Staying Ahead with Shopify: Recent Updates and Actionable Advice

Discover the latest Shopify updates, from personalized checkout field settings to new shipping options and marketing tools, and learn how to make the most of these changes for your business. Get expert advice on navigating recent platform updates and enhancing your store's performance. Stay competitive with the latest Shopify features and best practices.

Staying Ahead with Shopify: Recent Updates and Actionable Advice
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As a Shopify merchant or developer, staying up-to-date with the latest platform updates is crucial for optimizing your store's performance and enhancing customer experience. Recent changes to Shopify include personalized recommendations for checkout field settings, the introduction of DHL Express in several countries, and updates to Managed Markets, among others. In this post, we'll explore these updates in detail and provide actionable advice on how to leverage them for your business.

Personalized Checkout Field Settings

Shopify now offers personalized recommendations for checkout field settings, helping you collect more complete customer information and improve marketing personalization. Eligible stores can review and apply these recommendations directly from the Checkout settings page. New stores already use these recommended settings by default. The recommendations may include setting the customer contact method to email-only, requiring first and last name, or optionally collecting the shipping address phone number.

New Shipping Options with DHL Express

DHL Express is now available in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, allowing merchants in these markets to buy domestic and international shipping labels directly from their Shopify admin. This integration eliminates the need for third-party apps or a separate DHL account. To start using DHL Express, simply go to any order in your admin and select Create shipping label.

Managed Markets Update: Ending Delivered Duty Unpaid Support

Shopify Managed Markets will stop supporting Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) in all countries and regions where it supports Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) starting August 24, 2026. Markets that use or inherit DDU will automatically transition to DDP. This change means customers will pay duties and taxes at checkout instead of to the carrier or customs upon delivery. If you prefer your customers to continue paying on delivery, you'll need to turn off Shopify Managed Markets before the deadline.

Enhanced Printed Receipt Editor and Other Updates

Other notable updates include an enhanced printed receipt editor for Shopify POS, allowing for better management of sale, return, exchange, gift, and gift card receipts. Additionally, Shop Campaigns performance data is now available through ShopifyQL, enabling analytics and reporting apps to integrate this data directly. WhatsApp marketing consent can also be collected on Shopify Forms, expanding your marketing capabilities.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Staying informed about Shopify updates is essential for maintaining a competitive edge. By understanding and leveraging these recent changes, you can improve your store's performance, customer experience, and marketing effectiveness. Take the time to review the updates mentioned in this post and explore how they can benefit your business. For more information on these and other Shopify features, visit the Shopify Help Center or consult with a Shopify expert.

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