An EmptyDrop object is returned if you try to:

When trying to access a deleted object by its handle, an EmptyDrop object is returned. This behavior occurs in Shopify's Liquid templating language, which allows developers to manage content dynamically. When a handle is used to reference an object that no longer exists—such as a deleted product, collection, or page—Liquid provides an EmptyDrop in place of the actual object. This helps prevent errors and allows the code to continue executing without crashing.

This mechanism is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the Shopify stores. Instead of throwing an error or causing unintended behavior when the handle points to a non-existent object, Liquid simply acknowledges the absence and returns an EmptyDrop. This design facilitates the dynamic nature of Shopify themes, giving developers more control over how data is rendered.

For the other scenarios, while they may involve loading content that is not available, they would not necessarily return an EmptyDrop. For example, loading a section that has been removed may trigger different behavior, and accessing variables from separate sections typically relates to scope rules in Liquid, which would again not yield an EmptyDrop. Similarly, loading a page set to hidden might not return an EmptyDrop either, as the page still exists in a hidden state.