On March 1, 2027, Shopify will stop loading script tags on every online store, and any app feature that depends on one will stop working that day. Since October 1, 2026, apps haven't been able to add or change script tags. Storefront scripts need to move to app embed blocks, and tracking scripts to web pixels. This guide shows you how to find the script tags on your store and fix each one before the deadline.
TL;DR
- October 1, 2026: apps can no longer add or change script tags. Existing ones keep running.
- March 1, 2027: Shopify stops loading script tags. Widgets, popups and tracking that rely on them stop working, with no grace period.
- The fix: visible features move to an app embed block you switch on in the theme editor. Tracking moves to a web pixel.
- Best timing: audit now, leave the store alone during BFCM, then migrate in December and January.
What is changing with Shopify script tags?
Shopify is retiring script tags in two steps: blocking new ones on October 1, 2026, and switching off existing ones on March 1, 2027. The change applies to every API version, so an app can't delay it by staying on an older version.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| August 24, 2026 | Shopify announces the deprecation in its developer changelog |
| October 1, 2026 | Apps can no longer create or update script tags. Existing script tags keep running |
| March 1, 2027 | Shopify stops loading script tags on storefronts. Any script that depends on one no longer loads |
Script tags on the Order status page were on a separate, earlier timeline. They stopped running on Shopify Plus stores in August 2025 and on other plans in August 2026, as part of the move to checkout extensibility. This guide covers only the March 1, 2027 change, which affects the rest of the online store.
What is a script tag?
A script tag is a way for an app to load its own JavaScript file onto every page of your store without editing your theme. Shopify describes it as "remote JavaScript code that is loaded into the pages of a shop's storefront."
For years, this is how apps added review stars, chat bubbles, popups, upsell widgets and tracking codes. Developers could add them easily, but merchants couldn't see them in the theme editor or switch them off there. The replacements fix that:
- App embed blocks show up in the theme editor under App embeds, so you can see every app that adds code to your store and turn each one on or off.
- Web pixels handle tracking. They're managed under Settings > Customer events and don't touch your theme.
Shopify has also required theme app extensions, rather than script tags, for theme-integrated apps submitted to the Shopify App Store. Many apps already made the switch. The ones at risk are older apps, apps that were never rebuilt and custom code.
What will break on March 1, 2027?
Anything on your storefront that still loads through a script tag will disappear, with no warning on the day. In Shopify's words, "your script will no longer load, and any feature that depends on it will stop working for that store."
The features most likely to be affected:
- Visible widgets: review stars, chat bubbles, popups, size charts, countdown timers, trust badges and upsell or bundle widgets from older apps.
- Tracking and attribution: analytics snippets, affiliate click tracking and ad conversion scripts added through an app rather than through Shopify's pixel settings.
- Custom apps built for your store that inject scripts, especially ones made years ago by a developer who's no longer around.
What keeps working:
- Apps that already use app embed blocks or app blocks.
- Tracking set up as web pixels, including pixels from apps and custom pixels you've added in Settings > Customer events.
- Code written directly into your theme files. That isn't a script tag, so the deadline doesn't touch it.
Is your store already affected?
Possibly, if you installed or reinstalled an app after October 1, 2026. An older app that adds its code through a script tag during installation can't do that anymore. The app may look installed while its feature never appears on your store.
If an app you added recently doesn't show up on the storefront, check whether it has an entry under App embeds in the theme editor. If it doesn't, contact the developer before you assume it's a theme problem.
How do you find which apps use script tags?
Use these four checks. The first two take five minutes and need no developer.
1. Check your theme editor's App embeds list
Go to Online Store > Themes > Customize, then select the App embeds icon in the left sidebar. Note every app listed and whether it's switched on. Then compare it with your list of installed apps under Settings > Apps. An app that changes your storefront but has no app embed or app block is your first suspect.
2. Look at your page source
Open your homepage in Chrome, right-click and choose View page source, then search the page (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) for asyncLoad. Script tag files are typically listed in that block as web addresses in a list called urls. Each address usually includes the app's domain, which tells you which app it belongs to. If you can't find asyncLoad, that's a good sign, but confirm with check 3.
3. Ask each app's developer
Send a short message through each app's support channel:
"Shopify will stop loading script tags on March 1, 2027. Does your app use a script tag on our store, and if so, when will you switch to an app embed block or web pixel? Will we need to do anything on our side?"
A good developer will answer clearly and give you a date. A vague answer, or none, is a reason to plan a replacement app.
4. Have a developer check your custom apps
A developer can run Shopify's scriptTags query with each custom app's access token to list that app's script tags and the files they load. The query only returns the script tags of the app making the request, so it can't audit App Store apps. For those, rely on checks 1 to 3. Shopify keeps the query and the delete action working after October 1, so the audit is still possible.
How do you migrate each type of script?
The fix depends on who owns the script and what it does. Use this table to find your path:
| Where the script comes from | What it does | Replacement | Who does the work | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App from the Shopify App Store | Shows something on the store | App embed block | The app developer | Update the app, then switch on its embed in the theme editor |
| App from the Shopify App Store | Tracks visitors or conversions | Web pixel | The app developer | Usually nothing. Approve new permissions if the app asks |
| Custom app built in the Partner or Dev Dashboard | Either | App embed block or web pixel | Your developer or agency | Approve and switch on the new version |
| Custom app created in your Shopify admin | Either | Code moved into the theme, or a rebuilt app | Your developer or agency | Approve the theme change |
| Third-party service where you pasted an access token | Either | A proper app from that service | The service | Install their new app |
App Store apps
Most App Store apps will update on their own, but you still have to switch on the new embed. Shopify says app embed blocks are opt-in: the merchant activates them in the theme editor. Until you do, the feature won't appear after March 1, even though the app is updated.
If a developer has no migration plan, replace the app now, while you have time to compare options.
Custom apps
Custom apps are the biggest risk, because nobody else will update them for you. How you fix one depends on where it was made:
- Built in the Partner or Dev Dashboard: your developer adds a theme app extension with an app embed block, or a web pixel for tracking.
- Created directly in your Shopify admin: these apps can't use app extensions or web pixels at all. Shopify's guidance is to move the script into the theme, using a custom Liquid block or the code editor, or to rebuild it as a proper app. Editing theme code takes the theme off its automatic update path, so keep a note of the change for future theme updates.
- Made by an outside service that asked you to paste an access token: that service has to release a real app. Ask it for a date in writing.
Tracking scripts
Move tracking to a web pixel, which runs without touching your theme. If the tracking comes from an app, the app's developer builds the pixel, and you usually don't need to do anything beyond approving new permissions if the app asks. If it's your own code, such as an affiliate or ad platform snippet, you can add it as a custom pixel in Settings > Customer events. Test that conversions still record before you remove the old version.
When should you migrate, given BFCM?
Audit now, change nothing during BFCM, and migrate between December and early February. Existing script tags keep running through Black Friday Cyber Monday, so there's no reason to risk your busiest week.
Here's a safe schedule:
- October to mid-November: audit. Run the four checks above and contact every app developer. Note which apps have a plan and which don't.
- Mid-November to early December: freeze. No app changes during BFCM. Our Shopify BFCM 2026 checklist covers what to lock down.
- December to January: migrate. Turn on updated app embeds, replace apps with no plan and rebuild custom scripts.
- February: test and clean up. Check every page type on desktop and mobile, confirm tracking, then remove old script tags.
Leave at least two weeks of buffer before March 1. A developer who promises an update "in February" may miss it.
What mistakes should you avoid during the migration?
The four we see most often:
- Running both versions at once. If a script tag and its replacement load together, the script runs twice. Shopify warns this can double-count analytics or show a widget twice. Delete the script tag once the replacement is live and tested.
- Forgetting the new theme. An app embed is only active on the theme where you switched it on. If you publish a new theme, for a redesign or a seasonal theme, switch every embed on again.
- Assuming an updated app is a working app. The update ships the embed, but you still have to activate it. Check the storefront, not just the app's settings page.
- Waiting for a warning. Shopify had planned an admin banner about script tags but decided not to show it for now. Don't wait for Shopify to tell you which apps are affected.
How can Solo Media Group help?
We audit your store for script tags, plan the migration around your sales calendar and rebuild the custom scripts your apps can't fix. Solo Media Group is a Shopify Platinum Partner, the highest of Shopify's five partner tiers. We've worked with 500+ merchants since 2018 and are rated 5.0 from 38 reviews on the Shopify Partner Directory.
A script tag migration often uncovers apps you no longer need and code nobody remembers adding. Cleaning those up also makes your store lighter. If you're planning a bigger rebuild anyway, see our Shopify migration services.
Our retainers start from $3,000 a month. If you only need one App Store app switched on in the theme editor, you don't need an agency. Follow the steps above.
Shopify script tag FAQs
When do Shopify script tags stop working?
Shopify stops loading script tags on online store pages on March 1, 2027. Since October 1, 2026, apps haven't been able to create or update script tags, although existing ones keep running until the March deadline.
What replaces Shopify script tags?
App embed blocks, delivered through a theme app extension, replace script tags that load JavaScript on the storefront. Web pixels replace script tags that only collect analytics or conversion data. Merchants switch on app embed blocks in the theme editor, while web pixels need no theme changes.
Why does my app return a scriptTagCreate error?
Since October 1, 2026, Shopify's scriptTagCreate and scriptTagUpdate actions return an error on every API version, including older ones. The app needs to move its script to an app embed block or a web pixel. Reading and deleting existing script tags still works.
Do I need to delete old script tags after March 1, 2027?
No. Shopify says leftover script tag records have no effect after March 1, 2027, so deleting them isn't required then. Before that date, delete a script tag once its replacement is live, so the script doesn't load twice.
Can I keep a script by adding it to my theme code?
Yes. Code written directly into your theme isn't a script tag, so the deadline doesn't affect it. Shopify suggests this route for custom apps created in the Shopify admin, which can't use app extensions. Editing theme code takes the theme off its automatic update path, so keep a record of the change.
