Online bookshelf display
A virtual bookshelf for your store's website
A virtual bookshelf shows your books the way a shop does: spines on shelves, grouped by section, ready to be pulled out. On Shopify, InShelf builds one from your catalog and opens it full screen over your store.
What a virtual bookshelf is
A virtual bookshelf is a way of displaying books on shelves instead of in a product grid. Spines face out, sections sit one above another, and clicking a book brings it forward. Some are a flat picture with links; others are 3D scenes you can move around and zoom into.
The point isn't decoration. A grid is great for finding a book you already know. A shelf is better for browsing: a reader scans a row, notices a color or a title, and picks it up. That's the habit a good bookshop builds, and it's the one most online stores lose.
Ways to add a bookshelf to a website
| Option | How it works | Worth it when |
|---|---|---|
| Image with links | A photo or illustration of a shelf, with links placed over a few covers. | You want to feature a few titles and don't mind redoing it by hand when stock changes. |
| Custom code | A developer builds the shelves in HTML and CSS, or with a 3D library, and connects them to your products. | You have a developer and a budget to maintain it as your theme and catalog change. |
| An app for your store platform | The app reads your products and collections, turns them into books and shelves, and keeps them in sync. | You want a working shelf without building or updating it yourself. |
When a simple grid is enough
Not every store needs a bookshelf. If most of your customers arrive knowing the exact title they want, a clean grid and a good search bar serve them well. A shelf doesn't help much there, and InShelf doesn't include a search box inside the bookshelf. The same goes for stores that sell mostly gifts or stationery with a few books on the side.
A virtual bookshelf earns its place when people come to browse: a curated bookshop, a small press, a store whose sections say something about its taste. It also doesn't have to replace anything. With InShelf, the bookshelf opens on top of your site and your theme's collection pages stay exactly as they are, so shoppers who prefer the grid still have it.
How InShelf builds the bookshelf on Shopify
InShelf is a Shopify app for bookstores. It reads what's already in your store, so there's nothing to upload twice.
Install it from the Shopify App Store
It imports your products, covers, descriptions and collections, and stays in sync when you change them.
Every product becomes a book
The spine is generated from the cover: its color, plus the title and author in the font you choose, with contrast that stays readable. Products without an image get a typographic cover.
Collections become shelves
Choose which collections go on the bookshelf and in what order, and leave out products that aren't books, like tote bags or bookmarks.
Add <code>#shelf</code> to your menu
A menu link to
#shelfopens the bookshelf full screen over the page. A floating button or a button block can open it too.
Theme blocks for any page
Bookshelf hero
A headline with a 3D shelf underneath, made for the top of your home page.
Bookshelf (no background)
One shelf, or the whole bookcase, sitting inside a section of your theme.
Bookshelf strip
A low shelf that slides as the customer scrolls, with the middle book stepping forward to show its cover. Try the strip on our home page.
Bookshelf button
A button that opens the full-screen bookshelf from wherever you place it.
What shoppers can do on the shelf
- Click a book to pull it out and see its cover, title, author and price, then add it to the cart without leaving the page. It uses your theme's own cart.
- Sort each shelf by recommended, price, A–Z or color.
- Spot badges on the covers, like New, Signed or a discount.
- On a phone, pinch to get closer, tap a book and swipe to the next one. The mobile scene is lighter.
- Browse in their own language: the bookshelf is translated into 15 languages.
The 3D engine only downloads when someone opens the bookshelf, or once the page has finished loading if it has a bookshelf block. For more on the 3D side, see our 3D bookshelf page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a virtual bookshelf?
A display that shows books on shelves, spine out, instead of in a grid of covers. On a store, each book is a product shoppers can open and buy.
Can I add a virtual bookshelf to a website that isn't on Shopify?
Not with InShelf. It's a Shopify app and only works on Shopify stores with an Online Store 2.0 theme. On other platforms you'd need a different tool or custom code.
Will a 3D bookshelf slow down my site?
InShelf only downloads its 3D engine when a shopper opens the bookshelf, or after the page has finished loading if you use a bookshelf block. The rest of your store loads as it does now.
Do I have to design the spines?
No. InShelf generates each spine from the book's cover, with the title and author in the font you pick. If you want to see how that works, try our book spine generator.
How many books can go on the bookshelf?
It depends on the plan: up to 20 books on Free, up to 150 on Starter ($9.99/month) and unlimited on Pro ($19.99/month). Paid plans have a 7-day trial.
Does it replace my collection pages?
No. The bookshelf opens on top of your store and your theme stays as it was. If you uninstall InShelf, the store goes back to exactly how it was before.