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Color swatch guide

How to add color swatches to the Broadcast theme.

Broadcast is a paid theme now sold under Presidio, $420 in the Theme Store and at version 8.1.1 (April 10, 2026) as of October 23, 2026. Presidio's docs say native swatches work in versions above 8.0.0, switched on with Swatches type in Theme settings rather than in the Variant picker block, which has no swatch setting of its own.

Checked Broadcast theme profile

Which route fits Broadcast?

Route 1

Shopify's native swatches.

Native swatch support in Broadcast in versions after 8.0.0.

  1. Update Broadcast past 8.0.0

    Presidio's swatch page says native swatches work in versions above 8.0.0. Check your version in Online Store > Themes.

  2. Give each product a category

    In Products, open a product and choose the most specific match in the Category field. Categories come from Shopify's Standard Product Taxonomy, and picking one adds that category's attributes to the product as category metafields. You want a category that lists Color (or a color attribute such as Frame color or Band color). If Color is missing under Category metafields, try a narrower category.

  3. Add the colors you sell

    Under Category metafields, open Color and select every color your variants come in. Each color is a reusable entry. You can rename an entry, set its exact hex value or upload a pattern image later in Content > Metaobjects, and the change shows everywhere that entry is used.

  4. Link the Color option to the metafield

    In the Variants section, add an option and pick Color from the suggestions so its values come from the entries you just chose. If the product already has a Color option, open it, use the connect icon beside the option name and choose the Color category metafield. Swatches only appear for options linked this way, so do this on every product you want swatches on in Broadcast.

  5. Set Swatches type to Native

    In the theme editor, open Theme settings > Swatches and set Swatches type to Native. The other choices are Theme, Broadcast's own swatches, and None. Pick Circle or Square for Swatch style.

  6. Choose how swatches look on collection cards

    In the same group, Collection style sets the product card look: Text only, Slider, Slider on hover, Swatch with text, or Grid.

  7. Check it on a real product page

    Save, then open a product in a private browser window and on your phone. Click each swatch and confirm the price, photo and stock message change with it. If Broadcast shows plain text buttons instead, go back to the linking step: the option is probably not linked to the Color category metafield yet.

Route 2

A swatch app.

Broadcast already shows swatches on product pages and product cards, so an app is for extras. Platmart Color Swatches joins separate products into one color picker, Rubik Variant Images & Swatch shows only the chosen color's photos, and GLO Color Swatch Variant Image adds product grouping and a hide-sold-out option.

  1. Duplicate Broadcast first

    In Online Store > Themes, open the menu beside Broadcast and choose Duplicate. Set up the app on the copy, preview it, and publish the copy only when the swatches look right. Your live store keeps working while you test.

  2. Install the app and start its trial or free plan

    Install the app from the Shopify App Store and approve the access it asks for. Every app suggested on this page had a free plan, a free listing or a free trial of 7 to 30 days when we checked on October 23, 2026, so you can test before you pay.

  3. Switch on the app embed

    Open the theme editor on your copy (Online Store > Themes, then Customize or Edit theme), click the App embeds icon in the left sidebar, switch on the app's embed and click Save.

  4. Match each color name to a swatch

    In the app's own settings, give each color name a hex value or a small image. Apps read your option values as text, so Navy on one product and Navy Blue on another need two swatches. Tidy the names first and you only set each color once.

  5. Avoid two sets of swatches

    If the app draws its own swatches, set Swatches type to None.

  6. Preview a product page and a collection page

    Use the theme editor preview, then a phone, to check both page types in Broadcast. If the app adds collection-page swatches, click one on a product card and confirm the card's photo or link changes to that color.

Apps that fit Broadcast

Swatch apps for Broadcast, from each App Store listing on October 23, 2026
AppFromRatingWhat it does
Platmart Color Swatches $9.99/month 5.0 (144 reviews) Made for stores that list each color as its own product: it joins them into one listing with swatches and lists collection-page support.
Rubik Variant Images & Swatch $25/month 5.0 (495 reviews) Best known for showing only the selected color's photos, with swatches included and ThemeForest themes named under Works with, but paid plans start at $25 a month.
GLO Color Swatch Variant Image $9.90/month 4.9 (1,906 reviews) A dedicated swatch app whose free plan already covers collection-page swatches and hiding sold-out options; image swatches start on the $9.90 Silver plan.

Prices and ratings change often; check the listing before you install. This site is not affiliated with any of these publishers.

Alternatives: Variants King & Color Swatch also groups separate products by color, and FB Variant Image, Color Swatch is free. Both were listed in the Shopify App Store on October 23, 2026.

Route 3

Editing the theme code.

You don't need to edit code for swatches in Broadcast. Broadcast's Theme settings > Swatches group covers product pages and cards.

Collection pages.

Broadcast shows swatches on product cards through Collection style in Theme settings > Swatches, with five looks to choose from.

  1. Pick a Collection style

    Open Theme settings > Swatches and choose Slider, Slider on hover, Swatch with text or Grid. Text only shows names without swatches.

  2. Add color filters with swatches (optional)

    The Theme Store lists swatch filters for Broadcast (checked October 23, 2026). Open the Search & Discovery app, go to Filters > Add filter, choose Color with the type Category metafield, then open Manage values and turn on Include swatch. For patterns, turn on Use images when available so the filter shows each entry's image.

Broadcast at a glance.

The theme's facts from the Shopify Theme Store and Presidio's documentation, checked October 23, 2026. Anything we could not confirm says so.

Full Broadcast profile Check images against Broadcast's sizes
Broadcast: theme facts
Theme Broadcast
Vendor Presidio
Price $420 One-time license price in the Shopify Theme Store, in US dollars, checked October 23, 2026.
Free or paid Paid
Where it is sold Shopify Theme Store
Status Current theme
Online Store 2.0 Yes
Current version 8.1.1 (April 10, 2026)
Native color swatches Yes In versions after 8.0.0.
Variant picker block Variant picker
Swatch setting Theme settings > Swatches > Swatches type: Native (options Theme / Native / None); Swatch style: Circle or Square
Swatches on product cards Theme settings > Swatches > Collection style (Text only, Slider, Slider on hover, Swatch with text, Grid)
Theme Store swatch features Color swatches, swatch filters
Swatch documentation Presidio's documentation
Last checked October 23, 2026

Swatch problems on Broadcast, and fixes.

  • Swatches not showing

    Work through three checks in order: the product has a category that includes Color, its Color option is linked to the Color category metafield, and the swatch setting is on in Broadcast. In Broadcast, check Swatches type is Native, not Theme or None. Don't look for the switch in the Variant picker block; it isn't there.

  • Wrong colors

    A native swatch takes its color from the entry in Content > Metaobjects, not from the color's name. Open the entry, correct the hex value and save, and every product linked to it updates at once. If two products show different shades of the same color, they're probably linked to two separate entries, so point both at one.

  • Pattern or image swatches

    Upload a square image to the color's entry. Crop it to the fabric or finish itself rather than a product photo, because at swatch size a busy photo turns into a blur. Multicolor has no preset hex value, so it always needs an image. Presidio's Broadcast docs give no swatch image size; keep the files small.

  • Out-of-stock variants

    How a sold-out color looks is decided by the variant picker in Broadcast, so test it: set one color to zero stock and open the product. If you'd rather hide sold-out colors completely, Color Swatch Pug and GLO Color Swatch Variant Image both list that option (checked October 23, 2026).

  • Speed

    Native swatches are drawn by Broadcast itself, so they add no app script to your pages. A hex swatch costs nothing extra to load; an image swatch adds one small image per color, so keep those files small. The swatch loading speed guide shows how to measure a collection page before and after a change.

Broadcast swatch questions.

Why can't I find a swatch setting in Broadcast's Variant picker?

Broadcast's Variant picker block has no swatch setting; its options cover things like the size chart and typography. Swatches are set in Theme settings > Swatches.

Which Broadcast version supports native swatches?

Presidio's swatch page says versions above 8.0.0. The Theme Store listed Broadcast 8.1.1 from April 10, 2026 on October 23, 2026.

Who makes Broadcast now?

Presidio. The Theme Store's designer page for Broadcast links to Presidio's website, and its docs are hosted under presidiocreative.com.

What's the best Collection style for swatches in Broadcast?

It depends on your grid. Slider on hover keeps cards clean until a shopper points at them, while Swatch with text suits stores whose color names matter, such as paint or yarn.

Can Broadcast use its own swatches and native swatches together?

Swatches type takes one value at a time: Theme, Native or None. Pick Native to use Shopify's category metafields.

Related guides and tools.

Themes like Broadcast

About this page

This page replaces "CSP App setup for Broadcast Theme", a guide published May 6, 2020 on this domain for an earlier version of the Color Swatch Pug app. The domain changed hands in September 2026, and the old guide's manual code steps no longer apply to the app.

Checked

Sources

Make the swatch files.

Turn your colors into hex values, swatch images and a printable sheet, ready for Shopify.

Open the swatch generator All theme guides