Shipping Address Edits
What is Shipping Address Edits?
Shipping Address Edits allows customers to update their shipping address after placing an order while maintaining accuracy and deliverability. The system performs real-time verification using postal databases (USPS, Australia Post, Royal Mail, and more) and provides validation suggestions to prevent undeliverable orders.
Key features:
Real-time address validation
Country restriction options
Automatic shipping cost recalculation
PO Box controls
Validation sensitivity settings
Configuration
How to Access Settings
Navigate to Order Editing > App Blocks
Select Shipping Address Edits
Step 1: Enable Address Editing
Allow Customers to Edit Their Shipping Address
Toggle ON to enable address editing
Customers can update shipping details during the editing period
Allow Customers to Use PO Boxes for Shipping
Toggle ON to permit PO Box addresses
Toggle OFF if your carrier doesn't deliver to PO Boxes
Limit Shipping Edits to the Original Shipping Country (Optional)
Toggle ON to prevent country changes
Example: Order placed with US address can only be changed to another US address
When to use: If shipping costs and tax rates vary significantly by country
Step 2: Set Address Validation Sensitivity
Choose how strict address validation should be:
Option 1: All Suggestions
What it validates:
Typos in street names
Missing apartment numbers
Incorrect street suffixes (e.g., "Rd" instead of "Pl")
Address formatting issues
Customer experience: More prompts and suggestions for minor issues
Best for: Merchants who want maximum address accuracy
Option 2: Critical Only (Recommended)
What it validates:
Undeliverable addresses
Invalid or unknown locations
Critical errors that prevent delivery
Customer experience: Minimal friction, only alerts for serious issues
Best for: Most merchants—balances accuracy with customer experience
Step 3: Configure Advanced Features (Optional)
Validate Addresses Using USPS CASS Formatting
What it does: Converts addresses to USPS CASS format to ensure proper delivery and standardizes formatting across Google Maps, USPS, and Shopify
When to enable: US-based merchants who want maximum USPS compatibility
Recalculate Shipping Costs When Address Changed
What it does: If an address change increases shipping cost, customer must pay the difference before the change is applied
When to enable: When shipping costs vary by location (urban vs. rural, different states, etc.)
Customer experience: Customer sees new shipping cost, must confirm and pay difference to proceed
Prioritize Apartment Number in Address Formatting
What it does: Formats addresses to display apartment numbers first
Example:
Standard: 100 Shopify Rd, Apt 2
With this enabled: Apt 2, 100 Shopify Rd
When to enable: If your carrier or warehouse prefers apartment numbers first
Address Validation Providers
Order Editing uses government and postal databases for validation:
United States: USPS
Australia: Australia Post
New Zealand: Google Maps
United Kingdom: Government data
Rest of World: Government data
Why this matters: Ensures compatibility with Shopify's native address system and carrier requirements
Customer Experience
Real-Time Address Validation
What customers see:
Customer changes shipping address during editing window
System validates address in real-time
If issues detected:
Validation prompt appears immediately
Suggested corrections shown
Customer can accept suggestion or proceed with original entry
Common validations:
Missing apartment numbers
Incorrect postal codes
Invalid addresses
Typos in street names
Country Restriction (If Enabled)
What customers see:
If "Limit to Original Shipping Country" is enabled:
Customer can only enter addresses in the same country as original order
Attempting to change country shows error message
Must contact support for international address changes
Shipping Cost Adjustments (If Enabled)
What happens when address increases shipping cost:
Customer enters new address
System calculates new shipping cost
If cost increases:
Customer sees additional charge
Must confirm and pay difference
Payment processed before address updates
If customer doesn't pay:
Original shipping address remains unchanged
Order proceeds with original address
Example:
Original address: Downtown LA (Standard shipping: $5)
New address: Rural Montana (Standard shipping: $15)
Customer must pay $10 difference to update address
Make sure this setting Shipping Cost Recalculations is configured
Best Practices
Enable real-time validation to reduce shipping errors and fulfillment issues
Use "Critical" mode for improved accuracy with minimal customer friction
Restrict international address changes if shipping costs and tax rates vary significantly
Enable automatic shipping cost recalculations to prevent unexpected fees for your business
Allow PO Boxes unless your carrier specifically prohibits them
Test address validation with various address types (apartments, rural, PO Boxes) before going live
Troubleshooting
Validation not appearing: Verify address validation is enabled and sensitivity is set
Too many validation prompts: Switch from "All Suggestions" to "Critical Only"
Customer can't change country: Check if "Limit to Original Country" is enabled
Shipping costs not recalculating: Verify "Recalculate Shipping Costs" is enabled and Shipping Cost Recalculations is ON in main Settings
PO Box rejected: Check if "Allow PO Boxes" setting is enabled
Last updated