When a shopper personalizes one of your products, they fill in a small form next to the live preview. This guide explains every field type that form can show, so you know what your customers see and how each one behaves. It is written for merchants who want to understand the customizer from the buyer’s side.
You decide which fields appear when you build the product in the Design Studio. The customizer then renders the right control for each one. Here is what each field does.
Text and text area
A text field is a single line. The shopper types a name, a date, or a short phrase, and it flows straight into the matching text on the design.
A text area is the multi-line version. It grows as the customer adds more lines, so it suits longer messages like a note or a short verse.
When you set a maximum length on a text field, the customizer shows a live character counter under the input. It updates as the shopper types, for example 12/30, so they always know how much room is left. The counter only appears when a limit exists.
Text and text area fields can also carry font and color choices. When you allow them, small font tiles and color swatches appear directly under the input. The shopper picks one and the text on the design updates to match. That side of these fields is covered in choosing colors and fonts.
If you configure a format rule, the field checks the entry against it. When the entry does not match, the customizer shows an inline error reading “format is invalid” next to the field. The shopper can correct the value and the error clears.
Choices: dropdown, radio, checkbox
These three field types let the shopper choose from options you define rather than type freely.
A dropdown shows a list of options. When you give it ten options or fewer, it stays a plain list. When it has more than ten, the customizer turns it into a searchable, type-to-filter list. The shopper starts typing, and the list narrows to matching options, which keeps a long list easy to scan.
Radio choices show each option as a pill. The shopper taps one to select it. You can attach a small image or a color swatch to each choice, so the pill shows a preview beside the label. This works well for things like a frame style or a thread color.
A checkbox is a yes or no toggle. It switches a layer in the design on or off, so the shopper can add or remove part of the artwork, such as a back-of-shirt graphic or an extra line of text.
If an option list is empty, the customizer hides that field from the shopper. The field stays out of sight until you add at least one choice in the Design Studio.
Number and date
A number field renders with a minus button and a plus button around the value. The shopper steps the number up or down, and the buttons respect the minimum, maximum, and step size you set. They cannot go below your minimum or above your maximum.
A date field uses the device’s own date picker. On a phone that means the native date wheel, and on a desktop it means the browser’s date control. A calendar-month field works the same way but uses the device’s month picker, so the shopper chooses a month rather than a full date.
Whatever the shopper picks flows into the matching text on the design, just like a text field.
Required fields and validation
You can mark any field as required. A required field shows an asterisk next to its label, so the shopper knows it must be filled in.
If a required field is empty when the shopper presses Add to Cart, the customizer blocks the action and shows a “Please fill in” message naming the field to complete. The shopper fills it in, and Add to Cart works.
Format and length rules work as the shopper types. A length limit shows the live counter, and a failed format check shows the inline “format is invalid” error right away, so the shopper can fix the entry before they reach checkout.
Why does my dropdown not show a search box?
The search box appears only when the dropdown has more than ten options. With ten or fewer, it stays a plain list.
Where do I choose which fields are required?
You set required fields in the Design Studio when you build the product, not in the customizer.
Can a shopper type past the character limit?
No. The maximum length you set stops further typing, and the counter shows how close they are to it.
To set up these fields and decide which ones shoppers can edit, see make fields customer-editable.