Checkout Extensibility enables Shopify Plus users to create checkout customizations that are built into apps.

Highly beneficial if you are looking to enhance your checkout with added functionality, grow conversions, increase average order value etc etc.

Sounds great, but like any roll out there are issues. If you’re a Shopify Plus customer you may already be well aware of this upgrade, but so far Shopify hasn’t sent much in the way of notification to its users. This reminds me of Google’s tenuous sunsetting of Universal Analytics (Hopefully you’ve heard about that by now too!).

Note: Shopify’s Checkout Extensibility itself is for Shopify Plus accounts. Basic plans can use limited features through apps. But both Checkout scripts and theme.liquid is now deprecated across all plans:

Why the change?

From some of the most recent Shopify notifications, it seems security is one of the big reasons, specifically around the introduction of card industry rules under PCI DSS.

Updated Timeline:

  • Starting August 14, 2024, as we begin the process of shutting down checkout.liquid for the Information, Shipping, and Payment pages completely, shops that are not upgraded will see the following impacts:
    • Checkout.liquid customizations will be locked: Shopify will not provide customer support for updating or fixing checkout.liquid customizations on the Information, Shipping, and Payment pages. Customizations will be locked and uneditable. Shops using this obsolete code past the deadline do so at their own risk.
    • Payment method changes will be locked: The ability to add, edit, or remove payment providers from checkout will be disabled.
    • Risk indicators for orders will be disabled: Accurate risk assessment becomes unreliable with unsandboxed code executing in checkout, so fraud indicators and recommendations in the admin will no longer be available for new orders.
    • Slower Shopify Payments payouts: Since orders will be deemed as higher risk, payouts may be delayed by up to 5 days after a transaction is processed.
  • Starting January 6, 2025, we will begin auto-upgrading checkouts that continue to use checkout.liquid with 30-day notice via email, which means checkout.liquid customizations will be lost.

Pixel Alternative (User-friendly)

The most user-friendly solution would be to set up tracking/GA4 using the Google & YouTube App, which can be found in Shopify’s app marketplace.

Below is where you can turn on Conversion Tracking:

When you link your Google ads account to your Google & YouTube app on Shopify, a purchase conversion action is created automatically in Google Ads, and set as account default.

For more information check out this Google Merchant Center Help article.

Revenue data is reliable from the Google Shopping app. Google seems to be updating and improving it regularly too. This tool will become especially important following this recent update.

Update: Although the Google app implementation is initially automatic, you may end up seeing notifications in the conversion action diagnostics:

So there’s no getting around having to add that new pixel.

Setting up Pixels (Advanced)

Unfortunately if you’re currently using ‘checkout.liquid’ to track customer events then you’ll have to replace your javascript with Pixels before upgrading.

Fortunately Shopify has good resources and walkthrough guides depending on your specific setup:

Unfortunately the drawback with this new roll out is that certain products aren’t able to function correctly. Google Customer Reviews Opt-In Module is still pending a solution. I’m sure there are many more.

I wouldn’t recommend implementing this solution unless you are an advanced user. Even then there are a lot of people finding issues with the implementation.

Third-Party Solutions

Still scratching your head over this? Then hire an expert. Outside of hiring a Shopify partner, we have recently had a very positive experience hiring Stape.io to complete a full Google Ads, GA4 & Offline Conversions implementation.

Given the short timeframe they worked quickly and the solution has been seemeless since it was implemented. If you don’t have the budget for a full implementation they can also audit your existing setup and will provide support to help you complete the work.

Final Thoughts

It’s clear to me that this latest rollout from Shopify is far from the finished product. Nevertheless, there is time for them to get it right.

Start at least 3-6 months before the final deadline (so basically now). Give yourself time to select the right solution, and start implementing it ASAP. Then you can steer clear of any unforeseen issues.

I hope this article helps you do just that.

Resources

  • View the customizations report in your client’s admin, Settings > Checkout, which shows all the checkout.liquid customizations and suggests alternatives using Shopify Checkout Extensibility.
  • Get 1:1 help from the Checkout product team at Shopify to answer any questions you may encounter while assisting with a client’s migration. Click here to schedule office hours. 

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