Shopify is evolving, and so should your store. With Shopify's decision to deprecate Scripts in favor of Shopify Functions, merchants have an opportunity to upgrade their store's discount offerings and checkout experience, improve scalability, and future-proof their Shopify store.
Whether you're a Shopify Plus merchant, a freelancer/developer who has set up Scripts for your clients, or a Shopify Agency that manages Plus stores, migrating from Scripts to Functions is mandatory.
This guide will walk you through the why, what, and how of this transition, ensuring your store remains functional and optimized.
Understanding Shopify Scripts and Functions
What are Shopify Scripts?
Shopify Scripts have long been the backbone of custom checkout experiences for Shopify Plus merchants. These small pieces of Ruby code allowed merchants to:
Script template selection options
Offer discounts on bulk purchases; customer/product criteria (line item scripts).
While effective, Scripts have limitations, including their dependency on Ruby, performance constraints, and lack of scalability for complex scenarios. With Shopify's shift towards Functions, the days of Scripts are numbered.
What Are Shopify Functions?
Shopify Functions are the next generation of customizations, designed to work seamlessly with Shopify’s modern APIs and infrastructure. Unlike Scripts, Functions allow you to create:
Dynamic pricing rules that adapt in real-time.
Custom checkout validations tailored to your store's needs.
Advanced upsells for a personalized shopping experience.
Overview of the new Shopify Functions APIs
With Shopify Functions, you gain flexibility, scalability, and compatibility with Shopify’s latest development tools.
Shopify Scripts vs. Shopify Functions
Overview of Scripts vs. Functions
Why Is Shopify Deprecating Scripts?
Shopify is transitioning away from Scripts to ensure a better developer and merchant experience. Functions eliminate the limitations of Scripts by offering enhanced performance and scalability.
Key Dates to Remember:
August 2025: Full deprecation of Scripts for existing stores
Benefits of Migrating to Shopify Functions
Improved Discounts Experience
Dynamic Discounting: Implement advanced discount logic that adjusts discounts based on factors like items, weight, customer loyalty, cart value, or purchase history.
Automated Promotions: Set up functions to automatically apply the best possible promotion based on the customer’s cart composition and past behavior.
Real-time Price Adjustments: Functions can calculate discounts in real-time, providing immediate feedback to customers about available savings, enhancing their shopping experience.
Customer Qualifier Options
Cart Qualifier Options
Improved Checkout Experience
Speed Optimization: Functions help streamline the checkout process by executing logic on the server side, reducing the load on the client side and accelerating page load times.
Custom Checkout Flows: Merchants can tailor the checkout experience to different customer segments. For example, repeat customers might see a faster checkout option.
Integrated Payment Solutions: Easily integrate diverse payment gateways and methods that can adapt dynamically based on the customer’s location and preferences.
Benefits of Migrating to Shopify Functions
Native Checkout & Discounts Experience
Functions empower merchants to create faster, smoother checkout processes. For example, you can implement advanced discount applications that calculate dynamically based on customer behavior or cart value, delivering a superior user experience.
Scalability and Flexibility
Unlike Scripts, Functions can handle high-traffic scenarios without compromising performance. They also integrate effortlessly with Shopify’s GraphQL APIs, enabling complex customizations with ease.
Step-by-Step Migration Guide
1. Pre-Migration Checklist
Before diving into the migration process, it's crucial to prepare thoroughly.
Pre-Migration Checklist
Audit Your Existing Scripts:
Identify and Catalogue: Go through your Shopify admin dashboard and list all the active Scripts you currently use. This includes scripts for line items, shipping rates, and payment methods.
Review Functionality: Assess each script to understand exactly what it does. Document the business logic behind each script, including any special conditions or complex calculations.
Check Performance Metrics: Note any performance issues or limitations you’ve encountered with the current scripts. This will help you understand where improvements can be made during the migration.
Evaluate Your Customizations:
Determine Essential Features: Identify which features and customizations are critical for your store's operation. Think about which features are most valued by your customers and which directly contribute to your revenue.
Plan for Feature Parity: Ensure that these critical features can be replicated or improved upon with Shopify Functions. It’s recommended to support of the app you are willing to migrate for functions.
Migration Partners & Tools:
Shopify’s Migration Partners: Shopify's partner ecosystem includes many developers, freelancers, and agencies ready to assist with the transition from Scripts to Functions. These partners can analyze your existing scripts to determine their usage, dependencies, and potential migration challenges. Book a call here for a free audit of your Shopify Scripts.
Testing and Validation: Utilize the testing tools provided by Shopify to simulate how your Functions will run in a live environment. This helps catch any issues before going live.
Prepare Your Development Environment:
Set Up a Staging Environment: It’s important to have a staging environment that mirrors your live store. This allows you to test Shopify Functions without affecting your live operations.
Version Control: Ensure that all your development work is tracked through a version control system. This is crucial for managing changes and rolling back if something goes wrong.
Document Everything:
Keep Detailed Records: Document every step of your migration process. This includes the original scripts, the changes made, test results, and any issues encountered along the way.
Create a Rollback Plan: Have a clear plan in place to revert to the original scripts if the migration encounters serious issues post-launch.
2. Migration Process
Migration Process
Set Requirements:
Verify Your Shopify Plan: Ensure your store is subscribed to the Shopify Plus plan, as Shopify Functions are available exclusively to Plus merchants.
Check Compatibility: Review your store’s current features and apps to confirm they are compatible with Shopify Plus and Functions.
Convert Scripts:
Understand Script to Function Translation: Convert your existing Ruby-based Scripts into Functions. This involves using Shopify's development framework, which requires some technical skills in coding and system architecture. Alternatively, you can use apps like Kite to migrate to Shopify Functions with a no-code setup.
Experienced developers can utilize the Shopify CLI tool to initiate a new app and establish a foundational structure for a new function with Shopify Functions.
Once the function has been developed, it will be tested in a development store to ensure its proper operation, without affecting current customers.
Rewrite Business Logic: Carefully translate the business logic embedded in your Scripts into the new format supported by Functions. This may require adjustments to ensure the logic works efficiently within the Functions framework.
Code snippet from Shopify function
Update Rules:
Modify Existing Rules: Revise rules related to shipping, line items, and payments to make them compatible with Functions.
Implement New Features: Utilize the enhanced capabilities of Functions to introduce more advanced features that were not feasible with Scripts, such as dynamic discounting or customized checkout flows.
Test in Staging:
Setup a Sandbox Environment: Before going live, set up a staging environment that mirrors your live store. This sandbox allows you to test Functions thoroughly without impacting your live operations.
Conduct Comprehensive Testing: Test all converted Functions extensively in the sandbox. This should include testing for performance under load, compatibility with other store functions, and user acceptance testing to ensure that the checkout experience meets customer expectations.
Iterate Based on Feedback: Use feedback from the testing phase to make necessary revisions. This iterative process helps optimize the Functions for better performance and reliability.
Go Live:
Implement Changes in Production: Once testing is complete and you are satisfied with the Functions in the staging environment, implement them in the production environment.
Monitor Performance: Closely monitor the store's performance post-migration. Pay attention to system logs, user feedback, and performance metrics to quickly identify and resolve any issues that arise.
Hurrify customers to buy within a given timeframe with a sales countdown timer & improve conversions
Another popular Shopify checkout app is Checkout Promotions. The app comes with the ability to leverage a collection of highly robust visibility rules that help show customers one-click post purchase upsell promotions after an order payment has been made. Some of its key features include:
Features
AI recommended and manual recommendations for upselling.
Complete branding control.
Checkout Upsell for increasing AOV.
AI recommended and manual recommendations for upselling.
Pricing
Development
Free
Monthly Plan
$99/ month
Plus Plan
$99/ month
Plus Plan
$99/ month
FAQs
1. What is the deadline for migrating Shopify Scripts?
2. Can Shopify Scripts and Functions coexist during migration?
3. Do I need a developer to migrate Scripts to Functions?
4. Are Shopify Functions exclusive to Shopify Plus?
5. What are the costs involved in transitioning to Shopify Functions?
×
Neetika M
Neetika is the founder of Skai Lama. Passionate about building SaaS, Product Development, and Marketing, she talks about eCommerce Growth, Product Bundling, Gifting, Retention, and Shopify.
Supercharge Sales with Kite!
Boost sales with Free Gifts, Discounts, and BOGO offers. Customize easily and get 24/7 support.
.png)
.svg)
.svg)
