Key takeaways
checkout.liquidis only available on Shopify Plus (and Shopify POS Pro). Standard plans cannot access it.- Access it at: Online Store → Themes → Actions → Edit code →
layout/checkout.liquid.- Shopify has retired checkout.liquid in favor of Checkout Extensibility - every deprecation deadline has now passed, and all new customizations use the new approach.
- Checkout Extensibility (checkout UI extensions + Shopify Functions) is the supported long-term path for all Plus checkout customization.
The checkout is the highest-stakes page in your store. A custom checkout layout, added trust signals, or a well-placed upsell can meaningfully improve your conversion rate. On Shopify Plus, you have the tools to build this — but the landscape is changing.
Who can access checkout.liquid?
Shopify Plus merchants only. The checkout.liquid file does not appear in the code editor for Basic, Shopify, or Advanced plan stores. Standard plans can only modify the checkout via Settings → Checkout (limited visual settings) and the “Order status page” additional scripts field.
Note for POS Pro: checkout.liquid is also accessible on Shopify POS Pro, but this guide focuses on online checkout customization.
Accessing checkout.liquid
- Go to Online Store → Themes → Actions → Edit code
- Look for the
layout/folder - Find
checkout.liquid— it’s only visible on Plus plans
If you don’t see it, your store is not on Shopify Plus.
Related: Change Checkout Field Labels in Shopify.
Always duplicate your theme before editing checkout.liquid. An error in checkout.liquid can break your entire checkout flow, stopping all purchases.
What you can customize with checkout.liquid
Adding trust content
The checkout is where purchase anxiety peaks. Adding trust signals in checkout.liquid can reduce abandonment:
<!-- Add to the checkout header or sidebar area -->
<div class="checkout-trust-bar">
<span>🔒 Secure checkout</span>
<span>Free returns on all orders</span>
<span>Delivery in 2-3 business days</span>
</div>Shopify’s checkout Liquid has specific zones where custom content can be inserted: content_for_header, content_for_main, and others. Check Shopify’s checkout.liquid documentation for the current list of supported variables.
Custom checkout header and footer
By default, your checkout inherits a simplified version of your theme’s header (logo only) and a generic footer. In checkout.liquid, you can add brand elements, custom navigation links, and footer content that matches your brand.
Related: Add Trust Badges to Shopify Checkout.
Adding custom CSS
<!-- In checkout.liquid <head> section -->
<style>
.checkout-trust-bar {
display: flex;
gap: 24px;
justify-content: center;
padding: 12px;
background: #f5f5f5;
font-size: 12px;
}
</style>The important warning: checkout.liquid is deprecated
Shopify turned off checkout.liquid for the Information, Shipping, and Payment steps on August 13, 2024, and for the thank-you and order-status pages on August 28, 2025. All checkout customizations now run on Checkout Extensibility, not checkout.liquid.
Every deadline has passed, and Plus stores that had not upgraded were moved over automatically starting January 2026 - so treat everything below as a reference for understanding legacy customizations, not as a build guide. Our checkout.liquid to checkout extensions migration guide covers the move step by step.
Checkout Extensibility — the new approach
Checkout Extensibility is Shopify’s current checkout customization platform. It consists of:
Checkout UI Extensions — React-based components that render inside specific locations in the checkout. These are the equivalent of checkout.liquid HTML, but managed through Shopify’s Admin → Settings → Checkout → Customize.
Shopify Functions — server-side logic that runs during checkout processing (discount logic, payment customization, delivery customization).
What Checkout Extensibility can do
- Add custom UI blocks to the checkout: information banner, custom text, form fields
- Add upsell offers in the checkout sidebar
- Implement custom discount logic
- Customize payment method display
- Add post-purchase upsell pages
Accessing Checkout Extensibility
Settings → Checkout → Customize — opens the visual checkout editor. You can move elements, toggle sections, and add extension blocks here.
For building custom UI extensions, you need a developer and Shopify’s CLI to deploy extension code. This is more involved than editing checkout.liquid but is the supported, long-term approach.
What Fudge does and doesn’t do for checkout
Fudge builds and modifies pages within your Shopify theme — product pages, landing pages, collection pages, custom sections. Checkout customization is a separate system from the theme (governed by checkout.liquid and Checkout Extensibility).
For pre-checkout conversion elements — sticky ATC bars, upsells on product pages, cart drawer customization, countdown timers, trust badges — Fudge is the right tool. Describe what you want, Fudge generates the code as a draft.
For checkout-specific customization on Plus plans, use checkout.liquid (legacy) or Checkout Extensibility (new approach).
Thank you page / Order status page
The order confirmation page (the “thank you” page) is accessible on all Shopify plans via:
Settings → Checkout → Order status page → Additional scripts
This field historically accepted HTML and JavaScript that ran after a successful purchase. Since the August 2025 sunset it is view-only - use web pixels or checkout UI extensions instead. Common historical uses:
- Conversion tracking pixels (for platforms not using Customer Events)
- Post-purchase survey embeds
- Referral program prompts
- Custom thank-you messages
With Checkout Extensibility, Shopify has rebuilt the thank-you page as a proper extension target with a visual editor at Settings → Checkout → Customize.
FAQ
Shopify deprecated checkout.liquid for the Information, Shipping, and Payment pages on August 13, 2024, and for the thank-you and order-status pages on August 28, 2025. Both deadlines have passed - remaining Plus stores were upgraded to Checkout Extensibility automatically starting January 2026.
checkout.liquid is full Liquid template control over the checkout HTML. Checkout Extensibility is a constrained but supported framework: you build React-based UI extensions that render in pre-defined zones, plus Shopify Functions for server-side logic. Less raw flexibility, but Shopify-supported and forward-compatible.
Yes — but the field data needs handling on submission (storing as line item properties, sending to a webhook, or saving to a customer metafield). With Checkout Extensibility, the Customer Information UI extension handles custom fields more cleanly with native validation and submission.
Historically yes - both lived in the same checkout.liquid file. Since the August 28, 2025 sunset, the Order Status page is governed by Checkout Extensibility, not checkout.liquid. Existing checkout.liquid edits to thank-you and order-status content stopped applying on that date.
Yes. Every checkout.liquid deprecation deadline has passed, and stores that had not upgraded were moved to Checkout Extensibility automatically starting January 2026. All checkout customizations now run on Checkout Extensibility.
To measure results, see add tracking scripts to shopify.