Create Custom Checkout Experiences – Checkout Extensibility Guide

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Checkout Extensibility: An Overview
3. Check Out UI Extensions
   • Static Extension Points
   • Dynamic Extension Points
   • Benefits of Checkout UI Extensions
4. Checkout Branding API
   • Customizing Checkout with the Branding API
   • Ensuring Consistency with Store Branding
5. Shopify Functions
   • Customizing the Business Logic of Shopify Checkout
   • Benefits of Using Shopify Functions
6. Post Purchase Checkout Extensions
   • Enhancing the Buyer Experience
   • Use Cases for Post Purchase Extensions
7. Web Pixel Extensions
   • Collecting Behavioral Data from Users
   • Standard and Custom Pixel Events
   • Benefits of Web Pixel Extensions
8. Current State and Availability
9. Next Steps and Learning Resources
10. Conclusion

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the concept of checkout extensibility and how it can be leveraged to create customized and scalable checkout experiences on the Shopify platform. We will delve into various features and functionalities that make up checkout extensibility, including checkout UI extensions, the checkout branding API, Shopify functions, post-purchase checkout extensions, and web pixel extensions. By understanding these components, you will gain valuable insights into how to enhance the checkout process for both merchants and buyers, while also learning about the current availability and future prospects of these features.

Checkout Extensibility: An Overview

Checkout extensibility is a family of features that aims to make checkout customizations easy, scalable, and maintainable for developers. By enabling merchants and developers to make customizations to the checkout flow, Shopify empowers them to create unique and tailored experiences for their customers. In the following sections, we will explore each of these features in detail, outlining their benefits and use cases.

Check Out UI Extensions

Static Extension Points

Static extension points are tied to core checkout features and allow for custom UI pieces to be added. These extension points are hidden when the core functionality is hidden. For example, adding a custom UI component for shipping methods when the core shipping functionality is not shown. Static extension points offer flexibility in customizing specific sections of the checkout flow.

Dynamic Extension Points

Dynamic extension points allow for rendering between core checkout UI components. They provide the ability to place custom UI elements in various locations within the checkout flow. By configuring their positioning based on the visibility of core UI components, merchants can create a more personalized and engaging checkout experience.

Benefits of Checkout UI Extensions

The introduction of checkout UI extensions brings several benefits for both merchants and developers. Merchants gain the ability to customize their checkout experience without needing extensive coding knowledge. Developers, on the other hand, can create scalable and upgrade-safe extensions, ensuring that checkout upgrades or changes do not break the customizations. Additionally, checkout UI extensions support no-code configuration, allowing merchants to make tweaks and adjustments without developer intervention.

Checkout Branding API

The checkout branding API plays a crucial role in maintaining a consistent look and feel across the entire storefront, including the checkout page. By customizing the logo, font settings, and color schemes of the checkout page, merchants can align the checkout experience with their brand identity. The branding API allows developers to easily integrate these branding changes using Shopify's GraphQL admin API, providing a streamlined process for managing store branding and theming.

Shopify Functions

Shopify functions enable developers to customize the underlying business logic of Shopify checkout. With the power of serverless functions, developers can create complex discount scenarios, handle loyalty sign-ups, and implement personalized upsell offers. The ability to leverage serverless technologies like Rust, Go, or AssemblyScript gives developers the flexibility to build advanced customizations while ensuring optimal performance and scalability.

Post Purchase Checkout Extensions

Post-purchase checkout extensions go beyond customizing existing pages and allow for the addition of new pages within the checkout flow. These extensions enable merchants to engage with customers after they've completed their purchase, offering opportunities for loyalty sign-ups, collecting additional information, or presenting upsell offers. By seamlessly integrating with the Shopify checkout flow, post-purchase extensions enhance the overall buyer experience.

Web Pixel Extensions

Web pixel extensions, such as JavaScript code snippets, capture behavioral data from users during the checkout process. They track customer events, providing valuable insights for marketing campaigns, analytics, and data-driven decision-making. These extensions support both standard customer events, generated by Shopify, and custom events created by developers or other apps. By leveraging web pixel extensions, merchants can gain deeper visibility into the buyer journey and optimize their marketing strategies.

Current State and Availability

Most of the features discussed in this article are already available for developers to use. Shopify functions are currently in developer preview but will soon be released for general availability. Checkout UI extensions, the checkout branding API, post-purchase extensions, and web pixel extensions are all available in general availability for select merchants on production stores. Developers can take advantage of these features to create customized and scalable checkouts for their clients.

Next Steps and Learning Resources

To further explore the capabilities of checkout extensibility, we recommend attending the dedicated sessions on Shopify functions and checkout UI extensions at Unite. These sessions will provide in-depth insights into how to utilize these features effectively. Additionally, joining the Discord community and participating in discussions on the Shopify GitHub repository will allow you to connect with other developers and provide feedback on the checkout extensibility functionality.

Conclusion

Checkout extensibility offers an array of features and functionalities that allow merchants and developers to create tailored and scalable checkout experiences on the Shopify platform. By leveraging checkout UI extensions, the checkout branding API, Shopify functions, post-purchase checkout extensions, and web pixel extensions, developers can enhance the buyer journey, improve store branding, and gather valuable behavioral data. With these powerful tools at their disposal, developers can create unique and impactful checkout experiences for Shopify stores.

Highlights

• Checkout extensibility allows for easy customization and scalability of the checkout process on Shopify.
• Checkout UI extensions offer static and dynamic extension points, enabling flexible customization of the checkout flow.
• The checkout branding API allows merchants to maintain consistent branding across the store and checkout pages.
• Shopify functions empower developers to customize the business logic of the checkout process, offering advanced discount scenarios and personalization options.
• Post-purchase checkout extensions enable the addition of new pages to the checkout flow, facilitating loyalty sign-ups and upsell opportunities.
• Web pixel extensions capture behavioral data during the checkout process, providing valuable insights for marketing campaigns and analytics.

FAQ

Q: Can checkout UI extensions be easily installed and configured by merchants? A: Yes, checkout UI extensions offer easily installable extension points that merchants can configure to customize specific sections of the checkout flow.

Q: How does the checkout branding API ensure consistent branding across the store and checkout pages? A: The checkout branding API allows developers to customize the logo, font settings, and color schemes of the checkout page. This ensures that the checkout experience aligns with the overall brand identity of the store.

Q: How can Shopify functions enhance the checkout process? A: Shopify functions enable developers to customize the business logic of the checkout process, allowing for advanced discount scenarios, loyalty sign-ups, and personalized upsell offers.

Q: What are the benefits of using post-purchase checkout extensions? A: Post-purchase checkout extensions provide opportunities for merchants to engage with customers after they've completed their purchase. They can offer loyalty sign-ups, collect additional information, or present upsell offers to enhance the overall buyer experience.

Q: How do web pixel extensions contribute to improving the checkout process? A: Web pixel extensions capture behavioral data from users during the checkout process, offering valuable insights for marketing campaigns and analytics. They support both standard and custom pixel events, providing flexibility for developers and merchants to track and analyze buyer behavior.