Editorial and structured content

Kingsbell extends Shopify's blog and article system into a structured editorial layer. Shopify remains the source of truth for blogs, articles, authors, tags, publication dates, excerpts, and article bodies; JSON-template sections add richer presentation around that native content.

Blog templates

Kingsbell includes:

blog.editorial.json
blog.index.json

blog.editorial.json is a magazine-style journal with a lead story and supporting articles. blog.index.json is a chronological editorial index.

Both templates support:

• tag navigation;
• pagination;
• article metadata;
• excerpts;
• calculated reading time.

The standard blog.json template remains available for simpler publishing needs.

Article templates

Kingsbell includes:

article.editorial.json
article.interview.json
article.visual.json
article.research.json

The standard article.json template also remains available.

Editorial article

Use article.editorial.json for long-form essays, features, announcements, profiles, and narrative articles.

Interview article

Use article.interview.json for structured question-and-answer content. The dialogue section can distinguish speakers and maintain a readable sequence.

Visual article

Use article.visual.json when photography, image sequences, video, or galleries carry most of the narrative.

Research article

Use article.research.json for evidence-led writing, indexed observations, references, methods, or documented findings.

A template changes composition, not the underlying article object. Keep the canonical title, publication date, author, excerpt, tags, and article body in Shopify.

Editorial sections

The editorial system includes:

• editorial journal index;
• editorial article shell;
• pull quotation;
• image or Shopify-hosted video feature;
• asymmetrical image gallery;
• contributor profile;
• related reading;
• structured dialogue;
• indexed notes and references;
• reusable article comments;
• scoped editorial stylesheet loader.

Use sections to compose story-specific modules around the native article body.

Article body and modules

Article bodies continue to use Shopify's article editor. This preserves editing, feeds, search, and standard article behavior.

Use JSON-template sections for modules that need structured settings, such as:

• a full-width lead image;
• a pull quote;
• a contributor profile;
• a multi-image gallery;
• a conversation transcript;
• numbered notes or references;
• related reading.

Do not convert every paragraph into a theme section. Excessive sectionization makes articles slow to author and difficult to migrate.

Reading time

Kingsbell estimates reading time from article content at approximately 220 words per minute.

Treat the result as an estimate. Image-led stories, code, tables, interviews, and multilingual content may take more or less time than the displayed value suggests.

Reading progress

Article reading progress is progressively enhanced with JavaScript. The article remains fully readable when JavaScript is unavailable.

Any customization must preserve:

• correct progress bounds;
• no obstruction of article controls;
• reduced-motion behavior;
• section reload behavior in the theme editor.

Excerpts and standfirsts

An article excerpt can be displayed beneath the title as a standfirst. Write excerpts as editorial summaries rather than repeating the opening paragraph.

A useful standfirst should explain:

• what the article covers;
• why it matters;
• what the reader will learn.

Tags and related reading

Blog templates expose tag navigation. Related reading can match the current article's first tag.

Use a deliberate tag taxonomy. Avoid creating near-duplicate tags that differ only in case, punctuation, or pluralization.

Tag-based related reading is a discovery aid, not a guaranteed semantic recommendation. Merchants should review the resulting articles in preview.

Images and video

Use Shopify-hosted images and video. For every media section:

• provide useful alt text for informative images;
• use empty alt text for intentionally decorative images;
• provide poster or fallback imagery where appropriate;
• test portrait, landscape, and unusually wide media;
• check focal points on mobile;
• avoid autoplay with sound;
• respect reduced-motion preferences.

The asymmetrical gallery is designed for editorial rhythm, but source order must still make sense for keyboard and assistive-technology users.

Pull quotations

Pull quotes should reinforce an argument or memorable statement, not duplicate large sections of nearby text.

Keep attribution explicit when the quotation comes from another person or source. A visual pull quote is not a substitute for citations in research-oriented content.

Interviews and dialogue

The structured dialogue section is suitable for interviews, conversations, and question-and-answer formats.

Use consistent speaker names and keep each response in source order. Do not rely only on colour or alignment to identify speakers.

Notes and references

The indexed notes section can present evidence, observations, sources, or endnotes in a structured list.

For research-oriented articles:

• identify authors and organizations accurately;
• include stable source links when available;
• distinguish evidence from commentary;
• record publication or access dates when relevant;
• avoid placing essential references only in images.

Kingsbell formats references but does not validate their accuracy.

Contributor profiles

Contributor profiles can include a name, role, image, biography, and link. Keep biographies concise and ensure profile links are intentional and safe.

When multiple contributors are involved, choose a consistent representation across the journal.

Reusable structured content

Kingsbell includes a reusable card grid that can use manual blocks or a kingsbell_content_card metaobject list.

Metaobjects are appropriate for content reused across several pages, such as:

• resources;
• services;
• reports;
• collections of links;
• people;
• principles;
• specifications.

Use manual blocks for one-off content. Use metaobjects when the same record must be managed centrally and rendered in multiple places.

Optional sections

Placeholder-dependent editorial sections are disabled in JSON templates by default where empty output would be misleading.

Before enabling a section:

1. provide its required content;
2. verify heading hierarchy;
3. test mobile layout;
4. check image alt text;
5. test article pagination, tags, and related reading;
6. save and reload the template in the theme editor.

Publishing checklist

Before publishing an article:

• confirm title, author, date, excerpt, and tags;
• select the appropriate template;
• review article-body formatting;
• configure optional editorial sections;
• check links and references;
• verify images and alt text;
• preview desktop and mobile layouts;
• test copy-link and reading-progress enhancements;
• verify related reading;
• review the final page without editor placeholders.