Getting Started with Checkout Personalizations

A complete guide to using Intelligems Checkout modifications to add trust badges, custom content and upsells to your Shopify Plus checkout page.

circle-info

Shopify Plus Required

Checkout modifications require a Shopify Plus account. This is a Shopify limitation - adding app blocks on the checkout page is only available to Shopify Plus merchants. If you're not on Shopify Plus, you'll see a message in the Intelligems app letting you know this feature isn't available.

circle-check

What are Checkout Modifications?

Checkout modifications help you add custom content blocks to your Shopify checkout page to build trust, reduce cart abandonment, improve AOV, and improve conversion rates. These blocks appear directly on the checkout page where customers complete their purchase.

With Checkout modifications, you can:

  • Add trust badges to build customer confidence

  • Display security guarantees and certifications

  • Show warranty information

  • Highlight shipping and return policies

  • Add custom callouts and messaging

  • Add product upsells

  • Test any aspect of the above: enable/disable the modification entirely, compare different modifications, or experiment with different placements within the cart

How to Access Checkout Modifications

You can find the Checkout modifications feature in your Intelligems dashboard:

  1. Log into your Intelligems account

  2. Navigate to the "Checkout" section in the lefthand navigaction

  3. Click the type of modification you'd like to create

Types of Blocks

Intelligems currently supports static blocks with image, text and upsell content.

1. Trust Badges

Trust badges display icons with text to highlight key selling points, guarantees, or security features.

When to use it:

  • You want to highlight security, warranties, guarantees, or unique selling points

  • You need to build customer confidence at checkout

  • You want to reduce checkout abandonment

How it works:

  • Add multiple badges with icons and text

  • Customize colors, spacing, and layout

  • Arrange badges in rows or columns

Example: Display badges for "Lifetime Warranty", "Secure Checkout", "Free Shipping", or "Free Returns"

2. Callouts

Callouts create focused messaging blocks with optional headings, body text, and icons.

When to use it:

  • You want to highlight a single important message

  • You need to communicate shipping information

  • You want to promote a special offer or guarantee

How it works:

  • Add a heading and body text

  • Include icons for visual interest

  • Customize colors and spacing

Example: "Free Shipping on Orders Over $50" with a shipping icon

3. Static Image

Static images allow you to add custom graphics to your checkout.

When to use it:

  • You have custom-designed graphics

  • You want complete control over the visual design

  • You need to display logos or certifications

How it works:

  • Upload your image

  • Position it on the checkout page

  • Set sizing and spacing

Example: Payment security badges or industry certifications

4. Product Upsell

Add product upsells directly into your checkout

When to use it:

  • You want to show complementary, easy-add items at checkout

  • You want to increase AOV

  • You want to show a specific item to all customers

How it works:

  • Select your product(s) - up to three

  • Update your headline and and colors

    • Product images, titles, variants, and prices are pulled from Shopify and cannot be edited

  • Once a product is added to cart, it is automatically removed from the product upsell block

  • If a selected product variant is out of stock:

    • The add to cart button is disabled and the button copy says out of stock

Example: Show complementary products that are one size for easy add-on, or show a free gift to increase conversion

Setting Up Your First Checkout Personalization

Follow these steps to create and activate a block:

Step 1: Choose Your Block Type and Name It

  1. Go to Checkout in your Intelligems dashboard

  2. Click the type of modification you'd like to create

  3. Select a layout type

Step 2: Understanding Block Structure

Before diving into configuration, it's helpful to understand what makes up a block.

For Trust Badges: What's in a Badge?

Each badge in your block contains three elements:

  1. Icon/Image - A visual element (icon from the library or custom image)

  2. Title - The main text for the badge (e.g., "Lifetime Warranty")

  3. Subtitle - Optional supporting text below the title (e.g., "Yes, it's real")

Block Composition

  • A single block can contain 1 to 6 badges

  • Each badge can be customized individually (different icons, text, colors)

  • Badges are arranged in a grid layout that you control (rows and columns)

  • The entire block can optionally include a heading above all badges

For Upsells: Select your products

  • You can select 1 to 3 products

  • You can choose vertical or horizontal layout

  • Update colors, copy, image size, and more

Now let's configure your block.

Step 3: Configure Block Structure and Layout

General Settings

Block Name

  • Internal name for your reference in Intelligems (e.g., "Trust Badge 1")

  • Not visible to customers

Location ID

  • A unique identifier used to connect this block to Shopify checkout

  • Must be unique across all your blocks

  • Use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens (e.g., "trust-badge-1", "warranty-callout", "3-product-upsell")

  • You'll need this exact ID when adding the block to Shopify

Heading (Optional)

  • Add a main heading above your badges or products (e.g., "CHECKOUT NOW!" or "Why Shop With Us")

  • Leave the heading text field blank to hide the heading entirely

  • The heading appears centered above all badges

Badge Layout Controls

Body Alignment Controls how the entire block of badges aligns on the checkout page:

  • Left: Badges align to the left side

  • Center: Badges center on the page

  • Right: Badges align to the right side

Rows and Columns Define the grid layout for your badges:

  • Rows: Number of stacked rows (maximum 5)

  • Columns: Number of badges per row (maximum 3)

The total badges displayed = rows × columns. If you have more badges configured than your grid allows, only the first badges up to the grid limit will show.

Layout Examples:

  • 1 row, 3 columns = Three badges in a horizontal line

  • 2 rows, 1 column = Two badges stacked vertically

  • 2 rows, 2 columns = Four badges in a 2×2 grid

  • 3 rows, 1 column = Three badges stacked vertically

Image Position Determines where the icon or image appears relative to the badge text:

  • Top: Icon above text

  • Left: Icon to the left of text (most common)

  • Right: Icon to the right of text

  • Bottom: Icon below text

This applies uniformly to all badges in the block. Product upsells can be 1-3 products, either vertical or horizontal layout.

Step 4: Design Your Block - Typography and Visual Style

Typography Controls

Typography settings apply to all badges uniformly and use preset options from your theme’s checkout settings.

  • Font Size: Choose from available preset sizes (small, medium, large, additional sizes based on your checkout themearrow-up-right)

  • Font Style: Controls text emphasis (bold, normal, italic)

  • Text Alignment: How the text aligns (left, center, right)

Color Settings

All color options come directly from your Shopify checkout brand settings. These are not custom color pickers - you're selecting from preset colors defined in your checkout themearrow-up-right. You can't fully customize checkout block colors because the checkout is a secure, locked environment for security and consistency, limiting changes to basic theme settings like accent colors - this is a Shopify limitation.

  • Title Color: Sets the color for badge title text.

  • Subtitle Color: Sets the color for badge subtitle text. Uses the same color palette as title colors.

  • Background Color: Sets the background color for the entire block

    • Base (usually white or your checkout background)

    • Subdued (more subtle version of Base, calculated by Shopify)

    • Transparent (no background)

    • Other colors from your checkout theme

  • Border Color: Sets the color for the border around your block (if border thickness is above 0)

Appearance and Spacing

  • Border Style: Choose the style of border around your entire block:

  • Border Thickness: Controls the width of the border in pixels. Set to Base with Border Style "None" for no border

  • Corner Radius: Controls how rounded the corners of your block are:

  • Padding: Controls the internal spacing inside your block (space between the border and your badges)

  • Body Spacing: Controls the gap between individual badges and the heading when you have multiple badges

Step 5: Configure Individual Badges

Now configure the content for each badge for Trust Badges. You can add up to 6 badges per block using the "+ Add badge" button.

Each badge has the following settings:

Icon/Image Selection

  • Icon or Image Toggle: Choose whether to use a Shopify icon, or upload a custom image file

  • Icon Selection (if using Icon): Choose from available Shopify icons

  • Image Upload (if using Image): Upload a custom image file to use instead of an icon

Icon/Image Styling

  • Icon Color: Override the global icon color for this specific badge

  • Icon/Image Size: Control the size of the icon or image

Badge Content

Title: The main text for this badge, located above the subtitle text

Subtitle: Supporting text below the title

Configuring Multiple Badges:

Use the "+ Add badge" button at the bottom of the badges section to add more badges (up to 6 total). Each badge is configured independently with its own icon, colors, title, and subtitle.

You can also:

  • Reorder badges by dragging them

  • Delete badges using the trash icon

  • Collapse/expand badge sections using the arrow icon

Step 6: Block-Level Styling

These settings affect the entire block container (the box that holds all your badges).

  • Background Color: Sets the background color for the entire block:

  • Block Outer Padding: Controls spacing between the block border and the content inside (heading and badges)

  • Border Style: The line style for the block border

  • Border Thickness: Width of the border around the entire block

  • Corner Radius: How rounded the block corners are

Step 7: Preview Your Block

As you make changes, the preview pane updates in real-time to show how your block will appear on checkout:

  • Review the overall layout and spacing

  • Check that colors match your brand

  • Verify text is readable and properly sized

  • Ensure icons are positioned correctly

Note: The preview shows your block in the Intelligems interface. The final appearance on your Shopify checkout may have slight variations based on your checkout theme settings.

Step 8: Save and Create Checkout Modification

  1. Click "Next" when you're satisfied with your block design

  2. Choose whether to create a single Personalization or a Test:

    • Complete checkout setup: Activate this block on your checkout to a targeted audience or all visitors

    • Create a checkout test: Test multiple variations against each other

  3. Your Checkout Test or Personalization is now created and ready for Shopify configuration

Step 9: Add Block to Shopify Checkout

This is a required step - you must configure the block in Shopify for it to appear:

  1. Copy the Block ID from Intelligems (shown in the configuration instructions)

  2. In Shopify, go to SettingsCheckout

  3. Click Customize

  4. In the left panel, click Apps

  5. Navigate to Intelligems, click (+)

  6. Click Add block in that location

  7. Select Intelligems A/B Testing from the app blocks list

  8. Paste your Block ID into the block settings field

  9. Toggle on Include block in Shop Pay (recommended)

  10. Adjust the block's position by dragging it to where you want it to appear.

  11. Click Save in the top right corner

  12. Use Preview to see your block on a live checkout page and in a Shop Pay checkout

Important: Each Checkout Personalization needs to be added to your Shopify checkout separately using its unique Block ID. Without this step, the block won't appear on your checkout page.

Step 10: Activate Your Test or Personalization

Once your block is configured in Shopify:

  1. Return to your Intelligems setup

  2. Set up any targeting if desired - see Targeting section below

  3. Review your Test or Personalization settings

  4. Click "Activate" to make it live

Your block will now appear for customers based on your targeting settings.

Targeting Your Checkout Test or Personalization

You can control who sees your Checkout Personalizations using targeting rules:

Audience Targeting:

  • Device type (mobile, desktop, tablet)

  • Country or region

  • New vs. returning customers

  • UTM parameters from marketing campaigns

  • Custom cookie values

Currency Targeting:

  • Limit to specific currencies

  • Target specific countries for multi-currency stores

When to use targeting:

  • Test blocks with specific customer segments first

  • Show different messages to different regions

  • Display country-specific guarantees or policies

  • Limit to specific marketing campaigns

Adding Multiple Blocks to One Personalization

You can add multiple blocks to a single Personalization. All blocks in the Personalization will activate together.

To add multiple blocks:

  1. Create your first block and save it

  2. In your Personalization, click "Add another block"

  3. Configure your second block with a different Location ID

  4. Repeat for additional blocks

  5. Save the updated Personalization

  6. Add each block to your Shopify checkout using its unique Block ID

FAQs

  • Do I need to be on Shopify Plus?

    Yes, Shopify checkout extensibility and using blocks are only available to Shopify Plus merchants. This is a Shopify limitation, not an Intelligems one.

  • Do Checkout Personalizations have any impact on my Checkout page's load time? Intelligems blocks have no impact on your core checkout performance. Intelligems doesn’t interfere with the loading of payment details, shipping forms, or any other critical elements needed for customers to complete their purchase. Blocks load only after the checkout page has been fully initialized, and their load time is driven mostly by the user’s internet connection. Average load time is 248 milliseconds.

  • Can I use dynamic content in my blocks?

    Not yet. Currently, Checkout Personalizations only support static text and images. Additional blocks like countdown timers, upsells, recommendations, and reviews are coming soon.

  • Can I add both a Trust Badge and an Upsell block to my checkout? Yes, you can add multiple of any type of checkout blocks to a Personalization or Test. Create your first block in a test or Personalization, then in the Modifications tab, click + Add another block and add another block.

  • How many blocks can I add to my checkout?

    You can add as many blocks as you want to a single Personalization, and create multiple Personalizations. However, we recommend keeping your checkout clean with only the most important messages.

  • Can I test these blocks?

    Yes! If you're on a Plus or Blue plan, you can create tests with different Checkout Personalizations to see which performs best. Testing blocks is not available on Core plans.

  • What if I change my block in Intelligems?

    Changes to your block design will automatically update on your checkout. You don't need to reconfigure anything in Shopify unless you're changing the Block ID.

  • Can blocks appear conditionally?

    Yes, you can use Intelligems targeting to show blocks only to specific audiences, countries, devices, or based on other conditions.

  • Will this work with checkout extensions? Yes, Intelligems Checkout Personalizations work alongside other Shopify checkout extensions and apps.

  • Where do the color and typography options come from?

    All colors come from your Shopify checkout brand settings.

    To modify available options:

    1. Go to your Shopify admin

    2. Navigate to Online StoreThemes

    3. Click CustomizeCheckout

    4. Go to Settings

    5. Update your checkout brand colors (Primary, Accent, etc.) and typography settings

    6. These options will then be available in Intelligems

Getting Help

If you need assistance with setting up Checkout Personalizations:

  • Check the technical integration guides for detailed setup instructions

  • Contact Intelligems support for help with complex configurations

  • Work with your Shopify team if you need help accessing checkout customization

For more details about testing different checkout Personalizations, see Testing Checkout Personalizations.

Last updated