# Adding a Checkout Rule
**Requires:** Free plan
### Why this matters
Limit messages on the product page and cart are friendly nudges. A determined shopper can still bypass them — for example, by visiting `/checkout` from a saved link, sharing a cart URL, or ignoring the warnings. The checkout rule closes that back door by re-running the validation at the final step.
By setting this up, you protect your store from unexpected bulk purchases, avoid shipping complications, and keep your inventory balanced.
***
### Part 1: Register the validation in Shopify Admin
#### Step 1: Open Checkout rules in Shopify
In your Shopify admin, navigate to **Settings > Checkout > Checkout rules** and click **Add rule**.
#### Step 2: Select Avada Order Limit's validation
In the dropdown, choose **Avada Order Limit > avada-order-limit-validation**. This connects the Shopify checkout step to Avada's validation function.
#### Step 3: Turn on the checkout rule
After saving in Shopify, make sure the new rule is **enabled** — toggle the switch next to the rule you just added.
***
### Part 2: Configure the rule inside Avada Order Limit
Once Shopify is registered, jump back into the Avada app to control how the validation behaves.
* Open Avada Order Limit and navigate to **Settings > Checkout rules**
The page is titled **Settings** and contains three cards: **Checkout validation**, **Rule settings**, and **Debug mode**.
#### Step 4: Turn on Checkout validation
In the **Checkout validation** card, look at the **Checkout rules status** badge:
* If it reads **Off**, click **Turn on** — the badge flips to **On** (green) and the validation is active
* If it reads **On**, you're already covered
#### Step 5: Pick what happens if validation fails
Shopify's checkout rules can occasionally fail to execute (network blips, function timeouts, etc.). The **Rule settings** card lets you decide the fallback behavior. Under **If the checkout validation fails or experiences a problem**, choose one of the two radio options:
* **Allow customer to complete the checkout** — the app keeps working normally before checkout, but if a customer reaches checkout (e.g., via a direct link) the rules are not enforced and the order proceeds. Recommended for most stores to avoid blocking legitimate purchases.
* **Block customer from completing the checkout** — all orders are blocked as if a limit rule were violated. Safer for inventory but may stop legitimate orders during a function outage.
> **Tip:** It's recommended to pick **Allow customer to complete the checkout** unless you have strict inventory rules. A short outage of Shopify's checkout function is rare, but blocking every order during one will hurt revenue.
After choosing, click **Save** in the top bar to apply.
#### Step 6: (Optional) Share function logs for debugging
The **Debug mode** card is for troubleshooting. If something looks wrong — for example, a limit isn't enforced at checkout — our support team may ask you to share the checkout function's logs.
* Click **Share logs** on the right side of the Debug mode card
This opens the Shopify Apps page for Avada Order Limit. From there:
* Click the **action button (...)** next to **Avada Order Limit: Checkout Rules**
* Choose **View details**
* Scroll down to **Share function logs** and click **Share logs**
Once sharing is enabled, share the logs URL with our support team.
***
### Step 7: Verify end-to-end
Open your storefront in an incognito window and try to violate a limit at checkout:
* Add a quantity that exceeds your limit rule
* Skip the cart and go to `/checkout` directly (paste the URL if needed)
* The checkout should be blocked with a clear limit message
If the order goes through anyway, recheck Part 1 (the rule must be added and enabled in Shopify) and Part 2 Step 4 (Checkout rules status must read **On** in the app).
***
### Tips
* **Both halves are required:** Registering the validation in Shopify (Part 1) without turning it on in the app (Part 2 Step 4) won't enforce anything — and vice versa.
* **Allow vs. Block trade-off:** "Allow" optimizes for smooth checkout; "Block" optimizes for strict inventory control. Pick based on which failure mode hurts your store more.
* **Logs are scoped per request:** Function logs are short-lived. If a customer reports an issue, grab the logs as soon as possible after the failed checkout.
* **No code editing needed:** Unlike the legacy snippet flow, the checkout rule is fully managed by Shopify Functions — there's nothing to paste into your theme.
***
That's the full setup. Your store now enforces order limits at every step — product page, cart, and checkout — with a clear fallback for the rare case Shopify's checkout function fails.
If you have any questions or run into any issues, don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help!
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