scroll, with the middle book stepping forward. See it working here. Refresh the picks every week, the way you'd change the front table: InShelf stays in sync with Shopify, so editing the collection updates the shelf.
Looking for more section ideas, like themed tables, local authors or book-club reads? Our guide to online bookstore website ideas has plenty.
Practical setup
No code and no designer needed. Most of the work is deciding what goes on each shelf.
Tidy up your collections
Each shelf is a collection, so group your books the way your shop does. If author or ISBN aren't in your products yet, here's how to add them in Shopify.
Install InShelf
From the Shopify App Store. It imports your products, covers, descriptions and collections.
Choose the shelves
Pick the collections and their order, and leave out anything that isn't a book, like tote bags or bookmarks.
Pick a style
Try the styles with the live preview until the shelf feels like your shop.
Put it in front of readers
Add a
#shelflink to your menu, or a bookshelf block to your home page. It works with Online Store 2.0 themes such as Dawn or Horizon, without touching theme code.
Pricing for small catalogs
| Plan | Price | Books on the shelf | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 20 | Studio scene, 7-day stats, InShelf badge |
| Starter | $9.99/month | Up to 150 | All design options, 90-day stats, no branding |
| Pro | $19.99/month | Unlimited | Everything in Starter, every scene including Living room, priority support |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Shopify store to use InShelf?
Yes. InShelf is a Shopify app and there's no version for other platforms. If your shop is on Shopify with an Online Store 2.0 theme, it works without editing your theme's code.
Can I show only part of my catalog?
Yes. You choose which collections become shelves and can leave out individual products. That's also how you stay within 20 books on Free or 150 on Starter.
Can I highlight signed copies and new arrivals?
Yes. Badges like New, Signed and discounts appear on the book's cover and in its details on the shelf.
Does InShelf fetch book data from distributors or ISBN databases?
No. It uses the products you already have in Shopify: covers, titles, descriptions and collections. Anything you want shoppers to see has to be in your Shopify products.
Will it work for customers on their phones?
Yes. They pinch to get closer, tap a book to open it and swipe to the next one, and the scene is lighter on mobile.
What happens to my store if I uninstall it?
It stays exactly as it was. InShelf doesn't change your products or your theme; it only adds the bookshelf while the app is active.