1. Overview
1.1. What is the Customizable Options?
Customizable options let you offer more than Shopify's default 3 product options without creating additional variants. These options allow customers to personalize products without affecting inventory tracking or product pricing.
Additionally, merchants can attach extra product/collection/value to each product to charge more and cross-sell.
Key characteristics:
- No inventory tracking: These options don't affect inventory levels.
- No price change: They do not alter product prices.
- Information visibility: Customers' inputs appear in the cart, checkout, and in Shopify Admin > Orders.
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Link extra product/collection: Help you charge extra for customization options, or upsell related products/ collections easily.
1.2. Available Option Types:
- Text: Collect personalized text (e.g., engraving messages, custom labels).
- Select: Allow customers to choose from a list (e.g., size, material).
- File Upload: Let customers upload images or files (e.g., custom designs).
- Swatches: Display color or text swatches for visual selection.
- Date & Time: Allow customers to pick a date, time, or both (e.g., delivery date).
2. General Setup Steps
Regardless of option type, start with these steps:
STEP 1: Add a Customizable Options Block
Go to Product Page > Product information section > Click Add block > select Customizable options.
STEP 2: Set up the basic elements:
- Block width: Choose layout width (e.g., 50%, full width).
- Option Type: Select the type (Text, Select, etc.).
- Option Name: Give the option a clear, descriptive name.
- Option Style: Choose Normal or Bold.
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Optional Settings:
- Mark as Required – force customer input before checkout.
- Hide when blank – hide block if no value is set.
STEP 3: (Optional) Enable Add-on product to charge extra money for customizable options
If you want to attach extra pricing to each option, select a product in the Add-on product config. This Add-on product can be:
- A new product specifically created to act as a charge-more product (for example, a Handwriting card priced at $8).
- Any product you want to suggest as an extra option.
This product will be automatically added to the cart alongside the main product when the customer selects the option.
STEP 4: Save your changes.
3. Detailed Setup by Option Type
3.1 Text
The Text option allows customers to input custom information, such as engraving messages, personalized labels, or notes for the product.
STEP 1: Follow General Setup
- Complete Part 2: General Setup Steps
- When choosing Option Type, find Text and pick one of the following:
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STEP 2: Add Placeholder Text
Enter placeholder text to guide customers on what to enter (e.g., "Enter your engraving here").
STEP 3: Set up the Text Options
Scroll to the Text options setting group:
- Set a Maximum Character Length (optional).
- Add an Option Note to give extra instructions or hints (optional).
STEP 4: Click "Save" when done.
3.2 Select
The Select option allows customers to choose from a list — perfect for product settings that require single or multiple selections, such as size, material, or style.
STEP 1: Follow General Setup
- Complete Part 2: General Setup Steps
- When choosing Option Type, find Select and pick one of the following:
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Dropdown – display a dropdown list. |
Radio button – single-choice selection with visible buttons. |
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STEP 2: Set up the Select Options
There are 3 ways to add options for this customization type:
Option 1: Manually add the Select Options
Scroll to the Select options setting group:
Option Values: Enter values separated by a semicolon (e.g., Polo;V-Neck;Boat Neck).
✅ When a value is chosen, the Add-on product (set up in Part 2: General Setup Steps) will be added to the cart alongside the main product.
Option 2: Link products to act as Select Options
Linked products: Select products to generate option values automatically.
✅ When a product value is chosen, it will be added to the cart alongside the main product.
Note:
- If you set up Linked products and Linked collection at the same time, only Linked products are shown as options.
- If you set up Select options this way, the Add-on product (set up in Part 2: General Setup Steps) will be disabled.
Option 3: Link collection to act as Select Options
Linked collection: Select collections to generate option values automatically.
✅ When a product value is chosen, it will be added to the cart alongside the main product.
Note:
- If you set up Linked products and Linked collection at the same time, only Linked products are shown as options.
- If you set up Select options this way, the Add-on product (set up in Part 2: General Setup Steps) will be disabled.
STEP 3: Click Save to apply the settings.
3.3 File Upload
The Swatches option lets customers visually select a color or text-based option — perfect for color choices, patterns, or style variations.
STEP 1: Follow General Setup
- Complete Part 2: General Setup Steps
- When choosing Option Type, find File upload.
STEP 2: Set up File Upload Options
Scroll to the File upload setting group:
Option Note: (Optional) Add a note or instructions (e.g., "Upload your logo in PNG or JPG format").
STEP 3: Click "Save" when done.
3.4 Swatches
The Text option allows customers to input custom information, such as engraving messages, personalized labels, or notes for the product.
STEP 1: Follow General Setup
- Complete Part 2: General Setup Steps.
- When choosing Option Type, select either:
- Color Swatch – for color-based options.
- Text Swatch – for text or label-based options.
STEP 2: Set up Swatch Options
There are 3 ways to set up Swatch options:
Option 1: Set up the Swatch Options
Scroll to the Swatch settings group, at Swatch Values:
- For text swatches, enter one value per line.
- For color swatches, use the format Name:#HexCode (e.g., White:#FFFFFF).
✅ When a value is chosen, the Add-on product (set up in Part 2: General Setup Steps) will be added to the cart alongside the main product.
Option 2: Link products to act as Swatch Options
Linked products: Select products to generate option values automatically.
✅When a value is chosen, its linked product will be added to the cart alongside the main product.
Notes:
- If you set up Linked products and Linked collection at the same time, only Linked products are shown as options.
- If you set up Swatch options this way, the Add-on product (set up in Part 2: General Setup Steps) will be disabled.
Option 3: Link collection to act as Swatch Options
Linked collection: Select collections to generate option values automatically.
✅ When a product value is chosen, it will be added to the cart alongside the main product.
Notes:
- If you set up Linked products and Linked collection at the same time, only Linked products are shown as options.
- If you set up Swatch options this way, the Add-on product (set up in Part 2: General Setup Steps) will be disabled.
STEP 3: Set up swatch display style
Choose Round or Squared (only for color swatches and color pickers).
STEP 4: Click "Save" when done.
3.5 Date & Time
The Date & Time option allows customers to select a date, time, or both — perfect for scheduling deliveries, booking services, or setting event dates.
STEP 1: Follow General Setup
- Complete Part 2: General Setup Steps
- When choosing Option Type, select either:
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Time |
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STEP 2: Set up Date & Time Options
Scroll to the Date & Time setting group:
- Earliest/Latest Date Allowed: Set the valid range of selectable dates.
STEP 3: Click "Save" when done.
