This article is for Shopify merchants only.
Who this is for
Shopify merchants using ReferralCandy
Anyone adding or updating the ReferralCandy block on Shopify checkout’s “Thank you” page (post-purchase)
What the referral extension shows
A referral link and sharing options for enrolled customers, or
A referral signup form if the customer is unqualified to enroll (optional)
Primary sharing button
The main sharing button shown in the referral extension follows your campaign theme’s Primary sharing method. To change it, update the Primary sharing method in your theme settings.
Important terminology (common source of confusion)
Shopify has a checkout “Thank you” page (post-purchase), and ReferralCandy also has a campaign “Thank You Page” template inside the campaign theme editor.
If you want to change the text/banner inside the checkout ReferralCandy block shown after purchase, follow the steps in this article.
If you meant the ReferralCandy campaign “Thank You Page” template (shown after someone signs up through a widget), edit it in your campaign theme editor instead.
Quick answer: How to edit the text shown in the Referral Extension widget
If you want to change the message inside the widget (Header, Body text, and the Button/CTA label), edit the widget content in ReferralCandy (Campaigns > Widgets). Shopify’s Checkout editor is mainly for design settings like colors, icon visibility, and image alignment.
In Shopify, open the ReferralCandy app.
Go to Campaigns and select the campaign you’re using.
In the Promote campaign section, click Widgets.
Find the Referral extension section.
Edit the Language (if applicable), Header, Body, and Button (Call-to-action).
Click Save.
Add the referral extension app to Shopify checkout (Thank you page)
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout.
In the Configurations section, find the store associated with your referral program and click Customize.
Click the Apps tab in the sidebar.
Find the Referral Extension app under Referral Candy and click the + icon.
Under Add to, select Thank you.
Reorder the app block on the Thank you page if needed.
Click Save.
Turn on the referral extension (choose which campaign powers the widget)
After the app block is added, you still need to enable it for a campaign.
From your Shopify admin, open the ReferralCandy app.
Go to Campaigns and select your campaign.
In the Promote campaign section, click Widgets.
In Referral extension, check Show this campaign’s content.
When the warning popup appears, click Continue.
Optional: Check Allow signup/waitlist for unqualified customers if you want unqualified contacts to see a signup form.
Click Save.
Allow signup or waitlist for unqualified customers (what happens)
When an unqualified contact signs up for the referral program via the referral extension, they are waitlisted in your campaign. To be enrolled, they must meet your campaign’s segment criteria.
Important note
The referral extension can be enabled for only one live campaign at a time.
Checking Show this campaign’s content turns off the referral extension for your other campaigns, hence the wording "Show this campaign's content".
Edit the referral extension text (Header, Body, Button)
This controls the banner image and the Header / Body / Button text that appears inside the checkout ReferralCandy block.
In the ReferralCandy app, go to Campaigns and select the campaign you’re using.
In the Promote campaign section, click Widgets.
Find the Referral extension section.
Optional: Click Add image to upload a banner image. Recommended image sizes:
Left or right: square image, recommended width 220px
Top or bottom: recommended width 528px
If you’re using multiple languages, select a Language.
Edit the Header, Body, and Button (Call-to-action).
Click Save.
What does the default “Header” text mean?
The liquid object in the Header field shows the default “Give X friend offer, get Y referral reward” message in the referral extension.
Default header text for all campaigns:
{% if offer_description != 'none' %}Give {{ offer_description }}, get {{ incentive_description }}{% else %}Earn {{ incentive_description }}{% endif %}
Dynamic variables you can use
{{incentive_description}} shows the advocate reward
{{offer_description}} shows the friend offer
If you set the friend offer to Nothing
If your friend offer is set to Nothing, keep (or adapt) the default header logic above so the widget doesn’t show a “Give …” message that could confuse customers.
Troubleshooting: I edited the text but nothing changed
Confirm you edited the same campaign that currently has Show this campaign’s content enabled.
If you use multiple languages, confirm you edited the correct Language version.
Refresh the checkout preview / re-open the Thank you page editor to see the latest content.
Customize the referral extension app (Shopify Checkout editor design settings)
Use Shopify’s Checkout editor to change design-only settings like text color, banner image alignment, and which sharing icons appear. This is the “set and forget” styling layer.
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout.
In the Configurations section, find the store associated with your referral program and click Customize.
Click the Apps tab in the sidebar.
Select the Referral Extension block on your Thank you page.
Under App block settings, you can customize:
Text color (Info, Accent, Decorative)
Image alignment (left, right, top, bottom)
Show/hide each sharing icon (for example: Email, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, X, Telegram, Threads)
Some channels may include additional toggles (for example, WhatsApp icon color)
Click Save in the upper right corner.
Note on custom styling (Shopify limitation)
Shopify Checkout Extensibility does not allow adding custom CSS or editing checkout Liquid files.
You can adjust styling using Shopify’s built-in branding settings and the settings available in each app block (like this one).
Custom styling beyond these options isn’t supported by Shopify’s checkout framework.
Tips for a better-looking referral extension
Add “Refer friends, get rewards” into your banner image so it’s clear at a glance.
Use Top image alignment if you want the widget to feel more prominent (especially on mobile).
Preview on mobile/tablet sizes before finalizing.
If you align the image left/right, use a square image (note: on mobile, the image may appear cropped).
FAQ
How do I change the message text in the widget (Header/Body/Button)?
Edit it in ReferralCandy: Campaigns > select your campaign > Promote campaign > Widgets > Referral extension. Shopify’s Checkout editor is mainly for design-only settings.
I changed the Shopify Checkout settings but the widget text didn’t change — why?
Those settings control styling (color/alignment/icons), not the main widget copy. Update the Header/Body/Button in ReferralCandy under Campaigns > Widgets.
Why is the signup form showing instead of a referral link?
The referral extension only shows a referral link for contacts who are already enrolled in the campaign (meaning they currently meet your campaign’s Target audience segment criteria).
If the customer is unqualified (doesn’t meet your Target audience criteria) and you enabled Allow signup/waitlist for unqualified customers, the widget shows a signup form instead.
If they submit the form, they’ll be added as a contact and marked as waitlisted (never enrolled) for that campaign. They’ll only see a referral link once they meet your Target audience criteria and become enrolled. If they never meet the criteria, they’ll stay waitlisted and won’t receive a referral link.
Want to view who signed up (including waitlisted signups)?
Create a dynamic segment using Signup form submitted and select the campaign from the dropdown, then open the segment to view those contacts.
Learn more: Understanding segments and target audience
Learn more: Campaign enrollment
Can I have more than one campaign showing in the referral extension?
No. The referral extension can be enabled for only one live campaign at a time. Enabling Show this campaign’s content for a new campaign turns it off for the previously enabled one.
What are {{incentive_description}} and {{offer_description}} and where do I use them?
They’re dynamic variables you can use in the Header text for the referral extension widget.
{{incentive_description}} inserts the advocate reward
{{offer_description}} inserts the friend offer
If your friend offer is set to Nothing, keep logic that avoids showing “Give …” messaging.