Shopify Script Tags Stop Working March 1, 2027: What to Do

Published October 18, 2026

Last checked against Shopify's developer docs: October 18, 2026.

If your store runs apps that add something to your storefront (a reviews widget, chat bubble, loyalty launcher, upsell popup or tracking script), some of them may still load through script tags, the oldest way Shopify apps inject JavaScript. Shopify is switching them off. This guide explains the dates, how to find out which apps on your store are affected, and what to do about each one.

The dates

From Shopify's developer changelog:

October 1, 2026: apps can no longer create or update script tags. Shopify says this applies to all API versions, "so pinning won't defer it". Existing script tags keep running.
March 1, 2027: "Shopify will stop injecting script tags into storefronts."

Script tags already stopped running on the order status page under an earlier deprecation, so storefronts are the last place they run. Shopify's storefront migration guide adds that after March 1, 2027, leftover script tag records have no effect.

What this means for you: if an app's storefront feature depends on a script tag and the developer hasn't migrated, that feature simply stops appearing on March 1, 2027. There's no error message. The widget just isn't there.

What replaces script tags

Shopify points developers to two replacements (changelog):

App embed blocks in a theme app extension, for scripts that add something to the storefront. Shopify's migration guide says "App embed blocks are inactive until an app user turns them on", and the embed has to be active on the theme you publish. You'll find them in the theme editor under App embeds.
Web pixels, for analytics or conversion-only scripts. Shopify says web pixels "don't need to be activated in the theme editor", so there's nothing for you to switch on, though you approve the app's access when it asks.

So for many apps, the fix on your side is a single toggle, but only after the developer has shipped the app embed.

Step 1: Find out which apps still use script tags

You can't see script tags in your Shopify admin, and an app can only see its own. The reliable way is to look at what your storefront actually loads. Shopify injects script tags through a small loader in the head of every storefront page, which lists each script's URL.

The quickest way to read it is our free Shopify script tag checker: enter your store address and it lists every script tag on your homepage, the app it most likely belongs to, and the app embeds that are already active (those aren't affected). It reads public HTML only and doesn't change anything.

To check by hand instead: open your storefront, view the page source, and search for asyncLoad. The urls list inside it is your script tags. Some appear as cdn.shopify.com/proxy/... followed by the app's real domain.

Step 2: Sort the list

For each script on the list, put it in one of four buckets:

An app you use, and it already offers an app embed. Turn the embed on in Online Store > Themes > Customize > App embeds, check the feature works, and ask the developer whether the old script tag is still needed. Some apps run both during the transition.
An app you use, with no app embed yet. Ask the developer for their migration plan and date. If there's no answer, start looking for a replacement now rather than in February.
An app you no longer use. Uninstall it, then re-check.
A domain you don't recognize. Search the domain together with "Shopify app", or check your installed apps list for a match. Some scripts are pasted directly into theme code instead of added as script tags. Shopify notes that a script in theme code stays there after the app is gone, so those are worth cleaning up too.

Step 3: Re-check after each change

Run the checker again after every change. The goal is an empty script tag list well before March 1, 2027, with the features you rely on now loading through app embeds or web pixels.

Two practical tips:

Test on your published theme. App embeds are turned on per theme, so if you switch themes later, check the embeds again.
Keep a note of what each app did. When a widget disappears after the deadline, a short list ("reviews: Judge.me, chat: Gorgias") makes it obvious where to look.

Why this matters beyond the widgets

Script tags load on every storefront page. While you're auditing, it's a good moment to remove scripts from apps you no longer use.

It's also a natural time to look at the rest of your storefront setup. If you sell through AI shopping channels like ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini, our free AI readiness checker shows how ready your catalog is, and our Shopify Catalog requirements checklist covers what those channels need. Disclosure: both checkers are made by Surfaced, our Shopify app.

Checklist

Ran the script tag checker on your store
Each script matched to an app (or flagged as unknown)
App embeds turned on for apps that offer them, on your published theme
Developers asked about migration plans where there's no app embed
Unused apps uninstalled
Re-checked: script tag list empty before March 1, 2027