Shopify Thank You and Order Status Page Checkout Extensibility

Did you get this email from Shopify?

As part of ongoing improvements to Checkout and the Thank You page, we've identified a change that you need to make to your Additional Scripts to ensure that your conversion tracking and downstream systems are working correctly.

What you need to do

Replace "order.{anything)" with "checkout.order_id" in Additional Scripts and similarly update any downstream systems that rely on this data.

Alternatively, you can upgrade your Thank you page and customize it using app blocks and Web Pixels. This will eliminate your dependence on Liquid variables, but downstream systems will still need to be updated. Learn more here.

Why you need to do this

The field(s) "order.(anything)" are populated during order creation. With Checkout Extensibility, this happens independently of the Thank You page loading to improve scale and performance. This provides a faster experience for your customers.

The side effect is that "order.{anything)" are usually not available when the Thank You page loads. Continuing to use these fields can result in conversion seeming lower than it is, impacting analytics, or interrupting integrations with downstream apps.

"checkout.order_id", on the other hand, is a common and unique identifier across checkout and order creation. It is available as soon as checkout is completed and can reliably be used to tie together analytics, downstream systems, and the buyer experience.

Best, Shopify

Let’s talk about what to do!

Who does this email about “Shopify Thank You and Order Status Page Checkout Extensibility” apply to?

Technically, everyone. Who should take action? Almost all Shopify merchants/stores!

If you’re running any kind of analytics tracking, advertising campaigns, or other pixel-based marketing efforts, you should consider implementing this necessary fix.

What if you don’t fix it?

It’s possible that your analytics reports and advertising campaigns could offer you incomplete or less-than-optimal results. Her'e’s the laundry list!

Inaccurate Conversion Tracking

By not updating your Additional Scripts from "order.{anything}" to "checkout.order_id", your conversion tracking may become unreliable. The Thank You page might load without the necessary order data, causing some orders to not be recorded properly in your analytics. This could lead to underreporting of conversions, making it difficult to assess the true performance of your marketing efforts.

Misalignment with Shopify’s Platform Updates

Shopify’s platform is continuously evolving, and ignoring recommended updates could mean your store falls behind in terms of performance and compatibility. Over time, this could lead to more significant issues, such as slower page load times, reduced scalability, or even incompatibility with future Shopify features.

Customer Experience Issues

A disrupted Thank You page experience could have a direct impact on your customers. For instance, if you have custom scripts that trigger post-purchase actions (like sending a confirmation email or displaying related product recommendations), these might not work as intended. This can lead to a less seamless experience for your customers, potentially affecting their satisfaction and likelihood to return.

Potential Revenue Loss

Inaccurate tracking and disrupted customer experiences can ultimately lead to revenue loss. If you’re not accurately tracking conversions, you might misallocate marketing budgets or miss out on understanding what’s driving sales. Additionally, any negative impact on the customer experience could reduce repeat purchases and overall customer lifetime value.

Long-Term Maintenance Challenges

As Shopify continues to roll out updates and improvements, maintaining outdated scripts or systems could become increasingly difficult. You might find that future updates require more substantial changes, and the longer you delay, the more complex and time-consuming these updates could become.

Disrupted Integrations

Many downstream systems, such as third-party apps or custom integrations, rely on accurate data to function correctly. If these systems continue to reference outdated variables like "order.{anything}", they might fail to process orders correctly. This could result in errors, missed orders, or incorrect data being passed to your inventory management, CRM, or other essential tools.

A&O’s solution for Shopify’s “Thank You and Order Status Page Checkout Extensibility” Change

As Shopify rolls out new updates to improve checkout performance, it's crucial to ensure your conversion tracking and integrations remain accurate and reliable. Our team has developed a streamlined solution using Google Tag Manager (GTM) to seamlessly address this issue, so you can focus on growing your business.

How We Solve the Issue with Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager is an incredibly powerful tool that allows you to manage and deploy tracking scripts without directly modifying your Shopify theme code. Here’s how we’ll use GTM to fix the issue:

  1. Capture the Correct Data:
    We’ll create a custom tag in GTM that captures the "checkout.order_id" variable as soon as the checkout is completed. This ensures that the correct order ID is always available for tracking, eliminating the risk of missing or inaccurate data that could occur with the outdated "order.{anything}" variable.

  2. Implement Robust Tracking:
    Our solution involves setting up triggers within GTM that fire only when the Thank You page loads, using the newly captured "checkout.order_id". This means your conversion tracking will be precise, ensuring that every successful checkout is accurately recorded in your analytics platforms.

  3. Update Downstream Systems:
    Beyond just capturing the order ID, we’ll configure GTM to pass this data to all relevant downstream systems—whether it’s Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any other marketing and reporting tools you rely on. This ensures that your entire ecosystem remains in sync with Shopify’s latest updates, preventing disruptions in your workflows.

  4. No Code Changes Required:
    The beauty of using GTM is that it allows you to make these crucial updates without diving into your Shopify theme code. This reduces the risk of errors and makes it easier to manage and adjust your tracking scripts in the future.

  5. Future-Proof Your Setup:
    With GTM in place, your store will be better prepared for any future changes Shopify might roll out. You’ll have a centralized system for managing all your tracking and integrations, making it simpler to adapt to new requirements or enhancements.

Why Google Tag Manager (GTM)?

GTM is free!

One of the most significant advantages of Google Tag Manager is that it's completely free to use. Unlike other tag management solutions that may come with subscription fees or hidden costs, GTM offers robust features and flexibility without adding to your expenses. This makes it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes, allowing you to manage and optimize your tracking setup without worrying about additional overhead. By choosing GTM, you’re investing in a powerful tool that maximizes your store's performance while keeping your budget in check.

GTM is not proprietary

We at A&O are not the only people who know how to use Google Tag Manager. This means even if we help you with your GTM today, you aren’t “locked in” to working with us tomorrow. Also, GTM’s interface is designed to be collaborative, allowing multiple team members to work on tag management simultaneously. With built-in version control, you can easily track changes, revert to previous versions if needed, and maintain a clear history of updates. This makes it easier for teams to collaborate and ensure that tracking is consistently accurate.

GTM is fast (in all ways!)

GTM enables you to deploy new tags and make adjustments without waiting for development cycles. This means you can respond quickly to changes, like Shopify’s recent update, minimizing downtime and ensuring your store continues to operate smoothly. The ability to test tags before they go live also reduces the risk of errors, ensuring a smooth implementation process.

Also, by using GTM to manage all your tags in one place, you can reduce the load on your Shopify theme code, potentially improving page load times. GTM loads asynchronously, meaning it doesn't block other elements of your page from loading, which can contribute to a better user experience.

How long will it take and how much will it cost to fix?

The answer depends on a variety of factors like how many advertising scripts/pixels are running on your Shopify site as well as any complexity brought on by your Shopify theme, integrated Shopify apps/plugins, etc. However, for most stores that are simply running Google Analytics and a few ad platforms like Meta (Facebook/Instagram), Pinterest, and/or Google Ads, this fix only requires about a one to two week turnaround.

We at A&O do all our proposals custom so you always have the “right size” of work for your marketing goals. This way there’s no risk of spending too much (or too little) to get the job done. Book a call with us today and we’ll do a free audit of your Shopify website. Every audit comes with one-on-one call with one of the owners/managers of A&O so we can explain to the job to you in “layman’s terms”.