Shopify Thank You Page Redirects: Navigating the Post-Purchase Experience

Customizing the Shopify Thank You Page: A Community Discussion

Hey everyone! I was browsing the Shopify Community forums the other day and stumbled upon an interesting thread about redirecting users from the thank you page. It seems like a pretty common need for store owners who want to create a more customized post-purchase experience, so I thought I'd break down the discussion and share some insights.

The original poster, tomasrsd, wanted to trigger a backend call when a user clicks a button on the thank you page after making a purchase. They were using the purchase.thank-you.block.render extension target, which is the standard way to add custom functionality to that page. The challenge? Shopify has tightened security, making direct redirects trickier than they used to be.

The Security Sandbox and Redirect Limitations

As PieLab pointed out, you can't just use standard JavaScript like window.location to redirect users anymore. Shopify Checkout Extensions run in a secure sandbox that restricts access to the window object. This is to protect users and prevent malicious scripts from hijacking the checkout process. So, the old ways of doing things just won't cut it.

The Button Click Solution: A Controlled Redirect

The general consensus, echoed by oscprofessional, is that you need to initiate the redirect through a user action, like clicking a button. You can't automatically redirect them on page load. Here's the breakdown of how it works:

1. Add a button to the thank you page using the purchase.thank-you.block.render extension.
2. Handle the button click event.
3. On click, navigate the user to a URL. This URL can point to your backend.

Here's a visual example of a button redirect, as shared by Darian1 using the Checkout Plus app:

Backend Processing and Optional Redirection

Once the user clicks the button and is redirected to your backend, you can then process the order (using the order ID or checkout token). After processing, your backend can optionally redirect the user again, perhaps to a personalized thank you page or a special offer.

Here's a summary of the flow:

1. User clicks the button on the Thank You page.
2. Your extension calls your backend OR redirects to a backend-controlled URL.
3. Your backend processes the order.
4. Your backend *optionally* redirects the user again.

Using the Link Component

PieLab also suggested using the Link component from the Shopify UI Extensions library. Because standard Buttons cannot trigger navigation, you must render a Link element that points to your backend URL. You can style this link to look more prominent, but it must remain a link element.

So, while automatically redirecting users from the Shopify thank you page isn't directly possible due to security restrictions, there are definitely viable workarounds. By using a button or a styled link, you can trigger a redirect to your backend and create a more customized post-purchase experience for your customers. Just remember to handle the backend processing securely and consider an optional second redirect for the best user experience.

Hope this helps you navigate the sometimes-tricky world of Shopify checkout customization! It's all about understanding the limitations and finding creative solutions within those boundaries.