Under the Shopify Winter Edition, 23 Shopify launched many features, updates and changes to make Shopify the best platform to start an e-commerce business. Shopify Scripts Deprecation is one of the new updates among them.

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What is Shopify Scripts Deprecation?

Shopify Script Deprecation refers to the announcement in which Shopify Functions replace Shopify Scripts. It means Shopify scripts will no longer be used in Shopify store or website development.

To create more understanding about the Shopify script deprecation. Let's discuss "Shopify Functions" and "Shopify Scripts".

What are Shopify Functions?

Shopify stores have three main components: "Frontend", "Backend", and "Database", as all of the CMS has. To build and customize the Shopify stores according to business requirements, the Shopify developer can customize the frontend with themes liquid hydrogen, the database is accessible with the help of API, but the backend could not be customized before introducing Shopify Functions.

Long story short, Shopify Functions are the tool to customize the backend of Shopify stores. With Shopify Functions, developers can inject the custom code into the Shopify server and tweak Shopify's backend logic without any trouble.

Why does Shopify introduce Shopify Functions?

As Shopify businesses grow, business owners need more store functionalities and features to provide a better user experience. To date, Shopify apps are used to add functionalities and features to Shopify stores. 

The apps have a few drawbacks, you need hosting and a server to run the app, which is an extra economic burden on business owners. Most of the traditional apps could not work throughout the checkout. Ensure that servers are fast.

To overcome these drawbacks, Shopify introduced the Shopify Functions.

What are Shopify Scripts?

Shopify Scripts is a feature of the Shopify ecommerce platform that allows merchants to customize their store's checkout process using Ruby code. Scripts can create custom discount codes, modify shipping rates, apply taxes, and perform other functions that help merchants optimize their checkout process.

After learning about the Shopify Functions and Shopify Scripts, we can understand that both are used to add additional features to the Shopify store. Then why do we need to use Shopify functions over Shopify scripts?

Here is the answer to why Shopify functions are better than Shopify scripts.

Why are Shopify Functions Better Than Shopify Scripts?

To understand the advantage of Functions over Scripts, we provide a comparison table which is easy to understand.

Let’s learn about each point one by one.

Plans: Scripts were only available on Shopify Plus, and Functions will be available on all plans.

Distribution: To deploy, Scripts must copy and paste from one store to another, whereas Functions will be deployed through apps.

Performance: Functions run faster than Scripts; WebAssembly runs scripts under 5 milliseconds.

Language support: Scripts should only be coded in Ruby, whereas Functions can build using languages that compile in WebAssembly, such as JavaScript, C++, C#, etc. The only constraint is that the code file should be under 256 KB.

Configuration: To change functionality, tweak code for Scripts, and Functions can be configured through the admin dashboard.

Testing: To test scripts, you need to test them on a staging or production environment, whereas Functions can be unit tested on a local environment.

Why Should You Need to Know About Shopify Script Deprecation As Shopify Store Owner?

As a Shopify store owner, you should know that Scripts will be deprecated soon. So to keep your store running without interruption, you need to know about it. After reading the article, you also learned that Functions would replace the Scripts.

Here are the available Function APIs to date:

Important Date Related to Shopify Scripts Deprecation

The important date related to the Shopify Scripts Deprecation announcement is August 13, 2024. After the 13th of August 2024, scripts will no longer be supported by Shopify. As a Shopify store owner, you must migrate the Scripts to Functions before the date mentioned.

Now the question is, "How can you migrate Scripts to Shopify Functions?”

The answer is Follow the steps to migrate Scripts to Shopify Fucntions.

How to Migrate Scripts to Shopify Functions?

Migrating Scripts to Shopify Functions involves converting existing Ruby code into JavaScript code to use Shopify's new server less platform, Shopify Functions.

Here are the steps you can take to migrate Shopify Scripts to Shopify Functions:

1. Identify the functionality of the Shopify Script that you want to migrate to Shopify Functions.
2. Rewrite the Ruby code in the Script as a Shopify Function using JavaScript. You can refer to Shopify's documentation and resources to help you with the conversion process.
3. Test the Shopify Function to ensure it works as expected and produces the same results as the original Script.
4. Once the Shopify Function is tested and ready, create a new Shopify App that includes the Function.
5. In your Shopify store, go to the checkout customization section and disable the Script that you want to replace with the Function.
6. In the same section, enable the Shopify App that contains the Function.
7. Test the checkout process to ensure that the Function works correctly.
8. Monitor the checkout process to identify any issues arising after the migration.

It's important to note that migrating Shopify Scripts to Shopify Functions requires some programming knowledge, particularly in JavaScript. Additionally, not all of the functionality of a Shopify Script can be replicated in a Shopify Function, so it's important to evaluate your needs before making the switch.

Shopify provides detailed documentation and resources on migrating Shopify Scripts to Shopify Functions, and as a Shopify store owner, it isn't easy to convert Ruby code into JavaScript. For this, you can hire a Shopify developer from our platform.

Hire Shopify Developer to Migrate Scripts to Shopify Functions

Conclusion

After reading the complete article, you will know the Shopify Script Deprecation announcement, Shopify Scripts, and Shopify Functions. Why is it needed, and what other important terms and dates are related to this update? If you still have questions, then contact our Shopify consultant today.