Table of contents
- 1. Key takeaways
- 2. What changed and when
- 3. What you can customize on Basic, Grow and Advanced
- 4. What Shopify Plus adds
- 5. Not sure what your current plan allows?
- 6. Common customizations and how to do them now
- 7. Discount rules
- 8. Custom fields
- 9. Post-purchase upsells
- 10. Shipping and payment rules
- 11. If you still use old checkout code
- 12. Test your checkout after any change
- 13. Mistakes to avoid
- 14. What to do next
- Checkout Extensibility has permanently replaced legacy checkout.liquid and ruby-based Shopify Scripts across all Shopify tiers.
- Shopify Scripts stopped operating on June 30, 2026; non-Plus stores lost legacy additional scripts on Thank You pages on August 26, 2026.
- Non-Plus stores can customize checkout branding, add custom apps to Thank You and Order Status pages, and configure native field rules.
- Shopify Plus merchants unlock full programmatic control over information, shipping, and payment steps using Checkout UI Extensions and Shopify Functions.
Shopify Checkout Extensibility has permanently replaced legacy checkout.liquid and Shopify Scripts. Shopify Scripts officially ceased functioning on June 30, 2026, and non-Plus merchants lost legacy checkout.liquid and Additional Scripts on Thank You / Order Status pages on August 26, 2026. Non-Plus merchants can brand checkout in the visual editor and install UI extensions on post-purchase pages. Shopify Plus unlocks full programmatic UI extensions across the information, shipping, and payment stages.
For nearly a decade, enterprise Shopify brands relied on editing checkout.liquid files and writing custom Ruby scripts to tailor checkout logic. However, this legacy architecture introduced security vulnerabilities, broke checkout upgrade paths, and slowed mobile transactions. Shopify’s comprehensive transition to Checkout Extensibility introduces app-based, sandboxed, lightning-fast checkout modifications.
Whether you operate on Basic Shopify or require enterprise architecture via Shopify Plus development, understanding your plan capabilities is critical for compliance and conversion. Combine your checkout upgrades with Shopify custom app integrations to modernize your transaction funnel.
What changed and when
Shopify’s official retirement schedule for legacy checkout code was executed in strict phases:
| Milestone Date | Impacted Platform Tier | Retired Architecture | Required Modern Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 28, 2025 | Shopify Plus | checkout.liquid for Thank You and Order Status pages |
Checkout Extensibility apps & Web Pixels API |
| June 30, 2026 | Shopify Plus | Shopify Scripts (Ruby scripts for discounts/shipping) | Shopify Functions (/JS compiled to WebAssembly) |
| August 26, 2026 | Basic, Grow, Advanced | checkout.liquid & "Additional Scripts" box |
Checkout UI Extensions & Customer Events (Web Pixels) |
What you can customize on Basic, Grow and Advanced
Merchants on standard Shopify plans can customize significant portions of their checkout experience without upgrading to Plus:
- Checkout Visual Branding: In the visual checkout editor, customize logo placement, background colors, typography, accent button colors, and form corner radii.
- Thank You & Order Status Extensions: Add app blocks to post-purchase confirmation screens, such as surveys, social sharing prompts, order tracking widgets, and re-order buttons.
- Native Field Controls: Configure required vs optional fields (phone numbers, company name, address line 2) inside admin settings.
- Web Pixels Tracking: Install marketing tracking pixels (Meta, Google Ads, TikTok) through Customer Events to replace deprecated script tags.
What Shopify Plus adds
Not sure which platform fits your store?
Tell us about your products and goals. We suggest a platform and share a clear quote.
Upgrading to Shopify Plus unlocks deep, unconstrained architectural control across the entire 3-step checkout funnel as evaluated in our Shopify Plus vs Advanced analysis:
- Checkout UI Extensions: Inject custom UI components (t badges, delivery date pickers, gift message inputs, age verification checkboxes) directly into the information, shipping, and payment steps.
- Shopify Functions: Write bespoke server-side logic compiled to WebAssembly that executes in under 5ms to customize discounts, hide/reorder payment gateways, and validate shipping addresses.
- Post-Purchase Upsells: Deliver 1-click upsell offers between payment submission and the Thank You confirmation page.
Not sure what your current plan allows?
Send us your store link. Our certified Shopify developers will audit your current checkout setup, migrate deprecated scripts to Web Pixels, and build custom Functions.
Talk to Us ↗Common customizations and how to do them now
Discount rules
Legacy automatic tiered discounts (e.g., “Buy 3, get 20% off”) previously written in Ruby Scripts now run on Shopify Functions Discount APIs. Functions execute natively during checkout without app delays or discount code stacking errors.
Custom fields
Collecting delivery notes, engraving text, or corporate tax IDs previously required fragile JavaScript hacks. With Checkout UI Extensions, developers add secure text fields that save data directly into order metafields.
Post-purchase upsells
Display targeted cross-sell offers after customer payment has been authorized but before confirmation. Because payment information is already secured, customers accept offers with a single tap.
Shipping and payment rules
Using Delivery Customization Functions and Payment Customization Functions, Plus merchants can hide Cash on Delivery for specific product categories or rename shipping options based on customer location.
If you still use old checkout code
If your storefront still relies on deprecated script tags in the Additional Scripts box, follow this migration checklist:
- Audit your Settings → Customer events dashboard.
- Replace custom Google Analytics or Meta Pixel snippets with official app-based Web Pixels.
- Verify that your purchase event triggers fire accurately using Google Tag Assistant.
- Audit your recovery funnel using our Shopify abandoned cart recovery guide to ensure checkout tracking is capturing dropped checkouts.
Test your checkout after any change
Never publish checkout changes without exhaustive verification. Place test transactions across desktop and mobile devices. Verify that coupon codes apply, address auto-complete operates smoothly, payment gateways process cleanly, and analytics events register accurately.
Mistakes to avoid
- Overloading Checkout with App Blocks: Installing too many third-party upsell apps slows checkout rendering and reduces conversion. Conduct a thorough Shopify app audit.
- Ignoring Plan Pricing Tiers: Understand your plan boundaries; review our Shopify pricing guide before scoping custom features.
- Neglecting Web Pixels Validation: Assuming analytics tags are firing without validating event payloads in real-time.
What to do next
Audit your checkout today. Verify whether your post-purchase scripts have migrated to Web Pixels, and consult our Shopify Plus development team to build high-converting, compliant checkout extensions.
