Guide to Shopify Order Form Fields

Learn how to add order form fields to your Shopify store, and why it makes sense to use an app.

Hey there! I’m excited to dive into the world of Shopify order form fields with you. Why? Because I’ve been in your shoes – I’ve written the articles, conducted the research, and been a consumer who’s interacted with these fields firsthand.

I’m also part of the Magical Apps team that brought you Magical Order Form Fields, so you can say I’ve got a bit of insider knowledge. Through countless hours of exploration and experience, I’ve come to truly understand the impact and potential of these nifty elements on both your journey as an online merchant and as a customer. 

So, let’s journey together as I share what I’ve learned, reflect on the insights gained, simplify the concept of order form fields, and how they can be applied to your Shopify store. Whether you’re a seasoned e-commerce guru or just dipping your toes into the online selling waters, I’m here to guide you through the world of order form fields – let’s get started!

Our guide will first break down the basics so you can understand how to incorporate order form fields for your own store. Then we dive into how to set them up with the Magical Order Form Fields app as well as a comparison of the best Shopify apps for order form fields so you can pick the app that best suits your business needs.

What are product order form fields?

Order form fields are customizable elements you can create on a product page or during the checkout process of your Shopify store. 

They allow customers to provide additional information, preferences, or specifications about the products they are purchasing. 

Order form fields come in various types, like dropdown menus, text fields, checkboxes, image uploads, and more, providing flexibility for both customers and merchants to interact and ensure a smoother transaction process.

In our beginners guide to order form fields, you can learn more about what they are, what type of order form fields exist, see some examples, and the top reasons they are used.

Order form fields … allow customers to provide additional information, preferences, or specifications about the products they are purchasing.

Types of order form fields

There are a variety of fields that can be added to your products on your Shopify store. You can make these fields mandatory to fill out or only optional. Check out some of the order form fields listed below:

1. Dropdown Menus: A list of options in a drop-down format.
2. Radio Buttons: Customers can select one option from a list of choices by clicking the circular button next to each option.
3. Text Fields: Customers can input custom text for personalization or customization.
4. Checkbox Options: Customers can select multiple options from a list of choices.
5. Multiple Choice: Customers can select one option from a list of choices.
6. Image Upload: Customers can upload images for personalized products or custom printing.
7. File Upload: Customers can upload a file that provides the merchant with information required to complete the sale or personalize the product. 
8. Date/Time Picker: Customers can select specific dates or times for appointments, event-related products, etc.
9. Colour Swatches: Visual representations of product colour options.
10. Price Add-ons: Offer additional charges or discounts based on selected options.
11. Product Bundling: Merchants can combine multiple products or add-ons into bundled packages at special prices.

Examples of order form fields

The type of field you chose will determine the type of information you are trying to collect from your customers. Take a look at some of the examples of form fields Shopify merchants may use on their product pages:

1. Terms & Conditions: Checkbox options for terms and conditions ensure customers agree to the store’s policies before completing the purchase.
2. Names & Engravings: Text field options for customers to customize products with things like personalized names, messages, or engraving details.
3. Delivery Date & Time: Custom cakes or pizza delivery may use Date/Time Pickers so customers can choose a specific time or window for delivery.
4. Custom Images: The file upload field can be used for apparel, personalized gifts, artwork, custom 3D prints, etc.
5. Material Selection: A dropdown menu field for items that come in various materials like apparel, rugs, furniture, or footwear.
6. Multiple Choice: Products like computers that can use different processors could have multiple choice options for customers to select from.
7. Custom Text/Instructions: These custom fields allow customers to leave notes or specific instructions related to their order, such as delivery instructions or custom requests.
8. Country Selection: Country selection fields enable customers to choose their country for shipping or localization purposes.

Why you should use Shopify order form fields on your online store

Order form fields can take your Shopify store to the next level. Adding form fields to products or shopping carts improves your order-taking experience by gathering all the necessary details from customers upfront. 

By capturing important information right away, you can fulfill orders faster and with fewer errors. Not only will you save a ton of time, but you’ll also improve the overall customer experience, giving customers new ways to personalize their orders. 

There are lots of interesting ways you can use fields to build a better Shopify store. Here are some of the top benefits of adding order form fields to your online store:

1. Customization and Personalization

Order form fields allow customers to personalize products or orders with custom text, add-ons, and more. This creates a greater shopping experience and gives customers a reason to come back.

2. Collecting Essential Information

Order form fields allow you to collect the information you need and eliminate the need to chase the customer post-purchase. This means you can fulfill orders faster and more accurately than ever before.

3. Enhanced Product Presentation

Order form fields allow you to display the full breadth of your product offering in an interactive, engaging way. This gives customers clarity on what’s available, boosts the perceived value of your products, and increases sales.

4. Transparency and Compliance 

Some merchants are required to collect information from customers for legal, regulatory, or compliance purposes, such as a checkbox to agree to terms and conditions, or age verification for alcohol and tobacco sales.

Using form fields for these reasons can improve transparency with customers and reduce legal risks.

5. Competitive Advantage 

Let’s face it – you want to have a better store than your competitors. Offering custom order options sets your store apart and adding special touches gives customers a compelling reason to choose your store.

How to add product order form fields on your Shopify store

You have two separate ways to add order form fields on your store, which include Shopify’s built-in native solution, or through one of the various apps on the Shopify app store to create order form fields for you.

Native Shopify solutions for order form fields

There are two ways you can add form fields to your store natively from within Shopify. These solutions may work great depending on your needs. However, you may find these solutions are either too limited or too difficult to set up:

1. Variants: Using the variant option in your Shopify admin is a simple solution to add some common attributes like size, colour, material, and style options to your products. This solution is best suited for simple product options. 
2. Line item properties: Customize the functionality of product pages by adding line item properties directly to your products and orders from your store’s theme code. However, the average merchant may find this method too difficult to set up without technical expertise.

Shopify app solutions for order form fields

Shopify apps provide merchants with customized solutions based on the needs of your specific store. There are two ways you can choose to utilize Shopify apps to create order form fields for your business:

1. Develop your own app: This might be the way to go if your budget allows and your needs are unique, otherwise it’s probably better to try existing apps first.
2. Use apps that support order form fields: Apps allow merchants to add custom fields to product pages or checkout forms without any coding knowledge.

If you want to learn what apps are available, we’ve compared 6 Best Shopify Apps for order form fields in this guide.

Why using a Shopify app is the best way to add product order form fields

As a Shopify merchant, you may be trying to figure out what the best way is for you to add order form fields to your store. Let me save you some valuable time by telling you that using a Shopify app is the way to go.

After spending hours upon hours of researching, I was able to compile all of this information into an article called It’s Best to Use an App to Add Order Form Fields to Shopify – We’ll Show You Why. This article describes why using a Shopify app is a much easier solution in comparison to using Shopify’s native solutions.

How to set up product order form fields with Magical Order Form Fields

Magical Order Form Fields allows you to create custom order form fields for your product and cart pages based on your specifications. 

You can Install and set up with the click of a button. Please use this guide to walk you through how to create order form fields on Shopify with Magical Order Form Fields. This article includes:

1. App installation instructions: Visit Magical Order Form Fields on the Shopify App Store and click “Install”.
2. Activate the app embed block: From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes. Find your theme, click Customize and then click the App embeds tab.
3. Add a field group: Click View Groups and then click the Create custom field group button. On the new page, click Add first item button to add a field, and select the type of field you would like from a dropdown.
4. Activate fields app block: From the Shopify admin, go to Online Store and select your theme. Select your product template and then click, + Add block or + Add section.elect Fields from the Apps section to add the app block.
5. Add fields to theme template: Add the “<custom-fields></custom-fields>” code manually to your product-template.liquid file if you are using a Vintage theme or your theme does not allow you to place app blocks in the product section.
6. Change the style of the form fields: You can customize the style settings of the form fields to match your theme in the App embed settings.
7. Add field answers to Shopify email notifications: From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Notifications and click notification that you want to change. Click Edit Code and locate the line {% for line in subtotal_line_items %}. Find the block of code referencing the product title that comes shortly after the code above. Paste this code after the code block for the product title. Click save.
8. Add field answers to Shopify packing slips: Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery. In the “Packing slips” section, click “Edit” link in the “Packing slip template” card. Find the line that contains the following code {{ line_item.title }} and after the closing </span> tag for <span class=”line-item-description-line”> surrounding the above code, paste this code after the code block for the product title. Click save.
9. Add products to fields: Go to Fields in Shopify, Create or Edit a Field group, add/edit options, attach the variant, apply changes, and save.
10. Add an additional price to a field: Go to Magical Form Fields, Click Create field group or edit an existing Field group, add or edit a multiple choice, checkbox, or dropdown field. Add or Edit Option. Click on the Add Paid Field button, enter an amount, apply changes, and Save.
11. App installation instructions: Visit Magical Order Form Fields on the Shopify App Store and click “Install”.
12. Activate the app embed block: From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes. Find your theme, click Customize and then click the App embeds tab.
13. Add a field group: Click View Groups and then click the Create custom field group button. On the new page, click Add first item button to add a field, and select the type of field you would like from a dropdown.
14. Activate fields app block: From the Shopify admin, go to Online Store and select your theme. Select your product template and then click, + Add block or + Add section.elect Fields from the Apps section to add the app block.
15. Add fields to theme template: Add the “<custom-fields></custom-fields>” code manually to your product-template.liquid file if you are using a Vintage theme or your theme does not allow you to place app blocks in the product section.
16. Change the style of the form fields: You can customize the style settings of the form fields to match your theme in the App embed settings.
17. Add field answers to Shopify email notifications: From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Notifications and click notification that you want to change. Click Edit Code and locate the line {% for line in subtotal_line_items %}. Find the block of code referencing the product title that comes shortly after the code above. Paste this code after the code block for the product title. Click save.
18. Add field answers to Shopify packing slips: Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery. In the “Packing slips” section, click “Edit” link in the “Packing slip template” card. Find the line that contains the following code {{ line_item.title }} and after the closing </span> tag for <span class=”line-item-description-line”> surrounding the above code, paste this code after the code block for the product title. Click save.
19. Add products to fields: Go to Fields in Shopify, Create or Edit a Field group, add/edit options, attach the variant, apply changes, and save.
20. Add an additional price to a field: Go to Magical Form Fields, Click Create field group or edit an existing Field group, add or edit a multiple choice, checkbox, or dropdown field. Add or Edit Option. Click on the Add Paid Field button, enter an amount, apply changes, and Save.
21. Export Orders with the Order Form Field options: Go to Orders, click the Order Number, and the answers will show below the product title.
22. Displaying titles for Order Form Fields: Navigate to Fields, Edit or Create a new field group, enter a title under Group Name, and Save. Go to Online store > Customize, open App embeds, toggle Show group name, and Save.
23. Filtering orders that have field data: From Shopify admin, go to Orders, click the magnifying glass to Search and Filter, then click Add Filter +. Select Tagged with, search “Magical Form Fields,” and view orders by clicking the Order Number.

Magical Order Form Fields FAQs

Running into any trouble with the app? Take a look at answers to frequently asked questions about Magical Order Form Fields on Shopify, or contact the Magical Apps team.

1. Where can I see the answers submitted by customers to a custom field? From your Shopify admin, go to Orders, click the order number. The answers will show below the product title for each item in the order.
2. Can I export Orders with the Order Form Field options? Yes. You can export all orders that contain Order form field options.
3. Can I display a title for the Order Form Fields? Yes. You can add a title when creating a form group and display it within the App block.
4. Can custom field answers be included with Shopify Order export spreadsheets? No. Magical Custom Fields uses Line Item Properties for answers submitted to the fields. Line Item Properties are not part of Shopify’s native Order export functionality.
5. I cannot activate the fields app block because app blocks are not available in the theme I use. What should I do? This may require adding the order form fields code to the file /snippets/product-form.liquid in your theme. You can reach out to our support team for help.
6. Can custom fields be displayed outside of Product pages (ex. Pages, Blogs)? Yes, fields can also be added to the checkout on the Growth Plan.
7. Does this app work with accelerated checkout methods? Yes, custom fields are compatible with accelerated checkout methods in the cart and checkout, but not from product pages.
8. Does this app work with dynamic checkout buttons? No, custom fields are NOT compatible with dynamic checkout buttons on product pages.
9. Is there a character limit on the Label field? Yes, but only for cart fields (Shopify Plus, app Growth Plan only). Minimum 3, maximum 30 characters.
10. Can existing fields for field groups be duplicated? For fields, it is not currently possible to duplicate existing fields within a field group. However, field groups can be duplicated from the field groups page. 
11. Does this app integrate with Shopify POS (Point of Sale)? No. Magical Order Form Fields does not currently have a POS extension to add custom fields to an order. 
12. What file types does the File Upload field type support? Supported file types: jpg, jpeg, png, gif, mov, avi, mpg, 3gp, 3g2, midi, mid, pdf, doc, ppt, odt, pptx, docx, pps, ppsx, xls, xlsx, key, mp3, ogg, wma, m4a, wav, mp4, m4v, webm, ogv, wmv, vcf, and flv.

Compare the best Shopify product order form fields apps

With Shopify lacking true native support, it’s no surprise that many merchants would be pushed to installing an app as a solution. But with so many apps out there, which app is the best for creating order form fields on your Shopify store? 

Let me save you some valuable time by telling you that using a Shopify app is the way to go.

The 6 Best Shopify Apps for order form fields 

Explore the six best Shopify apps for order form fields that merchants can use to collect more product information from their customers. Get a detailed overview of these apps, and what customers are saying about them.

The Best Order Form Field Apps:

1. Magical Order Form Fields – Effortless order management but limited dynamic checkout button compatibility
2. Infinite Options – Offers theme compatibility but will require coding knowledge
3. Advanced Product Options – Unlimited customization but only on their most expensive plan
4. Hulk Product Options – Pricing options but could be limiting
5. Bold Product Options – Offers conditional logic but only on their $49/mo plan
6. Expo – Extra Product Options – 100+ product options but advanced plan not worth it

Conclusion

Adding Shopify order form fields to your store can significantly improve the customer experience. The shopping experience for customers will be more personalized, giving customers a sense that your products are tailored for them. 

You’ll also boost your store’s efficiency and overall sales performance, too. Form fields will allow you to collect vital information to help you process the sale, helping you streamline order-taking and fulfillment.

The best way to add form fields to your store is to use an app. Apps provide a user-friendly interface, seamless integration, and ongoing support and updates. They eliminate the need for complex coding and reduce the risk of errors, ensuring your store looks good and remains functional.

To get started with adding custom order form fields, we highly recommend using Magical Order Form Fields. It offers a comprehensive solution that is easy to implement. Install and set up the app in just minutes and experience the benefits of a more personalized and efficient order process.

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