Installing Zest Gift Notes and Multiship adds powerful gifting capabilities directly into your Shopify checkout, allowing customers to add personalized gift messages, send to multiple recipients, and schedule gift deliveries all without leaving your checkout flow.
The app integrates as checkout extensions on your checkout page, thank you page, and order status page, creating a seamless experience that increases conversion and average order value.
To ensure a smooth installing, make sure you have:
A Shopify Plus plan (checkout extensions are only available on Shopify Plus).
Admin access for checkout configurations and with billing permissions in Shopify.
An understanding of your current checkout flow, date picker, and shipping options.
What Gets Installed and Where
The Zest app requires checkout blocks on three different pages:
Checkout page: The Gift Note block allows customers to indicate they're sending a gift, write a personalized message, and enter recipient information.
Thank you page: The Gift Details block displays gift confirmation and recipient details after purchase.
Order status page: The Gift Details block shows gift tracking and delivery information.
Shopify orders dashboard: The app block installed directly in the admin Shopify orders page provides useful information for support requests.
Note: Each page must be configured separately in Shopify's checkout editor.
Date picker
Configure Order fields
Installation Steps Within Shopify
Step 1: Install the App From the Provided Shopify App Store Link
Click the direct install link provided by Zest and click Install.
Review the permissions requested by the app (these include access to products, inventory, orders, draft orders, fulfillments, and gift cards).
Click Install again.
Accept the billing terms when prompted by clicking Approve.
How and when you are billed is dependent upon your onboarding schedule.
Zest Gift Notes will now appear in your Shopify admin sidebar under Apps. For ease of use, pin the app to your sidebar.
Important: Installing the app does not immediately affect your live store. The app blocks won't appear in checkout until you configure and publish your checkout customization.
Step 2: Create a Sandbox Checkout Configuration
Before making changes to your live checkout, create a test environment:
In Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout.
Find your current live checkout configuration.
Click the three-dot menu and select Duplicate.
Rename the duplicate (for example, "Zest Test" or "Zest Checkout Preview").
Click into this preview configuration to begin adding app blocks.
This allows you to test functionality without affecting your live store. When ready, you'll publish this configuration to make it live.
Step 3: Add the Gift Note Block to the Checkout Page
Go to Zest Gift Notes > Settings > App block setup.
Click Checkout page.
In the checkout editor, click Add app block beneath “Contact” in the left sidebar.
Search for "Zest" and select Gift Note.
Critical step: Position the Gift Note block directly underneath the Contact section, i.e., the email/phone field. Use the arrow controls to move it into position.
Click on Checkout behavior and toggle on:
Allow app to block checkout.
Include block in Shop Pay (optional if you do not use Shop Pay).
The default label for this app block is “Add a gift note,” but you may change it at any time to something like “Send gift” or “Include a message.”
Click Save.
Why placement matters: Do not place the block above the contact information field. Placing it higher has caused significant customer confusion, with customers entering recipient emails in the contact field instead of their own email address.
Step 4: Add Gift Details Block to Thank You page
Thank you page
In your checkout configuration, navigate to the Thank you page section.
Click Thank you page.
Click Add app block in the left sidebar.
Search for "Zest" and select Gift Note.
Position the block under Order Summary or Order Details. We recommend position it as high as possible so gifters immediately see their gift confirmation.
Click Save.
Step 5: Add Gift Details Blocks to Order Status Pages
Order status page
Navigate to the Order status page section.
Click Order status page.
Click Add app block beneath “Order status” in the left sidebar.
Search for "Zest" and select Gift Note.
Position the block under Order Details or Order Status, again positioned high for visibility.
Click Save.
Note: App blocks on thank you and order status pages won't display in the Shopify theme editor preview — they only appear when real (or test) orders are placed. This is expected behavior, not an installation error.
Step 6: Configure Gift Note Block Setting in the Checkout Page
Update the copy for the Gift note checkbox label to match your brand’s voice. The default label for this app block is “Add a gift note,” you may want something like “Send gift” or “Include a message.”
Include Gift link help text to help your customers understand how to share gift information.
Add the character count for your: To, From, and Message fields.
For more information, see How to Configure Gift Message Fields and Character Limits guide.
Select if you allow emojis in text fields, e.g., the gift message.
It is common for emojis to not be accepted to downstream platforms and it is recommended to have this set to False.
Click Save.
Step 7: Configure Multiship Settings in the Checkout Page
To allow customers to send gifts to multiple recipients, or addresses, in a single order:
In the Shopify checkout editor, click on the Zest Gift Notes block in the left sidebar.
Scroll down to the settings panel.
Toggle Enable Multi-ship (or "Enable Multi-ship Conversion") to True.
Only available if your plan includes multiship.
Customize the entry point text that allows customers to enter multiple recipient addresses if desired, e.g., “Want to Ship to More Than One Address?” The entry point text is customizable in these same settings.
If you collect a phone number for your customer when they checkout, you need to enable, e.g., set to True, Collect a phone number for multiship recipients.
When enabled, customers will be required to provide phone numbers for each recipient in multiship orders. This must match your Shopify checkout settings.
Set the maximum number of recipients for a multiship order.
The default is set to 10 recipients. The average multiship order is four or five recipients. We recommend leaving the maximum at 10 recipients.
Click Save.
This adds a link in checkout that allows customers to enter multiple recipient addresses. Each recipient will receive their own individual order in Shopify.
Installation Steps Within Zest Gift Notes & Multiship Settings
Heads up! This is when you’ll be editing settings in the Zest app settings page, not the checkout configuration page.
Step 8: Configure Order Fields
Go to Zest Gift Notes > Settings > Order fields.
Determine what information needs to be populated in the Shopify order form, e.g., To, From, Message. These attributes will be attached to gift orders.
To add order fields to the order note, click Edit order note.
Follow the above steps to configure “Order attributes” as well as “Order metafields.”
Ensure these fields are configured for downstream fulfillment.
Step 9: Configure Date Picker
If you are currently using a date picker for a customer to select a delivery or ship date, you will need to use Zest’s date picker for your multiship orders.
Scroll to Date picker in Settings.
Click Edit date picker settings.
Add the Label and Help text copy.
If you do not enter a copy, the configurations will not save. If you may need to update the copy, you can enter placeholder text.
Configure the following settings:
Minimum lead time days
The minimum number of days that the customer can select a date.
Time cutoff
The time of day that the customer can select a date. (e.g. enter 23 for 11PM)
Maximum lead time days
Restricted days of the week
The days that the customer cannot select.
Restricted dates
The dates that the customer cannot select.
Are restricted dates part of lead time
Whether the restricted dates are part of the lead time.
Order attribute or Metafield definition
Configure the order attribute that will be used to store the scheduled date for multiship orders. Example: Ship-Date: {{dd/mm/yyyy}}.
Step 10: Configure General Settings
Require sending the same products and quantities to each recipient?
With multiship, gifters can send different products and quantities to different recipients in one checkout. If you enable this feature, it will restrict the gifter to sending the same products and quantities for each recipient.
Automatically cancel parent orders after child orders are created?
See guide
Include gifter's billing address on child orders?
If the customer’s billing address is collected at checkout, you have the option to include that information on the Child Orders, rather than only the Parent Order.
Review with your team if you have downstream systems that look for and use this information.
Step 11: Run Test Orders
Before publishing to production, thoroughly test the experience:
Place a single address test order with a gift message.
Place a multiship order with gift messages.
Verify the Gift Note block appears on the checkout page.
Confirm Gift Details appear on the thank you page after purchase.
Check that Gift Details display on the order status page.
Open the order and verify the Zest app block is viewable and how it connects the Parent and Child Orders.
Note: For Shop Pay testing, sign out of Shop Pay globally before testing in preview checkout configurations, as Shop Pay doesn't work well in preview environments.
Step 12: Remove Legacy Gift Message Implementations
Before going live, remove any existing gift note functionality you may have:
Remove any native Shopify gift message fields from your cart and checkout.
Disable any custom gift note implementations in your theme.
If you have existing third-party gift apps, disable or uninstall them.
Heads up! Keeping both message tools active causes customer confusion due to different character limits and unclear instructions about which field to use. The Zest Gift Notes app replaces these entirely for both single-recipient and multi-recipient orders.
Step 13: Publish to Production
Once testing is complete:
Go to Settings > Checkout in Shopify admin.
Find your configured checkout (for example, "Zest Checkout Preview").
Before publishing: Verify that no important changes were made to your current live checkout after you created the preview configuration. If changes were made, either manually add the Zest blocks to the live configuration or verify no important updates will be lost.
Click Publish.
The Zest Gift Notes and Multiship functionality will now be live on your store.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
The gift note checkbox or block isn't appearing in checkout
The most common causes are:
Billing terms haven't been accepted: Navigate to the Zest app in Shopify admin and approve billing (even if a 100% discount is applied).
The checkout configuration hasn't been published: Verify that the configuration containing the app blocks has been published to production, not left in a preview/test state.
The "Checkout Behavior" toggle isn't enabled: Check the Gift Note block settings and ensure the necessary toggles are enabled.
The app was installed on the wrong Shopify account: If you have multiple Shopify stores (production, sandbox, regional), verify the app is installed on the correct account.
After addressing these issues, the block typically appears within seconds.
The checkout block flashes then disappears
This occurs when billing terms haven't been accepted for the app. Navigate to the Zest app in Shopify admin and accept billing. The block should appear within approximately 10 seconds after approval.
Multiship option will not appear when certain products are in the cart
Products marked as digital or non-physical in Shopify may not display the multiship option. Zest interprets these product types differently, which can suppress the multiship functionality at checkout. Verify that physical gift-eligible products are properly categorized in Shopify.
Blank page when opening the app
A blank page in the Zest app is typically a permissions issue. The user accessing the app needs proper admin and billing permissions on the specific Shopify account. Ensure the correct admin user is logged in.
Add product images to the tax and shipping line items created by the app
The app creates tax and shipping products in your Shopify catalog that need images. Go to Shopify Products, search for 'tax,' and upload transparent PNG images to both tax products. These images inherit your site's background colors and display in checkout. This is a one-time setup step that's easy to overlook before launch.
Important: Do not delete these products.
Conflict with other app blocks on thank you page
Other Shopify app blocks (for example, cashback apps, order editing apps) may conflict with the Zest Gift Details block on the thank you page. Moving the Zest block to the top position can sometimes cause it to disappear on refresh. Test positioning carefully and evaluate which app blocks take priority for your business.
App blocks don't appear in preview mode
App blocks on thank you and order status pages won't display in the Shopify theme editor preview—they only appear when real (or test) orders are placed. This is expected behavior. To see these blocks, place an actual test order.
Shop Pay issues during testing
If Shop Pay isn't working correctly during testing:
Sign out of Shop Pay globally in the Shop app before testing.
Ensure the "Include block in Shop Pay" toggle is enabled in the Gift Note block settings.
Save immediately after toggling this setting (delaying the save can cause configuration problems).
Remember that Shop Pay doesn't work well in preview checkout configurations.
Checkout configuration version mismatch
Before publishing a Zest preview checkout, check when the live checkout was last modified. If changes were made to the live checkout after the preview was created, those changes won't be reflected in the preview. Either manually add the Zest blocks to the live configuration or verify no important updates will be lost before publishing.
Accepting App Updates
When Zest releases app updates:
Navigate to the Zest Gift Notes app in your Shopify admin.
Accept the update prompt when it appears.
Note: When one team member accepts an update, the prompt disappears for all other users on that account. If you don't see a prompt, another team member may have already accepted it.
Do I Need a Developer?
For the core installation—adding app blocks to checkout, thank you, and order status pages—no developer is needed. It's a point-and-click process in Shopify's checkout editor.
Developer involvement may be needed for:
Removing existing custom gift message fields from your cart or theme.
Adding the in-cart multiship button (which may require custom code depending on your theme).
Configuring order field formatting for downstream systems.
Zest will not complete developer work on behalf of the brand.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
The gift note checkbox or block isn't appearing in checkout
The most common causes are:
Billing terms haven't been accepted: Navigate to the Zest app in Shopify admin and approve billing (even if a 100% discount is applied).
The checkout configuration hasn't been published: Verify that the configuration containing the app blocks has been published to production, not left in a preview/test state.