In short: To make a sign-up form field required or optional, use the "Required field" checkbox on the screen where you add a customer metafield. You can add two kinds of fields. Shopify fields cover name, phone number, address, and similar details. Custom fields are created with customer metafields and cover details such as birthday and terms of service consent. You can change the display order of fields. You can also set character limits on some Shopify fields and on text-input custom fields.
Key points
- When you add a customer metafield as a custom field, select the "Required field" checkbox to make that field required
- Shopify fields include name, phone number, postal code, prefecture, city, street address, building name, and apartment or room number
- For fields customers must fill in, such as terms of service consent, add a "True or false" metafield as a required field
- Make a field optional if you can collect it gradually after sign-up, such as birthdays and preferences
- You can set character limits on some Shopify fields and on custom fields with the "Text (single line)" or "Text area (multiple lines)" input type
- For addresses, you can add or omit the country field. If all your customers are in Japan, you can omit it
Where do you make sign-up form fields required or optional?
On the Registration Form Settings page in Howdy, open the edit screen for the field you added. When you add a customer metafield as a custom field, you choose a metafield definition you created in advance. On that screen, select the "Required field" checkbox and click "Add". The field is then required.
Sources: Howdy Help: "③ [Initial Setup] Registration Form" / Howdy Help: "How to set up terms of service with a link" (Japanese)
What Shopify fields can you add to the sign-up form?
The Shopify fields you can add include name, phone number, postal code, prefecture, city, street address, building name, and apartment or room number. For addresses, you can add a country field from the edit screen. If you only serve customers in Japan, you can omit the country field. You also adjust the display order and the placeholder (the faint hint text shown inside an input field) for each field.
| Example field | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | A field saved by default in Shopify customer data |
| Phone number | A field saved by default in Shopify customer data |
| Postal code, prefecture, city, street address, building name, apartment or room number | Address input fields. You can choose whether to add or omit the country field |
The steps for adding a sign-up form are in How to add a sign-up form to new customer accounts (Howdy).
Sources: Howdy Help: "How to set character limits on sign-up form fields" (Japanese) / Howdy Help: "How to set up address input" (Japanese)
How do you set up fields customers must fill in, such as terms of service consent?
Some fields must be checked before customers can submit the form, such as terms of service consent. For these, create a customer metafield with the "True or false" type. When you add it as a custom field, select the "Required field" checkbox on the screen where you choose the metafield definition. You can also enter HTML in the field's display label, such as I agree to the <a href="URL of your terms page" target="_blank"><u>Terms of Service</u></a>. Customers can then open the link to your terms page before agreeing.
Customers can add some information themselves after sign-up, such as birthdays and preferences. For these fields, follow the same steps but leave the "Required field" checkbox cleared to add them as optional fields. For an overview of the fields collected by default and custom fields, see What standard sign-up collects in new customer accounts, and how to add fields.
Source: Howdy Help: "How to set up terms of service with a link" (Japanese)
Should birthdays and preferences be required or optional?
You create customer metafields with types such as date, single line text, true or false, and choice list. You can make birthdays (date type) optional, along with preferences such as a favorite color (single line text type). Customers can then enter and change them at their own pace after sign-up. You can use a birthday metafield with Shopify Flow, for example to send birthday-month coupons. With the choice list type, customers pick from options you prepare in advance (for example, coffee preferences such as dark roast or light roast).
Source: Howdy Help: "① [Preparation] How to Set Up Customer Metafields"
Can you adjust character limits for fields and how addresses are displayed?
Yes. You can set character limits on some Shopify fields and on custom fields with the "Text (single line)" or "Text area (multiple lines)" input type. For addresses, you can change the display order and placeholders of the fields you added.
These Shopify fields support character limits: "Name", "Phone number", "Postal code", "Prefecture", "City", "Street address and building name", and "Apartment, room number, etc." Select the field's "Limit characters" checkbox and enter the maximum number of characters in half-width digits. The error message is optional. If you leave it blank, the default message appears. You can change the character limit settings from the edit icon on each field.
To add address fields, go to "Add Shopify field" and choose "Address: ...". You can arrange the display order of the fields you added and change their placeholders. If you also serve customers outside Japan, add the country from "Edit". If all your customers are in Japan, you can leave out the country field.
Sources: Howdy Help: "How to set character limits on sign-up form fields" (Japanese) / Howdy Help: "How to set up address input" (Japanese)
Related articles
- What standard sign-up collects in new customer accounts, and how to add fields
- How to set character limits on sign-up form fields in Shopify: maximum length and error messages
Frequently asked questions
Questions about new customer accounts? Ask us anytime.
We can help you decide which sign-up form fields to make required and how to include terms of service consent. Our dedicated team at Howdy creates customer metafields, sets up sign-up form fields, and places blocks on the profile page for you, free of charge.
