How to Customize Delivery Estimates on Your Shopify Store

In the world of e-commerce, providing accurate delivery estimates can significantly enhance customer experience and boost sales. For Shopify store owners, customizing delivery date estimates on product pages is a powerful way to set clear expectations for customers. But what if you want to go a step further and offer range dates or location-specific estimates? Let’s dive into how you can achieve this using Shopify’s metafields and some custom code.

Understanding the Basics of Delivery Estimates in Shopify

What are Metafields?

Metafields in Shopify are additional pieces of data that you can attach to various objects in your store, such as products, collections, or orders. They allow you to add custom information that isn’t covered by Shopify’s standard fields.

Why Use Metafields for Delivery Estimates?

Using metafields for delivery estimates gives you the flexibility to:

1. Customize estimates for each product
2. Easily update information without changing your theme code
3. Display dynamic content on your product pages

Implementing Basic Delivery Estimates

Setting Up the Metafield

To start, you’ll need to create a metafield for your delivery estimate. This can be done in your Shopify admin under the product’s details.

Adding the Code to Your Theme

Once you have your metafield set up, you’ll need to add some code to your product template to display the estimate. Here’s a basic example:

{% if product.metafields.custom.number_of_days_for_delivery_ != blank %}
  <div class="delivery-date">
    <p><b>Estimated Delivery Date:</b></p>
    <div id="m-date">
      {% assign days_to_add = product.metafields.custom.number_of_days_for_delivery_ | date: "%s" | times: 86400 %}
      {% assign future_date = 'now' | date: "%s" | plus: days_to_add | date: "%d %b" %}
      {{ future_date }}
    </div>
  </div>
{% endif %}

This code checks if the metafield exists, and if so, calculates and displays the estimated delivery date.

Enhancing Estimates with Range Dates

Creating a Range Date Metafield

To add range dates, you’ll need to create an additional metafield. Let’s call it “Range Date For Delivery”.

Updating the Code for Range Dates

Here’s how you can modify your code to include range dates:

{% if product.metafields.custom.number_of_days_for_delivery_ != blank %}
  <div class="delivery-date">
    <p><b>Estimated Delivery Date:</b></p>
    <div id="m-date">
      {% if product.metafields.custom.range_date_for_delivery != blank %}
        {% assign range_date_add = product.metafields.custom.range_date_for_delivery | date: "%s" | times: 86400 %}
        {% assign range_date = 'now' | date: "%s" | plus: range_date_add | date: "%d %b" %}
      {% endif %}
      {% assign days_to_add = product.metafields.custom.number_of_days_for_delivery_ | date: "%s" | times: 86400 %}
      {% assign future_date = 'now' | date: "%s" | plus: days_to_add | date: "%d %b" %}
      {% if range_date %}
        {{ range_date | append: ' to ' }}
      {% endif %}
      {{ future_date }}
    </div>
  </div>
{% endif %}

This code now checks for both metafields and displays a range if available.

Implementing Location-Based Estimates

The Challenge of Location Detection

While Shopify doesn’t provide built-in location detection, there are several approaches you can take to implement location-based estimates:

1. Use a third-party geolocation API
2. Ask customers to select their location
3. Use shipping address information at checkout

Using a Third-Party App for Location Detection

One solution mentioned in the community is Pinpointly, an app available on the Shopify App Store. This app can help fetch customer locations, allowing you to adjust delivery estimates based on where they are—particularly useful for handling different shipping times between countries like the USA and Canada.

Customizing Estimates Based on Location

Once you have location data, you can use liquid conditionals to display different estimates:

{% if customer_country == 'US' %}
  <!-- US-specific estimate code -->
{% elsif customer_country == 'CA' %}
  <!-- Canada-specific estimate code -->
{% else %}
  <!-- Default estimate code -->
{% endif %}

Best Practices for Implementing Delivery Estimates

Keep It Simple

While it’s tempting to offer very precise estimates, remember that simpler is often better. A range of dates is usually more realistic and gives you some buffer.

Update Regularly

Shipping times can change due to various factors. Make sure to update your metafields regularly to keep estimates accurate.

Be Transparent

Always make it clear that these are estimates. Consider adding a note explaining that actual delivery times may vary.

Test Thoroughly

Before going live, test your estimates across different products and scenarios to ensure they’re displaying correctly.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Metafields Not Displaying

If your metafields aren’t showing up, double-check that:

1. The metafield names in your code match exactly with what’s in your Shopify admin
2. You’ve published any changes to your theme
3. The product actually has data in the metafields

Incorrect Date Calculations

If dates are calculating incorrectly, ensure that:

1. Your time zone settings in Shopify are correct
2. You’re using the correct date format in your liquid code

By implementing these enhancements, you can provide your customers with more accurate and helpful delivery estimates, potentially increasing their confidence in purchasing from your store. Remember, the key is to balance precision with flexibility, ensuring that your estimates are both useful and achievable.