The customer journey in e-commerce is full of important moments, but none are as decisive as the checkout. It's at this final stage that the magic happens – or unravels. Shopify, a giant in the e-commerce landscape, not only understands the importance of this moment but is also constantly seeking improvements to make the shopping experience better for both customers and merchants.

Recently, Shopify announced that beginning in August 2024, it will discontinue the ability to customize the checkout using the checkout.liquid layout. This is where Checkout Extensibility comes in, an innovative set of tools designed for app-based checkout customizations.

This change not only improves aspects of the previous checkout but also opens up a world of possibilities for customizing your checkout in unprecedented ways. Want to discover how this will revolutionize your Shopify store? Continue reading our article to understand the possibilities of Checkout Extensibility.

Understanding Checkout.liquid

For merchants using Shopify Plus, the option to customize the checkout process is available through the checkout.liquid file.

Typically, merchants rely on it to integrate analytics, add additional components such as an upsell module, change the checkout's appearance, and develop any custom integrations with third-party services. Moreover, the ability to extend the checkout via checkout.liquid is so deeply rooted in the Shopify ecosystem that it is a requirement for many trusted apps to function correctly.

While the checkout.liquid layout has been effective in certain circumstances, it comes with its pros and cons. The use of the checkout.liquid layout transfers the responsibility of maintenance and bug fixing to the merchant. Furthermore, while it provided some level of customization, it lacked a robust and reliable method for implementing these changes. As a result, developers often found themselves creating workarounds. This improvised approach, however, often led to bugs that could disrupt checkout functionality.

What is the migration deadline from Checkout.liquid to Checkout Extensibility?

Starting in August 2024, checkout.liquid will be deactivated for information, shipping, and payment pages.

As of August 28, 2025, checkout.liquid will be deactivated for thank-you and order status pages and will no longer be available. Apps that use script tags and additional scripts on post-purchase and order status pages will also be deactivated. It's worth noting that Shopify Scripts will continue to work alongside Checkout Extensibility until this date.

Important: Check the impacts of not completing this migration within the established deadlines here.

Shopify Plus merchants will be able to use Checkout Extensibility provided that the chosen payment method has already updated its Payment App to be compatible with the updated standard. Check the updated Roadmap of Shopify Gateway functionalities.

If you are a merchant on the Starter, Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans, it's worth checking out our update guide to learn more about the updates and new features available with One-page Checkout.

Complete Guide to Shopify Checkout Update

We know that any change can raise questions. Therefore, be sure to check out our detailed guide on the Shopify Checkout update  to make the most of these new features and migrate seamlessly. You can consult directly by the topic of your interest there.

We are trying to organize the information as much as possible, based on Shopify's articles, announcements, and documentation. When in doubt, always consult your payment provider and the official Shopify documentation. 

Our intention is to keep this track as updated as possible. If you have observations, feedback, or would like to contribute, let us know.

Checkout Extensibility: What Changes?

Shopify has completely revamped its checkout customization strategy. Instead of simply presenting an updated way to edit the checkout, it has revealed a range of new solutions that address common scenarios handled by checkout.liquid and more.

Now, Shopify Plus merchants can use Checkout Extensibility to customize checkout, thank you, order status, and customer account pages.

Mani Fazeli, Shopify's Product Director, explains the changes with three words: conversion, compliance, composability - and yes, we must admit, Shopify's checkout compared to its competitors offers the complete package.

Brand Customization at Checkout

Merchants will now be able to use new branding tools to customize their checkout experience. Some examples:

• Adding a logo to the checkout header
• Changing the background of your checkout form
• Changing the background of your order summary
• Customizing your checkout colors
• Customizing your checkout font

These features are easily configurable in the drag-and-drop editor. Additionally, with developer assistance, merchants can also:

• Apply custom fonts
• Change sizes of specific elements (headings, form inputs, etc.)
• Change the style of specific components (adding rounded corners, for example)

Together, these tools allow combining the checkout with the overall store aesthetic, creating a more integrated shopping experience.

Checkout Extensions

It will be possible to customize the checkout by inserting components at defined points in the checkout flow.

↑ Checkout extensions can be placed at defined points called "Extension points"

These components can range from simple and complex modules integrated with third-party services. Here are some examples:

• Contact Us Module
• FAQ Module
• Displaying trust badges
• Additional form field in the billing address section
• Upsell module
• Widget integrated with the insurer providing a cost estimate for order items.

Customized or installed from the official app store, Checkout Extensions offer a robust system that allows adapting the checkout to merchants' needs. Furthermore, checkout extensions can adapt to style changes defined by Checkout Branding.

↑ Checkout extensions can also use Checkout branding styles

** Check out some extensions in the Shopify App Store

 

Pixels and Customer Events

Improving checkout analytics is one of the most common uses of checkout.liquid. Before, merchants had limited options:

• Add script to the order confirmation page via the settings panel (and lose all other events in the checkout flow, such as adding payment information)
• Use one of the native applications (without the ability to control how analytics are sent)
• Use checkout.liquid to add custom code that handles analytical reports.

All these solutions have their drawbacks, and until the introduction of Pixels, there was no real solution for handling analytics. Pixels allow merchants to react to various events throughout the user journey (i.e., add to cart, checkout initiation, add payment information, and finally, purchase event) in a manageable way.

The next Pixel will enable more reliable analytics collection; merchants will have access to a complete way to collect data and integrate it with third-party services.

Shopify Functions

Apps integrated with Shopify Functions allow you to easily create everything from custom volume discounts to unique shipping and validation rules. Best of all, you can configure them directly in your admin without needing to touch a single line of code.

Shopify Functions allows merchants to control how Shopify behaves much better than with checkout.liquid. For one thing, functions are intended to replace Shopify scripts. The easiest way to understand Shopify Functions is to see examples of how they are used today, as provided in the official Shopify documentation:

• Delivery customization – Rename, reorder, and sort delivery options available to buyers during checkout.
• Order discount – Create a new discount type applied to all merchandise in the cart.
• Product discount – Create a new discount type applied to a specific product or product variant in the cart.
• Payment customization – Rename, reorder, and sort payment methods available to buyers during checkout.

Shopify Functions are developing rapidly, and at the time of writing, some components have not yet been fully released:

• Cart and checkout validation – Provide your own cart and checkout validation.
• Fulfillment restrictions – Provide your own logic for how Shopify should fulfill and allocate an order.
• Order location rule – Provide your own location classification for each item during order routing.
• Shipping discount – Create a new discount type applied to one or more shipping rates at checkout.

Post-purchase Extension

The post-purchase page appears between the order confirmation and the thank you page. You can use a post-purchase extension to incorporate custom content, such as:

• Encouraging customers to add more products to their order (upsell offers) after completing payment.
• Prompting customers to answer a survey after checkout.
• Requesting customer feedback after checkout.
• Asking customers to make a donation after completing their purchase.
• Offer customers additional discounts using specific codes (discount code offers).
• Invite customers to participate in a rewards or points program (loyalty sign-ups).
• Sharing valuable information or important notifications with customers.

Shopify also introduces an updated and more streamlined checkout layout:

We can expect Pixels, Checkout Extensions, Customizations, and Functions to integrate seamlessly not only with this updated layout but also with any other improvements that may be introduced in the future.

↑ Showcase of new one-page checkout