This article discusses features and capabilities available only for Shopify merchants. If you're using another platform, visit this article.
Before you start: where changes are made
Most Shopify widgets have two “edit surfaces”:
ReferralCandy Widgets page = edit the widget’s text/content (labels, messages, templates) and widget-level settings tied to a campaign.
Shopify editors = add/embed the widget + adjust layout/display settings (position, alignment, show/hide toggles, etc.).
If you edit the wrong place, it can look like “my changes didn’t apply,” even though they did—just in a different surface.
The 3 Shopify locations you’ll see referenced
ReferralCandy Widgets page (inside Shopify)
Shopify admin > Apps > ReferralCandy > Referral campaigns > select a campaign > WidgetsShopify Theme editor (Online Store 2.0)
Shopify admin > Online Store > Themes > Customize
(Used for storefront app blocks and app embeds.)Shopify Checkout editor (Checkout extensibility)
Shopify admin > Settings > Checkout > Customize
(Used for checkout blocks like the Thank you / Order status pages—exact wording varies by store.)
Note: Shopify’s navigation labels can vary, but the pattern stays the same.
Widgets available on Shopify
Referral extension (Checkout block)
What it is
Shows your referral prompt/sharing entry point on the checkout Thank you page (and related checkout pages depending on your setup).
Where to enable/add it
Shopify Checkout editor (add the ReferralCandy block).
Where to customize it
Checkout editor: placement/layout of the block
ReferralCandy Widgets page: the copy/text shown inside the block
Common confusion
If you’re trying to change the Thank you page block text, don’t look in campaign Themes—edit the widget text, then confirm it’s placed correctly in the checkout editor.
Customer referral details extension (Customer Accounts app block)
What it is
An app block in the customer account area that can show an advocate’s referral link, sharing options, and reward details.
Where to enable/add it
Shopify Customer accounts editor (add the “Customer Referral Details Extension” app block).
(Depending on Shopify setup, this may be accessed via customer accounts customization rather than the general theme editor.)
Where to customize it
Shopify editor: display/layout controls (alignment, show/hide certain sections, icon toggles, etc.)
ReferralCandy Widgets page: the widget’s text/templates (headers, descriptions, table labels, etc.)
Common confusion (the one you called out)
Some header/subheader style controls live in Shopify’s block settings, while the actual “words” and templates live in the Widgets page. They work together; one doesn’t replace the other.
Join block (Theme app block)
What it is
A signup form you embed on your storefront so customers can register as advocates.
Where to enable/add it
Shopify Theme editor (Online Store 2.0) — add the Join block as an app block on the page/template you want.
Where to customize it
Theme editor: placement/layout toggles (alignment, show/hide header/offer, etc.)
ReferralCandy Widgets page: text/content of the Join block (header, offer text, field labels, button text, etc.)
Important distinction
The Join block is the embedded storefront widget. The Join Page is a campaign theme page (edited under Themes). They’re related, but they’re not the same thing.
Friend offer popup (App embed)
What it is
A popup that can show the friend offer/coupon after a visitor lands on your store.
Where to enable/add it
Shopify Theme editor > App embeds (enable the Friend Offer Popup embed).
Where to customize it
Mostly via the ReferralCandy Widgets page (popup/widget settings). The theme editor is primarily for enabling the embed.
Note
If you use the popup, make sure it doesn’t conflict with your Friend offer page experience.
Friend offer page (Campaign behavior)
What it is
Controls whether referred friends land on a dedicated Friend offer page when they click a referral link (instead of going straight to your store).
Where to enable/disable it
ReferralCandy Widgets page (Friend offer page toggle).
Where to customize it
ReferralCandy Themes (because it’s a campaign page).
Important: Regardless of whether this feature is toggled on or off, ReferralCandy passes the discount code to your Shopify store via UTM parameters. However, if you run a headless setup or any non-Shopify landing page, the discount code will unlikely be passed to the platform. This may affect referral detection, and subsequently, the performance of your referral program.
Cookie consent
What it is
A cookie consent banner to support compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR-style consent prompts).
Where to enable/disable it
ReferralCandy Widgets page (Cookie consent toggle).
Where to customize it
This widget is typically minimal and mostly just enabled/disabled. If your store needs deeper styling/behavior changes, that usually becomes theme/custom-code scope.
Legacy widgets (older Shopify setups / script-based)
Some older widgets were created when Shopify allowed more script-based customization. Some merchants still use them, but they may not show on the Widgets page the same way modern app blocks do.
Referral widget (legacy script storefront widget)
What it is
A script-based widget commonly placed on storefront pages (often the homepage).
Where to enable/add it
Legacy script setup. If it’s not visible in your Widgets page, it may require support assistance.
Where to customize it
If your theme editor still shows “Referral Widget” in older theme dropdowns, you may see text options there—but placement is still legacy-script based.
Post-purchase widget (legacy script checkout widget)
What it is
An older checkout-related widget from the pre-extension era.
Important note
Modern Shopify checkout configurations may restrict script-based checkout customizations, so this widget may not be compatible for many stores.
Where to enable/add it
Legacy setup. If it’s not visible in your Widgets page, it may require support assistance and may not be supported for your checkout configuration.
Quick cheat sheet: “Where do I edit this?”
“I want to change the text/labels shown in the widget” → ReferralCandy Widgets page
“I want to add it to a page, move it, or toggle layout/display” → Shopify editor (Theme / Customer accounts / Checkout)
“I want to change campaign emails/pages (Welcome email, Share Page, Join Page, etc.)” → ReferralCandy Themes
Widgets FAQ
FAQ: Can I use widgets from multiple campaigns at the same time?
Widgets are campaign-specific if you’re running multiple campaigns. The ability to use widgets simultaneously depends on the widget type:
The referral checkout extension for Shopify can only be active in one campaign at a time.
The friend offer popup app embed for Shopify can be used simultaneously and is specific to the campaign the advocate or affiliate is enrolled in.
You can link the Shopify join block to a maximum of 4 campaigns in your ReferralCandy account.
On the customer referral details page, a Shopify customer enrolled in multiple campaigns can select from the Campaign dropdown to view their referral details in another campaign.
Embedded widgets (such as the embedded signup page and the referral widget) are campaign-specific. This means campaigns don’t share the same embed code and can be used simultaneously. For the referral widget, it’s recommended to use only one per page.
Note: Some widgets require technical expertise to set up.
FAQ: Where are the widgets from the previous dashboard in Shopify admin? Why can’t I see the code snippet on Shopify?
With Shopify 2.0, apps are no longer advised to use script-based widgets. As a result, widgets from the previous ReferralCandy dashboard (such as the embedded signup page, referral widget, and post-purchase popup widget) are no longer shown on the Widgets page in Shopify admin.
To optimize your campaigns, ReferralCandy provides the following alternatives in Shopify admin:
Join block app for the embedded signup page use case
Referral extension for the post-purchase popup use case
If you still need the code snippet for the floating referral widget (or any other legacy/script-based widgets), ask to speak to one of our human support agents. If you’d like us to offer it as a Shopify app block/extension in the future, mention that in your request as well.