Setting up automated delivery dates

Plan requirement

Automated delivery dates are available to stores on the Basic, Grow, Advanced, or Plus plan.

You can display automated delivery dates instead of an estimated transit time at checkout. Delivery dates are specific dates, such as Estimated delivery Mon, Jun 30. Delivery dates can encourage your customers to complete the purchase and result in more sales. Customers also don't need to search for estimated delivery dates in other pages of your online store.

Automated delivery dates are displayed to your customers in the following places:

• The product's page.
• Checkout and accelerated checkout such as Shop Pay.
• Order confirmation emails.
• The Thank You and Order Details pages after checkout.

Considerations and requirements for using automated delivery dates

To display automatic delivery dates to your customers, your store must meet the following requirements:

• Be on the Basic plan or higher.
• Have an active fulfillment location within the United States.
• Use the latest version of related Shopify features, such as shipping settings.
• Never have violated the Shopify Acceptable Use Policy.
• Fulfilled at least one US domestic order.

In addition, for an order to display a delivery date, the following must be true of the order:

• The customer is located in the United States.
• The delivery date prediction is within 5 days.
• The products in the order are in stock and can be fulfilled immediately from a location within the United States.
• The products in the order will be shipped by a supported carrier.
• The products in the order aren't any of the following:
  • Digital products.
  • Pre-orders.
  • Subscriptions.
  • Try-before-you-buy.

Before activating automatic delivery dates in your store, review the following considerations:

• Before you activate automated delivery dates, it's recommended that you remove transit times from your rate names and add them to the rate description instead.
• If a delivery prediction for an order is greater than 5 days, and there is no rate description or the rate description exceeds 25 characters, then Ready to ship is displayed instead.
• If a customer reports a damaged, incorrect, or late product, then it's your responsibility to resolve the issue directly with the customer.

Automated delivery dates and Shop Promise

Automated delivery dates are different from Shop Promise. Shop Promise has the following features and requirements, which don't apply to automated delivery dates:

• Shop Promise offers a limited guarantee for eligible orders.
• To use Shop Promise, you must meet Shop Promise delivery standards and activate Shop Pay.

You can use both Shop Promise and automated delivery dates at the same time. If both features are activated, then Shop Promise badges are displayed for eligible orders. If an order is ineligible, or if Shop Promise is paused or deactivated, then automated delivery dates are displayed.

Automated delivery date supported carriers

The following shipping carriers are supported by automated delivery dates:

• AxleHire
• Better Trucks
• CDL Last Mile
• DHL Express
• FedEx
• GLS US
• Lasership
• Lone Star Overnight
• OnTrac
• TForce Final Mile
• UPS
• USPS
• United Delivery Service

Activate automated delivery dates

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.

2. In the Expected delivery dates section, click the toggle to turn on Automated delivery dates.

3. Click Activate.

After you click Activate, automated delivery dates are displayed in your store.

Deactivate automated delivery dates

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.

2. In the Expected delivery dates section, click the toggle to turn off Automated delivery dates.

3. Click Deactivate.

After you click Deactivate, automated delivery dates are removed from your store.

Display automated delivery dates on product pages

After activating automated delivery dates, navigate to the product page using your theme editor to confirm that the delivery date module is displayed correctly. If it isn't displayed, then you need to manually position the module. Before you make any changes, duplicate your theme so that you can revert any changes.

Reposition the automated delivery date module

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes.

2. Find the theme you want to edit, click the button to open the actions menu, and then click Edit code.

3. Open the relevant file.

4. Find the line that contains {%- if block.settings.show_dynamic_checkout -%} or {{ form | payment_button }}.

5. Create a new line directly below that line, and then paste the following code: <div class="delivery-promise__promise-container"></div>

6. Click Save.

Manually override the delivery date module theme

The delivery date module has a dark and light theme. The module automatically uses whichever theme has the highest contrast ratio compared to the background color of the product page, but you can manually select a theme to display.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes.

2. Find the theme you want to edit, click the button to open the actions menu, and then click Edit code.

3. Open the relevant file.

4. Find the line that contains <div class="delivery-promise__promise-container"></div>.

5. Add code to indicate your desired theme:

   • To use the dark theme, edit this line to <div class="delivery-promise__promise-container" data-theme="dark"></div>.
   • To use the light theme, edit this line to <div class="delivery-promise__promise-container" data-theme="light"></div>.

6. Click Save.

Customize order confirmation emails to include automated delivery dates

Automated delivery dates are displayed in order confirmation emails for eligible deliveries.

However, if you've previously customized your order confirmation email, then delivery dates aren't automatically included in your emails. To include automated delivery dates in your email notifications, you need to manually customize the email template.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Notifications.

2. Click Order confirmation.

3. Click Edit code.

4. In the email body, find the line that contains {{ shipping_method.title }}.

5. Replace the line that contains {{ shipping_method.title }} with the following code:

{% if delivery_promise_branded_shipping_line %}
  {{ delivery_promise_branded_shipping_line }}
{% else %}
  {{ shipping_method.title }}
{% endif %}

6. Click Save.