5. Add Checkout & Post-Purchase Extensions

These are two optional extras that catch shoppers who skipped the gift message widget on your product page or cart. The checkout extension adds a gift message step inside Shopify checkout (Shopify Plus stores only). The order status extension adds a gift message box to the order status (thank-you) page, on any Shopify plan. An extension is Shopify's name for an app block you add to checkout.

1. Giftnote checkout extension (Shopify Plus only)

Customers add their gift message on the checkout page itself, without leaving checkout.

1. Enable the Giftnote checkout widget

• In Shopify, go to Settings → Checkout and click Customize
• In the checkout editor, click Add block
• Under Giftnote: Engine for Gifting, choose Gift Message. Don't choose [DEPRECATED] Gift Message, which is an older block kept only for stores that already use it.

• Click Enable block
• If your customers use Shop Pay, select the Gift Message block and, under Checkout behavior, turn on Include block in Shop Pay. Then run a test checkout with Shop Pay and check the gift message option appears.

You can drag the block anywhere on the checkout page. In the checkout editor it only has Shopify's Checkout behavior options. You set everything else in the Giftnote app.

2. Customize widget settings (in the Giftnote app)

The wording and delivery options for the checkout step come from a design (a saved set of widget wording and options):

1. In Giftnote, go to Settings → Gift Orders and click Configure on the Checkout card.
2. Under Where each design shows up, open the design used for Checkout widget (or create one with New design) and select the Checkout tab.
3. Set the default delivery method (Send Now, Send Later, On Delivery or On Fulfillment), and turn on Hide ‘On Delivery’ option, Hide phone input or Hide for B2B customers if you need them.

Some settings apply to your whole store whichever design is live. Find them under Settings → Gift Orders → Advanced settings, in the Surcharge & visibility and Where the gift message shows cards:

• Hidden products: products where the gift message option won't show on the product page
• Blocked markets: countries or Shopify markets where the gift message box is hidden at checkout and on the order status page
• The surcharge product, if you charge for gift messages (section 3)

3. Optional: charge for gift messages

To charge a fee for a gift message:

1. Create a digital product in Shopify, for example "Digital Gift Message", priced at your fee.
2. In Giftnote, go to Settings → Gift Orders → Advanced settings and select that product's variant in the Surcharge & visibility card. Save if a save bar appears.

When a customer adds a gift message at checkout, the Gift Message block adds the fee to the order as a separate line. If they remove the message, the line goes too. You can use the same product to sell gift wrapping or another extra, with the gift message included.

Upselling and Charging for Giftnote at Checkout on Shopify Plus has the full setup.

4. Troubleshooting

• Not showing in checkout? Check you're on Shopify Plus and that you added Gift Message, not [DEPRECATED] Gift Message.
• Need to hide it for some products? Use Hidden products under Settings → Gift Orders → Advanced settings. It hides the option on the product page, so test your checkout as well.

Notes

• Needs Shopify's current checkout (Checkout Extensibility)
• Doesn't work with Shopify's older checkout or with third-party gift card products

2. Enable gift messages on the order status page (all Shopify plans)

This adds a gift message box to the order status (thank-you) page, so customers can add or edit a gift message after they've paid. It works on every Shopify plan.

Step 1: Add the Giftnote widget to the order status page

1. In Shopify, go to Settings → Checkout and click Customize. (Or, in Giftnote, go to Settings → Gift Orders and click Edit in checkout on the Order Status card.)
2. Switch the page selector at the top to Order Status Page
3. Click Add App Block, then select Gift Message
4. Drag the block where you want it and click Save

Customers can now add a gift message if they didn't earlier, or edit their message before it's sent, from the order status page.

Step 2: Configure widget settings in Giftnote

1. In Giftnote, go to Settings → Gift Orders and click Configure on the Order Status card.
2. Open the design used for Order status widget and select the Order status tab.
3. Set the default delivery method, Hide 'On Delivery' option, Hide phone input, and the widget's wording and labels. Then save.

Refresh the checkout editor in Shopify to see your changes. Hidden products and Blocked markets are under Settings → Gift Orders → Advanced settings.

Step 3: Add a link to the Shopify order confirmation email

Add a link to your Shopify order emails so customers can add or change their gift message later.

1. Open your Shopify notifications. In Shopify, go to Settings → Notifications.
2. Edit the email. Open the Order confirmation template, the Shipping confirmation template, or both.
3. Paste the snippet below where you want the link to appear, then save.

{% comment %} Gift Message Email Block for Shopify Order Confirmation Emails {% endcomment %}
<br>
{% assign giftnote_attribute_count = 0 %}
{% for attribute in order.attributes %}
  {% if attribute.first contains 'giftnote_' %}
    {% increment giftnote_attribute_count %}
  {% endif %}
{% endfor %}
<h4 style="margin-top: 20px;">
  {% if giftnote_attribute_count > 1 %}
    Your gift purchase 🎁
  {% else %}
    Purchasing as a gift? 🎁
  {% endif %}
</h4>
<a href="{{ order.order_status_url }}">
  {% if giftnote_attribute_count > 1 %}
    View and edit your gift message
  {% else %}
    Add a gift message to your order
  {% endif %}
</a>
{% comment %} Gift Message Email Block for Shopify Order Confirmation Emails {% endcomment %}

You can change the wording and add your own styling.

The snippet checks the order's giftnote_* order attributes to decide which text to show. Giftnote only writes those attributes while Keep Order Attributes is on, under Settings → Gift Orders → Advanced settings. If it's off in your store, chat with us first: once it's off, only our support team can turn it back on.

For help, chat with us using the chat button in the help centre or in the app. Or email support@giftnote.com to request a complimentary onboarding, and we'll set up these blocks for you.

Metafields vs order attributes

You only need this if a developer, packing slip app or other tool reads gift messages from your orders.

Giftnote saves each gift message in a Shopify metafield (a custom data field on the order) called giftnote.gift_message. That's the value Giftnote itself uses, and the one to point Klaviyo, Shopify Flow and other apps at. Custom themes can still send the message to Giftnote as giftnote_* cart attributes (see Custom Widget for Messages).

If your theme, packing slips, Shopify Flow, Order Printer or 3PL read the older giftnote_* note attributes, you need Keep Order Attributes (Settings → Gift Orders → Advanced settings) on, so Giftnote writes those too. The app marks this setting as being phased out. Stores that had it on before the September 2026 update keep it on. Once it's off, only our support team can turn it back on.

Use cases for order status gifting

• A customer forgot to add a gift message at checkout
• A customer decides after paying that the order is a gift

Related articles

• Next: Design Email & SMS templates
• Upselling and Charging for Giftnote at Checkout on Shopify Plus
• Custom Widget for Messages
• Giftnote Go-Live Checklist