How to add a wishlist to your Shopify store (no code)

Shopify has no built-in wishlist. If a shopper likes a product but is not ready to buy, the only thing they can do is leave. A wishlist gives them a second option: save it, and come back. This guide shows how to add one in about five minutes, without touching theme code.

What a wishlist needs to do

Before installing anything, it helps to know what "a wishlist" means on a real store. There are four parts:

• A button on the product page, next to Add to cart.
• A heart on product cards, so shoppers can save from a collection page without opening each product.
• A wishlist page where saved products are listed with Add to cart.
• A header icon that shows how many items are saved and links to that page.

It should also work for guests. On most stores the majority of visitors are not logged in, so a wishlist that demands an account loses most of its saves.

Step 1: Install a wishlist app

Install ZS Wishlist & Notify Me from the Shopify App Store. The Free plan includes unlimited saves, guest wishlists, the button, card hearts and the wishlist page, so you can follow this whole guide without paying.

Step 2: Switch on the app embeds

1. In Shopify admin go to Online Store → Themes → Customize.
2. Open the App embeds panel on the left.
3. Turn on Wishlist Header Icon and Wishlist on Cards.

App embeds are added by Shopify itself, not by editing your theme files. That matters later: if you ever remove the app, nothing is left behind in your theme.

Step 3: Add the button to the product page

1. Still in the theme editor, open a Product template.
2. In the product information section click Add block and choose Wishlist Button.
3. Drag it next to the Add to cart button and click Save.

Step 4: Create the wishlist page

1. Go to Online Store → Pages → Add page and name it Wishlist.
2. In the theme editor, open that page's template and add the Wishlist Page block.

The header icon links to /pages/wishlist automatically.

Step 5: Test it as a shopper

Open your store in a private window, tap a heart on a collection page and open the wishlist. The saved product should be there. Then check the app's Wishlists screen in Shopify admin: the save appears within seconds.

Does it work with my theme?

App blocks and app embeds need an Online Store 2.0 theme, which covers nearly every current Shopify theme, including Dawn and Horizon. On older "vintage" themes the header icon and card hearts still work, but the product-page button block cannot be added.

What to do next

A wishlist on its own only records interest. The sales come from acting on it: emailing a shopper when a saved product drops in price or comes back in stock. See how wishlist emails bring shoppers back, or read the full setup documentation.