In this post, I’ll explore Shopify’s continued utilization of AI to elevate the Shopify experience and the large list of updates and improvements regarding Checkout Extensibility, reinforcing it as a go-to platform for aspiring and established online entrepreneurs.

Updates to Shopify Magic

First up are updates to Shopify’s AI offering, Shopify Magic. Shopify Magic is integrated across the ecosystem, enabling AI support for store building, marketing, customer support, and back office management. The big news here is that Shopify now offers Magic support for media generation and is now integrated with the Shopify Admin’s image editor.

Requiring no software or design expertise, Shopify Magic can be used to perform professional-level image adjustments such as removal of the background from a product image or replacement of the background with either a solid color or AI-generated scene. Preset prompts are provided, or, for the brave among us who might enjoy seeing what mischief they can get up to, have the ability to generate a new background using their own keywords and short phrases. In my opinion, the best part about this tool is that it's available on all Shopify plans for a limited time and that, as with all things Shopify, it's well documented.

Checkout Extensibility Improvements

Next up is Checkout Extensibility. There are several key areas of focus in Shopify's Checkout Extensibility, which offers consumers a trifecta of benefits: speed, simplicity, and security. Firstly, its speed is improved notably over checkout.liquid, cutting processing time by up to half. This improvement ensures a seamless purchasing experience, reducing the time spent navigating through the checkout process, thereby minimizing the chances of cart abandonment.
Secondly, simplicity weighs in as it streamlines the challenges posed by the difficulty of testing, updating, and maintaining customizations previously made via checkout.liquid saving on development costs. Last but not least of the trifecta, security is paramount and eliminating checkout.liquid’s inherent JS-execution insecurities helps to safeguard sensitive financial information, instilling trust and confidence in the end user.

In addition to the above, Checkout Extensibility has had 14 new APIs and updates, two of which I’d like to highlight:
New Branding API - This allows much more drastic customizations of advanced color settings and schemes, header and footer customizations, and container styling in the main body and order summary sections.
Privacy Consent Support API -This allows a Shopify app to collect consent during the checkout process, streamlining adherence to compliance regulations.

As a bonus, and not to be excluded from any list is Checkout Extensibility’s Shop Pay compatibility, per Shopify; Shop Pay converts up to 50% better over guest checkout. With these key features, Shopify's Checkout Extensibility not only enhances the overall checkout experience but also prioritizes consumer convenience and protection, making it an invaluable asset to your store.

Want to learn more about how these Shopify improvements could improve your business results? Contact Blue Acorn iCi for more information.