Your template controls the overall layout of your shop, including how your logo, navigation, welcome image, categories, and products appear.
There isn’t one template that works best for every shop. The right choice depends on what you want customers to notice first and how you want them to browse.
Before choosing a template, ask yourself:
- Do I want customers to see products immediately? Try Sidecar, Luna, or any other template, but don’t upload a welcome image or slideshow images.
- Do I want to introduce my brand with a large image or message first? If so, try Neat, Foundry, Luna, Cosmos, or Netizen.
- Do I have several product categories that need to be easy to browse? If so, try Netizen, Neat, Ranger, or Trace.
- Roadie and Sunscreen offer a more expressive feel, while Luna and Lunch Break are designed to give a more minimal look.
- Do I want a background image? If so, try Luna, Roadie, or Sidecar.
Get inspired by sellers on our Examples page who have already mastered customizing their templates and created awesome shops.
You can preview different templates from the Shop Designer Templates section of your Big Cartel admin. Switching templates won’t remove your products, pages, or shop information, so you can experiment until you find the right fit.
Roadie: Flexible branding with sidebar navigation
Roadie is a strong choice for shops that want products on display while keeping navigation easy to find.
Its sidebar can include the following:
- Logo
- Cart and search
- Product categories
- Custom pages
- Social media links
The layout can work with either a large, expressive logo or a smaller, more meaningful brand mark.
See it in action:
- Lil Tuffy uses a compact logo and lets its detailed poster artwork stand out.
- Favorite Vegetable uses a much larger custom logo, illustrated category images, and a patterned background to create a completely different experience with the same template.
Choose Roadie when you want a flexible, personality-filled shop with navigation that remains visible while customers browse.
Sidecar: Put a large product collection front and center
Sidecar works well for shops with lots of products or categories. Its product grid uses most of the screen while keeping shop navigation organized in a sidebar.
See it in action:
- Jose A. Roda uses the grid to showcase a colorful collection of prints, clothing, and artwork.
- Atakontu uses strong lifestyle photography to create a polished apparel shop.
- Pink Bike Ralph uses product colors, custom branding, and a large category list to make a varied collection easy to browse.
Jose A. Roda also uses an announcement banner at the top of the shop to share an important pickup message. Announcement banners are available across Big Cartel templates and can be used for shipping updates, promotions, new releases, or other timely information.
The shop also includes an email signup pop-up added through an outside newsletter service. Tools like these can help you greet visitors with a discount, special offer, or invitation to join your mailing list.
Choose Sidecar when your products should be visible immediately and you need clear navigation for a larger catalog.
Foundry: Lead with the feeling of your brand
Foundry gives you room to introduce your shop before customers begin browsing products.
A large welcome image can help communicate what your brand is about, especially when your business is connected to a community, lifestyle, event, or creative point of view.
See it in action:
- The Feebles Shop keeps the storefront focused on colorful artwork and supports it with a newsletter signup.
- Fellow Humans uses a full-width welcome image and a short message to explain the purpose of the brand before showing featured products.
Choose Foundry when the story, atmosphere, or purpose behind your brand is an important part of what you’re selling.
Ranger: Combine a strong welcome image with featured products
Ranger works well when you want a clean storefront with a large visual introduction followed by a focused selection of products.
See it in action:
- Coastside Home Goods uses a wide coastal welcome image to establish the feeling of the brand. The featured products appear below in a simple three-column layout.
See it in action:
- Workhouse England uses a full-width historical photograph, a centered Shop online button, and a small group of featured products below.
The result feels more like a fashion lookbook or editorial website than a traditional product grid.
The shop also uses a customer messaging tool, making it easy for visitors to ask questions while they browse. Messaging tools are added separately and are not built into the template itself.
Choose Cosmos when one strong brand image should make the first impression.
Sunscreen: Highlight categories and curated collections
Sunscreen can help customers shop by category instead of presenting every product at once.
See it in action:
- Agua Dulce creates large homepage sections for product groups such as Sippers & Straw Cups and Matcha Bundles. Each section combines text, layered product photography, and a button leading to that collection.
Choose Sunscreen when your products naturally fall into collections and you want to guide customers toward specific groups.
Luna: Keep the focus on your artwork and products
Luna offers a simple, centered layout with plenty of open space. It’s especially effective when your product photography or artwork already has a strong visual style.
See it in action:
- Robbie W. Jones Woodcuts uses a detailed illustrated logo above a clean product grid. The neutral page design allows the black-and-white artwork and natural textures to stand out.
Choose Luna when you want a minimal storefront that lets your logo and product images do most of the work.
Small details can transform any template
Two shops using the same template can look completely different. Your template provides the layout, but your branding creates the final experience.
After choosing a template, personalize it with:
- A clear logo
- Brand colors
- Strong product photography
- A welcome image
- Helpful product categories
- An announcement banner
- Custom pages
- Social links
- Newsletter or customer messaging tools
Start with the layout that best supports how customers should browse. You can then use your images, colors, text, and outside integrations to make the shop feel entirely your own.