Migration to Storefront Cart API

[alexdupre]

According to the following email Shopify will deprecate the Checkout API soon:

We are reaching out because you have a custom application installed on your Shopify store that uses the Checkout API.
On April 1, 2024 the Checkout API will be marked as deprecated.

To maintain continuity and unlock new capabilities, apps will need to migrate to the Storefront Cart API

To my knowledge the custom application they are referring to is the JS Buy SDK that we use on our custom storefront. Are there plans to update to it to use the new Storefront Cart API?

[OctoD]

Same question here

[aliwilsonph]

Likewise came here to ask this :)

[alexdupre]

It looks like work is happening on this branch: https://github.com/Shopify/js-buy-sdk/tree/sd-cart

[LucasSilbernagel]

Just received this email and came here to ask this ☹️

[alexdupre]

Can we get an official answer, please? I see a new branch sd-deprecation that suggests to migrate to the Storefront Cart API, implying that this library won't be maintained anymore, and a parallel branch sd-cart where the library is being updated to use the Storefront Cart API.

[shawngrona]

👀

@scottdixon opened a PR which was closed by @benjaminsehl pending further discussion

@benjaminsehl can you please enlighten us as to the decision. if we need to migrate our apps to new the new API it would be better to know that sooner than later please advise

[shawngrona]

i opened a ticket with shopify plus support, they said:

Support:
The upcoming deprecation of the Checkout Classic API means that the merchants will need to transition to the new Cart API and Checkout Sheet Kit. The Cart API is designed to support Checkout Extensibility. It's important to note that the AJAX Cart API and the Shopify Buy SDK are not being deprecated, so they will continue to function as they currently do. I reassure you that you do not need to make changes to these two libraries. However, you will need to migrate to the new Cart API to maintain continuity and unlock new capabilities.
Me:
thanks i understand what you're saying, but this part doesn't make sense to me "you will need to migrate to the new Cart API to maintain continuity"
why do i need to migrate anything if "the AJAX Cart API and the Shopify Buy SDK are not being deprecated"
Support:
Hmm. That's an interesting question. You are correct in your understanding that the AJAX Cart API and the Shopify Buy SDK are not being deprecated. The main change is the deprecation of the Checkout Classic API, which will be replaced by the new Cart API that supports Checkout Extensibility. However, the mention of migrating to the new Cart API in the email refers to the need for apps to adapt to the new capabilities and features that the Cart API will provide, rather than indicating that the existing AJAX Cart API and Shopify Buy SDK will no longer function. Therefore, you do not need to migrate anything from those two libraries.
The focus is on the transition from Checkout Classic to the new Cart API, which is designed to enhance the checkout experience and provide more flexibility for developers. The confusion arises from the terminology used in the email, but rest assured that your current implementations with AJAX Cart API and Shopify Buy SDK will remain intact.

[alexdupre]

The shopify plus support is rarely useful (as opening issues here apparently).

The reality is that there is now a third new branch checkout-cart-migration that seems actively developed and that I expect will be completed and published before the hard expiration.

[shawngrona]

cool! probably a major version bump that none of us will pick up without actively looking for it

now we've got conflicting reports. can someone shopify developer side please weigh in??

[Gs-Joel]

Just chiming in to say that we have several projects that would also be affected by the deprecation in April.

Hoping to get notified when this ticket gets closed before then

[wturnerharris]

Same here! Need to monitor this thread and repo/branches for changes.

[alexdupre]

It's quite clear now that Shopify will create and at the same time deprecate the js-buy-sdk using the Cart API, so the best path will be to directly use the Cart API:

*The JS Buy SDK is deprecated as of January, 2025.** It will no longer be updated or maintained by Shopify past that point. A final major version will be released by the end of 2024 to remove the SDK's dependency on the deprecated Checkout APIs.

[Gs-Joel]

@alexdupre

Where did you get that information?

edit; They haven't updated the repo or documentation page yet
https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/headless/additional-sdks/js-buy

And as you pointed out previously they are clearly working on the migration on this branch checkout-cart-migration

[kdaviduik]

Hi folks, chiming in here from the Shopify developer side. We just posted an update to the README and changelog outlining our plans for the future of the JS Buy SDK. We also posted in the Shopify developer changelog. Here is the announcement:

Note: The JS Buy SDK is deprecated as of January, 2025. It will no longer be updated or maintained by Shopify past that point. A final major version will be released in January 2025 to remove the SDK's dependency on the deprecated Checkout APIs, replacing them with Cart APIs. Updating to this new version will allow the SDK to continue to function for most use cases.

If you are using the JS Buy SDK, you have two options:

Recommended Option: switch to the Storefront API Client
a. The Storefront API Client manages the API's authentication information and provides various methods that enable devs to interact with the API. This is the preferred and more future-proof solution. See this migration guide to help you transition.

Stopgap Option: Upgrade to JS Buy SDK V3 (coming soon)
a. This allows you to maintain your current setup with minimal changes for use cases that are supported by the Cart API. A migration guide with details on supported use cases will be available soon. If you choose this option, we still recommend that you switch to the Storefront API Client in the future.

Critical Deadline: July 1st, 2025. You must implement one of these changes by this date, or customers will not be able to complete purchases. Please choose the option that best suits your needs and timelines.

cc @alexdupre @OctoD @aliwilsonph @LucasSilbernagel @Gs-Joel @wturnerharris - all of you were asking about this in this thread

[sehsarah]

Stopgap Option: Upgrade to JS Buy SDK V3 (coming soon)
A migration guide with details on supported use cases will be available soon.

Has Shopify got an estimated date for this in December @kdaviduik ? Is the Stopgap migration needed by January 2025 in a few weeks?

[kdaviduik]

Hi @sehsarah! We are now aiming to release JS Buy SDK V3 in January 2025 (rather than "by the end of 2024" as we said previously). At this time I can't give you a more precise release date than that. There is no action required by January 2025. The SDK will be considered deprecated in January 2025, but nothing will stop working at that time. Action is only required by July 1st, 2025 as that is when the Checkout APIs will be sunsetted for users of the JS Buy SDK. I hope that helps!

[mpengellyCA]

@kdaviduik Why is this closed if the version that resolves this issue hasn't been released?

[kdaviduik]

Hi @mpengellyCA! I closed this issue because the question that was asked when this issue was opened has been answered:

Are there plans to update to it to use the new Storefront Cart API?

We are tracking the work for JS Buy SDK v3 internally (ie: outside of this GitHub repo), rather than via this issue.