Troubleshooting Guide

This guide helps you diagnose and resolve common issues with price testing. Work through relevant sections based on the problems you're experiencing.

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Quick diagnostic steps

Before diving into specific issues, run these quick checks to rule out common problems. These simple steps often reveal the root cause without extensive troubleshooting.

1. Open browser console

Access your browser's developer tools to check for errors:

• Press F12 or right-click → Inspect → Console

• Look for red error messages indicating JavaScript problems

• Check for Shoplift script loading confirmation

• Note any 404 or network errors preventing updates

2. Test in incognito mode

Opening an incognito window provides a clean testing environment:

• Rules out cache and cookie issues

• Simulates new visitor experience

• Eliminates stored preferences interference

3. Verify test status

In your Shoplift dashboard, confirm:

• Test shows as "Active" (not draft or paused)

• Traffic allocation isn't 0% for either variant

• Test hasn't been accidentally paused by team members

Price display issues

When prices aren't displaying correctly, the problem usually lies in theme implementation or script loading. Let's diagnose systematically.

Prices not changing at all

Common symptoms:

• All visitors see original prices only

• No variation between control and test groups

• Preview mode works but live site doesn't

Solution 1: Verify data attributes

The most common issue is incorrect attribute implementation. Check your code against these examples:

Correct Implementation:

<span data-sl-attribute-p="{{ product.id }}">
  {{ product.price | money }}
</span>

Common Mistakes:

<!-- Missing curly braces -->
<span data-sl-attribute-p="product.id">

<!-- Using variant ID instead of product ID -->
<span data-sl-attribute-p="{{ variant.id }}">

<!-- Missing quotes around attribute -->
<span data-sl-attribute-p={{ product.id }}>

Solution 2: Check script loading

Verify Shoplift is properly initialized:

1. In browser console, type: window.shoplift

2. Press Enter

3. Should return an object (not undefined)

4. If undefined, check theme.liquid for script tag

Solution 3: Validate element structure

Ensure proper implementation by checking:

• Attributes are on the price-containing element directly

• No JavaScript replaces HTML after page load

• CSS isn't hiding elements with attributes

Solution 4: Clear all caches

Sometimes aggressive caching causes issues:

• Clear browser cache and cookies

• Purge Shopify theme cache via admin

• Clear CDN cache (Cloudflare, etc.)

• Disable performance optimization apps temporarily

Inconsistent price display

When some prices work while others don't, you're dealing with incomplete implementation across your theme.Common Symptoms:

• Some products show test prices, others don't

• Same product shows different prices in different locations

• Prices flash between values during load

Audit all price locations

Themes display prices in numerous locations. Check these commonly missed areas:

• Quick view modals - Often loaded via AJAX

• Instant search results - Dropdown search previews

• Recently viewed sections - Dynamic product displays

• Product recommendations - Automated suggestions

• Mobile-specific templates - Separate mobile code

• Dynamically loaded content - Any AJAX-loaded prices

Check for duplicate displays

Run this diagnostic to find all tagged prices:

// Find all price attributes
const prices = document.querySelectorAll('[data-sl-attribute-p]');
console.log(`Found ${prices.length} tagged prices`);
prices.forEach(p => {
  console.log(p.textContent, p.getAttribute('data-sl-attribute-p'));
});

This reveals missed displays or incorrect duplicates.

Review theme updates

If prices suddenly stopped working:

1. Check if theme was recently updated

2. Compare current templates with backup

3. Re-add missing attributes to new sections

Prices wrong on specific devices

Device-specific issues usually stem from responsive design using different markup for different screens.

Check responsive templates

Look for:

• Files with "mobile" in the name

• Device-specific sections

• CSS media queries hiding/showing elements

Verify mobile-specific code

When different markup exists for devices, tag both:

<!-- Both need attributes -->
<div class="desktop-only" data-sl-attribute-p="{{ product.id }}">
  {{ product.price | money }}
</div>
<div class="mobile-only" data-sl-attribute-p="{{ product.id }}">
  {{ product.price | money }}
</div>

Cart and checkout Issues

Cart pricing is critical—this is where customers make final decisions. Any discrepancies here can cause abandonment or support issues.

Cart shows original prices

Common Symptoms:

• Product pages show test prices correctly

• Cart reverts to original prices

• Checkout totals don't match expectations

Verify cart transform function

For Shopify Plus stores using Cart Transforms:

• Confirm you're on Shopify Plus (required)

• Check Cart Transform is enabled in admin

• Look for conflicting cart modification apps

Check cart template implementation

Remember these cart-specific rules:

• Cart totals should NOT have data attributes

• Only individual product prices need marking

• Standard Shopify cart structure works best

Test cart isolation

To identify conflicts:

1. Temporarily disable cart-related apps

2. Check if prices display correctly

3. Look for custom JavaScript modifying cart

4. Verify AJAX updates reflect test prices

Checkout price mismatches

When cart and checkout differ, you're experiencing transform conflicts.

Validate cart transform execution

Test progressively:

1. Single product (basic functionality)

2. Multiple test products (calculations)

3. Mixed test/non-test products (partial scenarios)

Check for app conflicts

Common conflicting app types:

• Subscription apps - Maintain own pricing logic

• Wholesale/B2B apps - Override standard prices

• Custom checkout scripts - Modify prices

• Multi-currency apps - Perform own calculations

Test configuration problems

Configuration issues prevent tests from being created or saved properly.

Can't select products

When products don't appear in the selection drawer:

Check product status

Products must meet these criteria:

• Status: "Active" (not draft/archived)

• Published to online store channel

• Not hidden from sales channels

Resolve data issues

Common selection problems:

• Recently added products need sync time

• Special characters in titles affect search

• Try searching by SKU instead

• Verify account permissions

Test won't save

Save failures typically indicate validation errors.

Validate requirements

Ensure:

• At least one price changed per product

• Test has a name

• Traffic allocation totals 100%

• No products in other active tests

Check browser issues

Try these solutions:

• Save from different browser

• Disable browser extensions

• Check network connectivity

• Clear browser cache

Third-party app conflicts

Many apps can interfere with price testing by displaying their own calculated values.

Currency converters

These apps pull from Shopify's API, showing the highest price regardless of test variant. Solutions:

• Hide converter during tests

• Update displays via converter API if available

• Use CSS to manage visibility

• Contact app developer for integration

Volume pricing apps

Bulk discount apps override test prices with tier calculations. Workarounds:

• Temporarily disable for test products

• Adjust rules to respect test prices

• Limit testing to single quantities

• Document expected behavior for support

Review and loyalty apps

These display prices in widgets that don't update with tests. Considerations:

• They show highest price from API

• Won't affect actual purchases

• May confuse customers

• Consider hiding or adding disclaimers

Performance issues

Slow page loads

If your site feels slower after launching a test, the issue likely isn't the test itself. Data attributes have zero performance impact—they're standard HTML that browsers handle efficiently.

Check implementation

Look for:

• JavaScript errors blocking other scripts

• Infinite loops in price update logic

• Console errors indicating problems

Review other changes

Performance issues often coincide with:

• Recently installed/updated apps

• Theme modifications

• Server infrastructure issues

• CDN or caching problems

Emergency procedures

Knowing when and how to pause a test prevents customer frustration and lost sales.

When to pause a test

Pause immediately if:

• Checkout is broken, preventing purchases

• Customers see wrong prices at payment

• Calculations are incorrect (taxes, totals)

• Major display issues affect most users

How to pause

1. Navigate to active test in Shoplift

2. Click "Pause Test" button

3. Confirm the action

4. Prices revert to defaults immediately

Post-pause actions

After pausing:

1. Document thoroughly - Screenshots and examples

2. Test in preview - See if issue persists

3. Fix root cause - Don't just retry

4. Re-launch carefully - Monitor first hour closely

Getting additional help

If issues persist after this guide, gather comprehensive information for efficient support.

Information to gather

• Screenshots showing the issue clearly

• Browser console errors (full text)

• Test ID from Shoplift dashboard

• Theme name and version

• Complete list of installed apps

When contacting support

Provide:

• Clear problem description and start time

• Steps to reproduce from fresh browser

• Everything tried from this guide

• Customer and business impact

Temporary workarounds

While awaiting resolution:

• Reduce test traffic percentage

• Exclude problematic products

• Disable conflicting apps if possible

• Add customer notices about variations

If you need help conducting tests with Shoplift, our support team is always available to assist. Reach out from within the app using the live chat widget in the bottom right of the screen, or email [email protected] to get in touch.