The journey to building a headless Shopify-Gatsby e-commerce site integrated with Storyblock involves several intricate steps that require a sound understanding of various technologies. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough of the process, from setting up a basic Shopify site to integrating it with a headless CMS, Storyblock, and utilizing the Gatsby framework. The aim is to create a seamless e-commerce experience that combines efficient product management with rich content storytelling.
The workshop aims to address common issues faced during e-commerce site development, such as cart persistence and checkout processes. Additionally, it explores the integration of a visual editor using Storyblock to enhance content management capabilities. Participants will gain hands-on experience in handling real-world challenges, ensuring their Shopify-Gatsby site is both functional and dynamic.
Setting Up the Initial Shopify-Gatsby Site
The initial phase involves setting up a basic Shopify site and connecting it to a Gatsby framework. This step is crucial as it establishes the foundation for the e-commerce platform. Participants begin by cloning a repository that includes essential components such as a layout in Gatsby, which serves as the global component wrapping the entire website. The layout includes a simple header and cart icon linking to the cart page.
Following the setup, the next step is to connect Shopify with Gatsby by installing the Gatsby Shopify source plugin. This connection is tested using GraphQL to ensure data from Shopify collections and products are effectively pulled into the Gatsby framework. The process involves creating collection and product pages using Gatsby's create page API and file system API, respectively. This ensures a structured approach to displaying products and collections on the site.
Enhancing User Experience with Cart and Checkout Features
One of the critical aspects of an e-commerce site is the shopping cart and checkout process. In this section, the focus is on creating a persistent shopping cart and a seamless checkout experience. It begins with setting up a context in React to manage the cart state, including functions to add and remove items from the cart.
The checkout process is then initialized using Shopify's buy SDK, allowing users to interact with the checkout directly from the site. This integration ensures that users can seamlessly add items to their cart and proceed to checkout without leaving the site. Moreover, the cart is made persistent by storing checkout information in local storage, ensuring users do not lose their cart contents upon page reload.
Integrating Storyblock for Enhanced Content Management
Storyblock is integrated into the e-commerce site to enrich the content management experience. This headless CMS allows for real-time editing and content management, providing a more dynamic approach to managing site content. The process involves setting up a Storyblock account, creating a space, and obtaining an access token to connect Storyblock with Gatsby.
With Storyblock, components such as hero images, text areas, and product grids are easily managed. The visual editor in Storyblock allows for real-time editing of these components, enabling users to drag and drop components and edit content directly on the page. This integration significantly enhances the storytelling aspect of the e-commerce site, making it more than just a platform for selling products.
Building E-commerce Components with Storyblock
The final section focuses on building e-commerce-specific components using Storyblock. This includes creating single product components and product grids that can be enriched with additional content from Storyblock. The components are dynamically linked with Shopify data, allowing for seamless integration between product information and custom content.
Using Storyblock's plugin fields, products and categories from Shopify can be integrated into the Storyblock interface, allowing for easy selection and display of products on the site. This integration ensures that the e-commerce site is not only functional but also visually appealing and content-rich, providing users with a comprehensive shopping experience.
Conclusion
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of building a headless Shopify-Gatsby e-commerce site with Storyblock integration. By following these steps, developers can create a robust platform that combines efficient e-commerce functionality with dynamic content management. The integration of Storyblock enhances the storytelling aspect, allowing for a richer and more engaging user experience. This approach ensures that the e-commerce site is not only a platform for selling products but also a medium for storytelling and brand engagement.
This workshop has been presented at React Advanced 2022, check out the latest edition of this React Conference.
FAQ
The main objective of the workshop is to build a complete Shopify Gatsby website integrated with Storyblocks, demonstrating how to create a headless CMS setup and enrich e-commerce with storytelling content.
Participants should clone the provided repository, switch to the main branch, and use YARN to register all the packages. They are also advised to follow the progression by branches as the workshop advances.
The technologies integrated in the Shopify Gatsby website include Shopify for e-commerce functionality, Gatsby as the static site generator, and Storyblocks for adding headless CMS capabilities.
The initial components created include a layout component in Gatsby, a simple header using Gatsby's link component, and a cart icon linked to the cart page.
Storyblock components are used to pull dynamic content like hero and text components from Storyblocks, while product-related information is pulled from Shopify. This demonstrates the blend of e-commerce and CMS functionalities.
Participants will learn to create product cards and collection pages using Gatsby's APIs, integrating these with Shopify's product data to display and manage products effectively.
Data fetching from Shopify is handled through the Gatsby Shopify source plugin, allowing participants to pull product and collection data directly into their Gatsby site.
Yes, participants are encouraged to interact directly with the instructor. The instructor prefers real-time interaction over chat and participants are urged to open their mics and speak up during the session.
The workshop covers creating a context for the shopping cart, adding products to the cart, managing checkout processes, and integrating with Shopify's API for a complete e-commerce experience.
We will build a complete Shopify Gatsby website that integrates e-commerce with storytelling and content from a headless CMS. We connect Gatsby and Shopify, create collections and single products, and build a menu and shopping cart. We also integrate Storyblock CMS with a real-time visual editor and troubleshoot any issues. The workshop covers building e-commerce components, including single products, category grids, and best sellers. Overall, the workshop provides a comprehensive guide to building a Shopify Gatsby website with various functionalities.
We are going to build a complete Shopify Gatsby website headless. The homepage will integrate e-commerce with storytelling and content from the headless CMS, Storyblocks. We will build catalogs, collections, shopping cart, checkout process, and integrate with Storyblock components. Clone the repository, install the packages, and progress by branches.
2. Setting up Gatsby Eats and Connecting Shopify
We have just created the essential components for the Gatsby Eats website, including the global layout, header, card page, and homepage. We have also set up the Gatsby config and installed the necessary plugins. I have provided documentation on setting up a Shopify shop and shared the variables for this workshop. In the next step, we will connect Gatsby and Shopify by installing the Gatsby Shopify source plugin and adding the required code to Gatsby configure. Let me know if you encounter any issues.
3. Creating Collections with Gatsby
We are going to create collections using the create page API from Gatsby. We will use the templates and collections, make a page query, and get the handles. Then we filter the collection, map around it, and paginate the context. The handle is used to filter our pages by the handle.
4. Creating Collections and Single Products
We filter our products by collections and handle, and paginate them with a limit of 50 items per page. We create an optimized image component using Gatsby Plugin Image and Gatsby Image Data. The product card component displays the title, handle, variant, feature, and image. We add the product card to the collection templates and correct Tailwind. Next, we create single products using the file system with API method. We filter the Shopify products by handle and query the necessary data. Finally, we build the single product using the title, description, variants, featured image, and price.
5. Creating Menu and Shopping Cart
We are going to create the menu from the collection using gadgets that allow you to query data statically at the component level. We will use the Gatsby GraphQL static query to get the handle and title from all the Shopify Collections. Then, we will filter the collections to remove the front page collection and map around the remaining collections to create links. We may encounter an error, but we will troubleshoot it. Next, we will move on to part two, where we will create the shopping cart and checkout process by building context and adding functions to add and remove products from the cart.
6. Creating Context and Initializing Checkout
In this branch, we create a context and a store provider. We test the add to cart function and confirm that it works. Next, we install Shopify by using yarn. Then, we initialize the checkout state and create the initialize checkout constant. We modify the add to cart function and create a client with the store URL and storefront access token. Finally, we create a buy now button that opens a new window with the checkout for the product.
7. Testing Checkout and Buy Now Button
We query the variant Shopify ID and pass it to the product cart. We test the functionality and open the new checkout for the page. The Buy Now button works, and we have a console log for the new checkout. Let me know if you have questions.
8. Making Card Persistent and Creating Shopping Cart
We make the card persistent by checking if a checkout exists in the local storage. If it does, we fetch it from Shopify; otherwise, we create a new checkout and add it to the local storage. We also add the 'Add to cart' button to the single product. Next, we create the shopping cart page, where we display the cart items, the checkout total price, and the number of items in the cart. We also add a shopping cart icon to the header. Please note that there may be a slight delay when adding items to the cart, so it's recommended to include a loader in a real-world application.
QnA
Testing Checkout and RemoveFromCart
If I add the product to cart, it appears in the cart. The RemoveFromCart function is created to remove items from the cart. We test the checkout process and make a real checkout to see if it works. I have a question about the GitHub URL.
Refreshing Cart and Adding Storyblock
We continue to shipping and payment using the bogus gateway. However, our shopping cart is not empty after the checkout, which is a problem we need to fix. We create a function to refresh the cart after the checkout. In our store context, we create a new ID function to generate a new checkout ID. If the current checkout exists, we fetch it from Shopify. Otherwise, we create a new one and add it to the local storage. Now our cart is empty again. Next, we will add Storyblock to the shop, but there is a problem with the Shopify plugin. Alba has found a solution, and you will be able to test it yourself. For now, I will show you how everything works, and you can redo it using the provided script.
Connecting Storyblock and Configuring Proxy
On branch 12, connect Storyblock by signing up or logging into the Storyblock website and creating a new space. Obtain the access token and install the Gatsby source storyblock plugin. Restart Gatsby to establish the connection. Access GraphQL to view the storyblock entry nodes and their content. To connect the repository and Storyblock, add the Development Server to Storyblock's Visual Editor. Install and run the proxy to enable HTTPS for Storyblock version two. Troubleshoot any issues with the proxy.
Creating Storyblock Components
We are going to create Storyblock components, including a rich text component and a hero component. These components will be rendered using the Storyblock rich text react renderer and the Storyblock editable feature. This will allow us to click on a component and edit it in real time within the Storyblock Visual Editor.
Building Storyblock Components
We create components using a block field that allows us to nest other components and blocks. The hero field contains a headline, text area, and image. The text field uses a rich text component, while the product component connects to the Shopify plugin. We can select products or categories and set limits. The product grid displays six products, and the category grid shows only categories. We wrap the hero in a storyblock editable component and use the render function for the text component. We initialize the storyblock API in the global layout component and create the home page using a page query for the slug home. We can now see and drag and drop our components.
Using Storyblock CMS with Real-Time Visual Editor
We can use easy storyblock, editable, etc. If I click here, I can edit it in real time. I console.log the story, so you are going to be able to see what we have here. Here's a story, the contents, the body, because the component here is named body in the page. And you can see here we have our two components, the hero and the text. And in this hero, we have the description, the headline, the image, and here we have the long text. Component with this content, you see we have heading, paragraphs, so it's the render function that we have seen is going to dispersing this. We create this variable components from a story content body and we map around this components that we are seeing the content log and we render this storyblock component passing the block and the block QID and this storyblock component is going to handle the conditional display of this component if they exist. And then I display my components here. So here we have the layout, here we have the page and with that everything works. Do you have any questions? There is not a kind of CMS, it's a CMS, it's a headless CMS with real time visual editor is only one that is with time visual editor so let me know if you have other questions about the storybook. You can speak, it's easier for me reading.
Building E-commerce Components and Troubleshooting
I will show you how to build e-commerce components, including a single product component and a category grid. You can browse collections, select categories, and see real-time changes. You can also focus on specific products, edit them, and customize the layout. Additionally, you can showcase best sellers using the product group component. Remember to save and refresh the data to see the changes. Let's restart Gatsby and reload the page to resolve any issues.
Building Product and Category Components
Here, we have the single product component, which pulls data from both Storyblock and Shopify. The product grid component also retrieves data from Shopify to display products and allows users to add items to the cart. The category grid component pulls data from Shopify to display categories. We use static queries to fetch the necessary data. The components are built using the retrieved data, including the handle, variant, price, and Shopify ID. We also create collections using the handle and image from Shopify. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Adding Storyblock and Connecting
Part 3 is about adding Storyblock and connecting it. The speaker encourages questions and reviews from the audience. They mention being available at the Storyblock booth, playing Tetris, and clarifying the difference between Storyblock and Storybook. The speaker expresses gratitude and invites the audience to enjoy the conference and use their tool.
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