Features settings enable optional UX enhancements throughout your store: breadcrumb navigation for wayfinding, back-to-top button for long pages, currency code display for international clarity, and timezone configuration for accurate countdown timers. These opt-in features improve usability without cluttering your design. Enable features that benefit your specific customer base and store requirements - breadcrumbs for complex catalogs, back-to-top for content-heavy pages, currency codes for international stores.
What this controls Features settings enable optional UX enhancements throughout your Sahara store: breadcrumb navigation for wayfinding, back-to-top button for long pages, currency code display for international clarity, and timezone configuration for accurate countdown timers.
These are opt-in/opt-out features. Enable what benefits your customers, disable what doesn’t fit your store.
How it works Four independent feature groups:
Breadcrumbs: Navigation trails showing page hierarchy (Home > Collection > Product)Back to Top Button: Floating button to quickly scroll to page topCurrency Codes: Display currency symbols with codes (e.g., “$49 USD”)Timezone: Set GMT offset for countdown timer accuracy
Each can be configured independently based on your store’s needs.
Getting started
Open Theme Customizer
From Shopify admin → Online Store → Themes → Customize
Access features settings
Click Theme settings → Select Features
Configure breadcrumbs
Choose where to display navigation breadcrumbs
Enable optional features
Turn on back-to-top button if needed, configure currency display
Set timezone
Select your store’s GMT offset for accurate countdown timers
Location Path: Theme settings → FeaturesSettings Breadcrumbs
Navigation Aids
Currency Display
Timing
Show on Product Page Display breadcrumb navigation on product pages. Default: EnabledBreadcrumb Path: Home > Collection Name > Product NameBreadcrumbs improve SEO by adding structured data to your pages and help customers understand where they are in your store.
Show on All Other Pages Display breadcrumb navigation on collection pages, blog posts, static pages, and other pages. Default: EnabledExamples:
Collections: Home > Collections > Category Name
Blog: Home > Blog > Article Title
Pages: Home > About Us
Breadcrumbs Alignment Controls horizontal alignment of breadcrumb navigation. Options:
Start: Left-aligned (default)Center: Centered Default: Start
Enable Breadcrumbs If:
Store has deep category hierarchy (3+ levels)
Large product catalog (100+ products)
Multiple collections/categories
Blog content with categories
SEO is a priority
Users need clear navigation path
Disable Breadcrumbs If:
Single-category store (all products in one place)
Very simple site structure
Minimal design is critical
Homepage-to-product-only navigation
SEO Benefits:
Structured data markup (JSON-LD)
Enhanced search result display (breadcrumb trail in Google)
Better site crawlability
Improved page hierarchy understanding
UX Benefits:
Shows current location in site
One-click navigation to parent pages
Reduces “back button” spam
Lower bounce rate on deep pages
Breadcrumb alignment strategy
Start (Left-Aligned) - Recommended:
Standard web pattern: Users expect breadcrumbs top-leftBest for: Most stores, traditional layoutsCoordinates with: Left-aligned page titles, standard navigationReading flow: Natural left-to-right reading Center-Aligned:
Editorial feel: Fashion-forward, magazine-styleBest for: Minimal designs, centered layouts, fashion/luxuryCoordinates with: Centered page titles, centered hero sectionsCaution: Less conventional, may be less discoverable Decision Guide:
If page titles are left-aligned → Use Start
If page titles are centered → Use Center
If unsure → Use Start (safer default)
Breadcrumb navigation patterns
Product Page Breadcrumbs:
Shows full category path
Each element is clickable
Current page (product name) not clickable
Collection Page Breadcrumbs:
Simpler path
Helps return to all collections
Blog Post Breadcrumbs:
Shows blog hierarchy
Can link to blog category
Static Page Breadcrumbs:
Simple two-level path
Direct navigation to homepage
Display a floating button that scrolls the page back to the top when clicked. Default: DisabledBehavior:
Appears after scrolling down the page
Fixed position (typically bottom-right corner)
Smooth scroll animation to top
Visible on all pages when enabled
Particularly useful for product pages with many reviews, long blog posts, or collection pages with hundreds of products.
When to enable back-to-top
Enable Back-to-Top If: Long Product Pages:
Product descriptions over 500 words
20+ customer reviews
Multiple product videos
Large image galleries (10+ images)
Extensive size charts or specifications
Content-Heavy Pages:
Blog posts over 1000 words
FAQ pages with many questions
About Us pages with team sections
Infinite Scroll Collections:
Collection pages that load more products on scroll
50+ products visible without pagination
Use Case Examples:
Mattress store: Long product specs, many reviews
Fashion blog: Long-form content articles
Electronics: Detailed technical specifications
Disable Back-to-Top If:
Short pages (everything above the fold)
Minimal content strategy
Mobile-first design (users expect to scroll)
Prefer clean, uncluttered interface
Back-to-top button best practices
Show Currency Codes Display currency codes alongside prices throughout the store. Default: EnabledEffect:
Enabled: “$49.99 USD”, “€39.99 EUR”, “£29.99 GBP”
Disabled: “$49.99”, “€39.99”, “£29.99”
When to show currency codes
Enable Currency Codes If: International Selling:
Selling to multiple countries
Using Shopify Markets
Multi-currency enabled
Customers from different regions
Ambiguous Currency Symbols:
$ symbol (could be USD, CAD, AUD, SGD, etc.)
£ symbol (could be GBP, EGP, SYP, etc.)
$ especially ambiguous - 20+ countries use it
Clarity Needed:
Running international ads
Social media followers from multiple countries
International shipping offered
Example Scenarios:
US store selling to Canada: “$49 USD” clarifies vs CAD
UK store with EU customers: “£29 GBP” vs “€35 EUR”
Australian store: “$99 AUD” clarifies it’s not USD
Disable Currency Codes If: Single Market:
Only sell in one country
All customers use same currency
Currency symbol is unambiguous (€ for EU-only store)
Cleaner Design Preference:
Minimal aesthetic priority
Currency is obvious from context
Already display “All prices in USD” notice
Currency codes and Shopify Markets
Shopify Markets Integration: Shopify Markets automatically handles:
Currency conversion
Currency selector
Localized pricing
When to Show Codes with Markets:
Show: If selling to countries with same symbol (US + Canada, UK + EU)Show: During currency conversion to avoid confusionHide: If each market sees only one currency Currency Display Patterns: With Currency Codes: Without Currency Codes: Best Practice:
If using multi-currency, show codes. If single currency, consider hiding for cleaner look.
Timezone (GMT) Set your store’s timezone offset for accurate countdown timers. Range: -12 to +12 (GMT offset in hours)
Default: 0 (GMT/UTC)Affects:
Countdown timers in announcement bar
Sale countdown sections
Limited-time offer timers
Flash sale displays
Incorrect timezone settings cause countdown timers to end at wrong times. Set this to match your store’s business timezone.
Setting the correct timezone
Common Timezone Offsets: North America:
-8: PST (Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver)-7: MST (Denver, Phoenix, Calgary)-6: CST (Chicago, Mexico City, Dallas)-5: EST (New York, Toronto, Miami) Europe:
0: GMT (London, Lisbon)+1: CET (Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome)+2: EET (Athens, Helsinki, Istanbul) Asia:
+5.5: IST (India) - Note: Sahara uses integer only, use +6 +8: CST (China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Perth)+9: JST (Japan, Seoul) Oceania:
+10: AEST (Sydney, Melbourne)+12: NZST (Auckland) How to Find Your Offset:
Google “what is my timezone GMT offset”
Or: Check your city on worldtimebuddy.com
Count hours difference from London (GMT)
Use Cases for Countdown Timers: Flash Sales:
“Sale ends in 3 hours”
Must end at correct local time
Example: End sale at 11:59pm store local time
Product Launches:
“Available in 2 days”
Launch simultaneously across store
Example: Release at 9am EST
Limited Offers:
“Offer ends tonight”
Clear deadline in store timezone
Shipping Deadlines:
“Order in next 4 hours for same-day shipping”
Based on warehouse timezone
What Happens With Wrong Timezone:
Timer says “3 hours left” but actually 6 hours left
Sale ends too early or too late
Customer confusion and complaints
Lost sales from unclear deadlines
Countdown timer best practices
Setting Timers:
Set timezone BEFORE creating countdown timers
Test countdown by checking end time
Verify across different user timezones
Where Timers Appear:
Announcement bar: “Sale ends in 2:34:15”
Product pages: “Limited time offer”
Countdown sections: Visual timer displays
Technical Details:
JavaScript Date object uses local timezone
Your timezone setting offsets to store time
User sees countdown in their local time
But counts down to YOUR timezone’s deadline
Example:
Store timezone: EST (-5)
Sale ends: 11:59pm EST
User in PST sees: “Ends in 3 hours” (8:59pm PST)
User in GMT sees: “Ends in 5 hours” (4:59am GMT next day)
Recommendation:
Always display timezone in countdown text: “Sale ends 11:59pm EST”Best practices
Enable breadcrumbs for SEO
Use back-to-top on long pages
Show currency codes for international stores
Set accurate timezone
Align breadcrumbs with page titles
Test countdown timers
Consider mobile for back-to-top
Coordinate with Markets strategy
Breadcrumbs help large catalogs
Keep defaults for most stores
Common use cases
International e-commerce store
Settings:
Breadcrumbs: Enabled on all pages
Breadcrumb alignment: Start
Back-to-top button: Enabled (if long product pages)
Currency codes: Enabled
Timezone: Set to warehouse/HQ location (e.g., -5 for EST)
Why:
Breadcrumbs for navigation and SEO
Currency codes prevent confusion (USD vs CAD vs AUD)
Timezone ensures flash sales end at correct time
Back-to-top if product pages have many reviews
Best for: Shopify Markets stores, international shipping, multi-currency
Content-heavy store (blog + products)
Settings:
Breadcrumbs: Enabled on all pages
Breadcrumb alignment: Center (editorial feel)
Back-to-top button: Enabled
Currency codes: Enabled or Disabled (depends on market)
Timezone: Set to content team location
Why:
Breadcrumbs help navigate blog categories
Center alignment for magazine-style aesthetic
Back-to-top essential for long blog posts
Countdown timers for content releases
Best for: Fashion blogs, lifestyle brands, content marketing focus
Settings:
Breadcrumbs: Disabled
Breadcrumb alignment: N/A
Back-to-top button: Disabled
Currency codes: Disabled
Timezone: 0 (GMT) if no countdown timers used
Why:
Clean, uncluttered design
Simple navigation structure doesn’t need breadcrumbs
Short pages don’t need back-to-top
Single-market store, currency is obvious
Best for: Small catalogs (under 50 products), single-category stores, minimal aesthetic brands
Flash sale / limited-time offer store
Settings:
Breadcrumbs: Enabled (SEO benefit)
Breadcrumb alignment: Start
Back-to-top button: Enabled (collections with many products)
Currency codes: Enabled (international urgency marketing)
Timezone: CRITICAL - set exactly to store timezone
Why:
Countdown timers are main feature
Timezone accuracy is business-critical
Currency codes for international flash sale ads
Back-to-top for long sale collection pages
Best for: Daily deal sites, seasonal sales, product launch stores
Layout - Page structure affects breadcrumb placementTypography - Breadcrumb and button text stylingButtons - Back-to-top button appearanceSocial Media - Another “features” type setting
Need help? Test features with your actual content. Enable breadcrumbs and browse your site, enable back-to-top and scroll long pages, verify countdown timers end at correct times.
