How We Redirected Customers to a New World After Login on Shopify

There was something magical about setting up my first online store on Shopify. It was like curating my little corner of the internet, inviting folks to wander and discover what I had to offer. But then—an unexpected plot twist!—I wanted to redirect customers to a special page just after they logged in, whisking them away on a digital journey of sorts, and boy, was it a journey for me to figure out how. Join us as we unravel this delightful puzzle together.

Discovering the Enigma of Redirects

Picture this: It’s a warm afternoon. You’re bustling with excitement because you’ve crafted a masterclass course. The moment a customer logs in, you want them to be greeted by this page—a beacon of knowledge awaiting their eager arrival. But you find yourself staring at code snippets and technical jargons that look almost like ancient hieroglyphs.

A wonderful community member, we'll call him Bob, found himself in this pickle. He wanted customers to glide over to /pages/master-class instead of landing at the dreary /accounts/orders. He had a method, but alas, it did not whisk them away as planned.

Bob used the code:

{% if customer %}
  <script>
    [window.location.href](http://window.location.href) = '/pages/master-class';
  </script>
{% endif %}

But those pesky redirects refused to cooperate! Let's roll up our sleeves and get down to the brass tacks of redirecting like masters.

Crafting a Visit to Remember

Here’s where we realized—the journey begins at Liquid, Shopify’s delightful templating language. We needed a way to overtly signal our intentions to Shopify and steer our customers to their destined pages. With no magic wand in sight, we stealthily turned to shopify.liquid, our trusty sidekick.

Step 1: A Simple Redirect

We start by planting a short piece of JavaScript within our theme.liquid or a similar file that inherits from it. Gather round, code-lovers, it's storytime:

{% if customer %}
  <script>
    document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
      if (window.location.pathname == '/account/login') {
        window.location.href = '/pages/master-class';
      }
    });
  </script>
{% endif %}

Here’s what’s happening under the hood: When your customer enters through /account/login, and the stars align—by which I mean they are authenticated—we swoop them into the realm of the master class. It’s as if we’ve slain the beast with a single line of code!

Navigating the Twists and Turns

Now, you might be thinking, “Is that it? Are we ready to go live?” Not quite yet, dear friend. Shop-centric redirects can be as finicky as a cat at bath time. Sometimes, they need a gentle nudge.

If the previous script felt too much like sorcery, you can also harness Shopify’s robust features: apps. Incredible people have conjured apps that let you set redirects with the flick of a switch. Browsing Shopify's App Store might present you with tools like ReConvert or MagicPass, where setting custom post-login redirections is as simple as pie. Because what’s better than a bit of app sorcery at your fingertips?

Embrace the Soothing Flow of Redirection

As we savor our victory over redirects, an unexpected sense of peace washes over us. There’s a quiet joy in knowing that our customers, too, will embark on their journey precisely where we want them to. The mystique of the redirect puzzle now solved, we’re reminded that a dash of perseverance and patience goes a long way in the Shopify wilderness.

So let’s raise a digital toast to Bob and all kindred souls who seek to direct their beloved customers to new and exciting corners of their store’s universe. And may this guide, whimsical and warm, help others in their quest to create memorable login experiences on Shopify.

And remember, whatever the internet throws our way, we’ve got this. Plus, it's always more fun when we share the ride and navigate the tech landscape together. After all, isn’t problem-solving a little more enjoyable with a sprinkle of magic?