Create a Product Slider for Your Squarespace Store with this plugin

Why This Matters

Ever tried hunting for something specific in an online shop, only to give up because you couldn’t make sense of the clutter? Welcome to the everyday pain of browsing a busy Squarespace store. The trouble is, with every new product you add, your shop can spiral from “sleek gallery” to “jumble sale” nearly overnight. Customers might love your products, but their patience for endless scrolling is famously thin. When you add price filters and a slider, your site becomes far easier to navigate.

A good product slider tidies up your shopfront and gives buyers direct control over what they see, narrowing down options by price, tags, or categories, so they can get to what they want sooner. Less time wandering, more time buying. For you, this means higher engagement, happier customers, and probably less moaning in your inbox.

Setting up a product slider might sound technical or daunting at first, but you can set up a filtering slider without advanced web design knowledge. Here’s how.

Common Pitfalls

The number-one mistake is overthinking the whole thing. A lot of store owners assume they'll need to wrestle with JavaScript or hack through Squarespace’s limitations, only to give up halfway. Others find a plugin they like, install it half-heartedly, and then wonder why it looks stitched-on or behaves badly on mobile.

Another common issue is leaving the slider untouched after installation, which makes it stand out in a bad way. Style matters, especially with plugins that sit in the middle of your shop. If the slider doesn’t blend in or match your products, it can feel more like an obstacle than a feature.

Some users also forget to optimise the slider after setup. A product slider requires good configuration. If you don’t tune it to match your customers’ actual needs—relevant categories, suitable price ranges, responsive design—it’s like fitting a sports car with square wheels.

If you’ve ever muttered, “Well, that was a waste of seventy quid,” you probably aren’t the only one.

Step-by-Step Fix

You’ll need the Universal Filter plugin by Squarewebsites for this tutorial. The plugin costs £74 at last check, but it makes the difference between a basic shop and a professional online storefront.

Step 1: Installing the Universal Filter Plugin

First, don’t let the price tag put you off. This plugin was built for people who want power features on Squarespace without wading through endless support threads.

1. Buy and Download: Go to the Squarewebsites site, add Universal Filter to your cart, and complete purchase. You’ll receive plugin code and a guide.
2. Access Your Shop Settings: Log in to Squarespace, head to the shop/page where you want the filter, and click the settings cog.
3. Code Injection: From there, scroll down to ‘Advanced’ and click on ‘Page Header Code Injection’. Instead of a complex process, you just paste in the snippet Squarewebsites gave you.
4. Save: Always hit save. Otherwise, you’ll spend the next ten minutes refreshing with nothing happening. (It’s always the small things.)

Step 2: Activating and Configuring the Product Slider

Squarespace makes this simpler than some other platforms, but you’ll want to tweak a few settings so it fits your own shop.

1. Return to Shop Settings: Once the base code is injected, pop back into the page settings. Look for a section marked ‘Advanced’ or ‘Header Code Injection’. Sometimes plugins split code across these spots, so double-check the instructions from Squarewebsites.
2. Paste Remaining Code: Drop in any secondary snippets as described in their installation instructions.
3. Preview: You should now see a slider in your shop, usually in place of the old category filter. Depending on your theme or custom blocks, it could look a little odd at first glance.

Step 3: Customise the Slider to Match Your Store

The Universal Filter plugin includes a wide variety of features out of the box. Now you can choose which ones to keep and personalise the slider for your shop.

1. Remove Unwanted Features: Go back into ‘Page Head Code Injection’ and edit out any filter options or tags you won’t use. For smaller stores, simpler is always better.
2. Change Positioning: To move the slider to a different location such as the left or the top, use the plugin documentation to find the display style settings. Update the relevant attribute by toggling between options like “modern,” “sidebar,” or “dropdown” views until it works for you.
3. Tweak Transitions & Load Speed: Adjust the transition properties if your filter feels sluggish. Shorter animation times (usually in milliseconds) mean customers get faster feedback.
4. Hide the Title (If Needed): A slider headlined with “Product Filter” isn’t winning any style contests. Drop the title via the plugin settings or by commenting out its code block.
5. Style Menu Options: Use the alignment controls so options don’t float half-left, half-right. Consistent alignment makes your design look polished.

Step 4: Add More Polish with CSS Tweaks

This is where you can take your slider from functional to fully integrated. Universal Filter’s default look is fine, but small adjustments can help it match your shop’s aesthetic.

1. Open the CSS Editor: In Squarespace, click ‘Design’ then ‘Custom CSS’.
2. Identify the Slider Class: Use your browser’s inspector (right-click, “Inspect Element”) to grab the class or ID tied to the filter and slider components.
3. Customise Styles: Try a few basic changes such as background colour, padding, rounded corners, or font size. Small edits like a matching border or a more noticeable slider handle can improve the look and feel.
4. Advanced Animations: If you want the filter results to fade or reorder smoothly instead of switching instantly, adjust CSS transitions for better effects.
5. Responsiveness Checks: On mobile, your slider should convert to a dropdown or vertical alignment. If it doesn’t, add a mobile media query or check the plugin’s built-in settings.

Step 5: Refine Category and Tag Logic

Sliders work best when they use the right filters. For example, if your products range from £5 mugs to £80 t-shirts, it’s unhelpful to show a price range filter from £0 to £5000.

1. Audit Your Categories: Open your product list and ensure everything is tagged in a way that will be useful for customers. “Collections” like “On Sale”, “New Arrivals”, or “For Her” can make a big difference.
2. Adjust Price Ranges: If your products are mostly entry-level, reduce the maximum price. For shops with more varied stock, create meaningful price bands. Fewer, well-chosen options are better than too many confusing points.
3. Preview & Test: Make sure your categories match the slider. Test the extremes—does filtering on the lowest price only show a couple of unrelated products? Does “Premium” actually surface your upsell stock?
4. Label Clearly: If you use tag filters alongside price, be specific: “Eco Bamboo” works better than just “Bamboo.” Shoppers want quick clarity.

Step 6: Smooth Out the User Experience

Any new store feature is only truly complete when it works perfectly for your visitors. Real-world testing will show what needs improvement.

1. Test Responsiveness: Open your shop on a mobile, a tablet, and an old laptop if possible. The filter needs to look clean and functional everywhere.
2. Send to a Friend: Ask someone without technical experience to find a product using the slider. Note any places they get stuck and refine those areas.
3. Clear Results: When filters are active, provide a “clear all” or “reset” button. Shoppers like exploring and often want to return to the full shop after filtering.
4. Analytics Check: After a week, review your shop’s statistics. If users are leaving halfway down the page, change the filter order or simplify further.

What Most People Miss

Seasoned web designers and frequent buyers know a key truth: The real value here comes from reducing friction. A product slider might look impressive, but its real strength is how quietly it works in the background so users can simply enjoy browsing.

Many people get distracted by shiny new features and lose sight of the user experience. The strongest sliders work efficiently and almost seem to disappear—the best ones load quickly, look clean, and are intuitive.

To create a truly effective shop, focus on essentials. Improving speed and simplicity will benefit your customers far more than adding complex extra features. A successful product slider is the one customers never notice—they find what they want, complete their purchase, and move on.

The Bigger Picture

Once your product slider is up and working smoothly, life becomes easier in multiple ways. You’ll spend less time answering emails like, “Do you have this in my size?” or “I can’t find your sale section.” Customers enjoy your shop in the way you always intended. First impressions improve, conversion rates often rise, and your day-to-day headaches decrease.

You’ll also become more confident making technical upgrades yourself. Mastering a plugin like Universal Filter prepares you for future changes, be it a homepage carousel, new category blocks, or more advanced CSS.

This project lays the groundwork for scaling up later. Once your product slider is working, your shop’s structure stays strong as you add new ranges and features. Consistent workflow replaces constant patching, leading to loyal, satisfied customers.

Wrap-Up

Getting a product slider working on Squarespace is an achievable project. With the Universal Filter plugin and the right setup, you can quickly improve how customers navigate your shop. The key is to stay focused: remove unnecessary features, fine-tune the appearance, and build with your audience in mind—real people who want a smooth buying experience.

If you want to go further, troubleshoot sticking points, or swap ideas with other shop owners, joining the Pixelhaze Academy community can be very helpful. Members get access to live sessions, Q&As, and advice for solving design challenges.

“Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.”

Jargon Buster

Product Slider: A strip or panel within your online shop where visitors can fine-tune which products they see, often by price, tags, or categories.

Price Range Slider: An interactive sliding scale that lets customers set their minimum and maximum spend, filtering out any bargains or blowouts they’re not interested in.

CSS: Short for Cascading Style Sheets: the design language behind your site’s look and feel. It’s how you change fonts, colours, spacing, and the rest—all without touching your content.

Code Injection: A Squarespace feature that lets you add custom scripts or styles into a page. Instead of something tricky, it simply means copying and pasting code into the appropriate spot.

FAQs

How do I install the Universal Filter plugin on my Squarespace store?
Buy the plugin, copy the main code and any secondary snippets as instructed by Squarewebsites, then inject them into your shop’s Advanced/Page Header settings. Refresh and look for the slider replacing your usual filter links.

What are some basic customisations I can make to the product slider?
Remove any unused filter options, reposition the slider (top, side, dropdown), hide or rename titles, adjust transition speeds, and align filter choices for a clean look. For more, use the Custom CSS area to style colours, padding, and text.

Is it necessary to have CSS skills to customise the design of the product slider?
No, but knowing some CSS opens up more possibilities. The plugin covers the basics such as positioning, options, and transitions. For a fully branded appearance, a few CSS tweaks make a difference.

What if my slider isn't showing or looks broken after installation?
Double-check you put the code in the correct area (Advanced and Head Injection as required). Clear your cache, try on a private browser, and see if disabling extra plugins helps. If problems persist, the Pixelhaze Skool community can help troubleshoot.

How can I undo a change if I accidentally break the slider?
Always keep a backup of your slider code. If anything doesn’t work, revert to your backup or reinstall the default plugin version, then reapply your changes one at a time.

Related Resources / Further Reading

• Pixelhaze Academy and Squarewebsites Partnership Announcement
• Do you need to plug in to create pro Squarespace designs?
• Boost User Engagement with Our New Squarespace Countdown Timer Plugin
• Introducing the Frosted Glass Effect: A Simple, Gorgeous Squarespace Plugin
• Revamping Your Website with Squarespace Plugins: Spotlight on the Lightbox Anything Plugin
• Upgrade Your Squarespace Online Store with our Shop Filter Plugin
• Essential Strategies for Improving Your Squarespace Website with Plugins
• Make the Most of the PixelHaze Simple Summary Block Filter Plugin

Want the plugin?
Find Universal Filter at Squarewebsites.
For templates, check out Square Forge.

If you’re tired of endless scrolling in your shop, a product slider will help break the pattern. If you ever feel frustrated or unsure while working through the steps, the Skool community is a helpful resource where you can find proven solutions and reliable support.

See you on the other side.