How to Create Your First Box Builder
This guide walks through how to create your first Box Builder in Giftship.
By the end of this guide, you will have created a Box Builder, added customer-facing steps, configured box sizes, added discounts if needed, and previewed the customer experience before launch.
Step 1: Choose Your Box Builder Theme
Before creating your first Box Builder, choose the theme you would like to use.
Go to Giftship Dashboard > Global Settings > Box Builder, then select one of the available themes. You can change the theme at any time, including after launch.
Step 2: Create Your First Box Builder
Go to Giftship Dashboard > Box Builder > + New Box Builder.
Add the following details:
- Box title, such as “Build a Box”
- Description
- Banner image
- Enable the box
Click Save at the top of the screen.
When you save the Box Builder, Giftship creates a base product in Shopify. This base product is connected to your Box Builder — when a customer visits it, they are redirected to the Box Builder page.
If you are not ready to launch, edit the base product in Shopify and set the product status to Unlisted until you are ready.
Step 3: Add Your Builder Steps
After saving, scroll down to the Box Builder Steps section and click Add a Step. A popup will appear — click Add a Step again to confirm and open the step editor.
Add the following:
- Step title, such as “Step 1”
- Step description
- Enable the step
- Mark the step as required, if needed
Then choose the step type:
- Products — add specific products that your customer can select from
- Collection — add a collection of products that your customer can select from
- Image Selector — add a list of images that are not products, but will help customize the box
- Form Fields — add form fields such as a gift message, delivery date, or other customization options
- Gift Recipients — add a step that allows customers to add multiple gift recipients, each at a different address. When this step is used, the customer is directed straight to checkout, bypassing the cart and standard multi-address flow. The end result is a multi-address order.
For Products, Collection, and Image Selector steps, you can also set minimum and maximum selection rules to control how many items a customer can choose. Leave these blank if you don’t want to limit selections. Minimum and maximum selections do not apply to Form Fields or Gift Recipients steps.
Repeat this process to add as many steps as needed.
Step 4: Create Your Box Sizes
Scroll down to Box Sizes and click New or Edit Box Size.
Add the following:
- Box size name, such as “Small Box”
- Additional fee, if needed
- Box size rules
Choose either maximum weight or total products — do not use both.
If you choose total products, define the minimum and maximum number of products allowed for that box size. For example:
- Small Box: 1 to 3 products
- Medium Box: 4 to 6 products
- Large Box: 7 to 10 products
Make sure no two box sizes have overlapping min/max ranges. If they do, Giftship won’t be able to determine which box size applies and customers will not be able to proceed.
Step 5: Add Box Discounts
To add a discount, scroll down to Discounts and click Select Discount Type.
Available discount types:
- Static discount — applies the same discount to the box total regardless of size or value
- Value-based discount — applies a discount based on the total value of the box (for example, 10% off if the box value is over $20)
- Box size discount — applies a discount based on the selected box size
Note: Box Builder bundles selected items together, so Shopify’s native discounts will not apply. Use the Giftship discount options above instead. When a discount is triggered, Giftship generates a unique discount code and automatically applies it to the customer’s cart session. The code will also appear in Shopify’s discount list and on the order.
Step 6: Preview Your Box Builder
At the top of the Box Builder page, near the box title, you will see a preview link. This is your unique Box Builder URL.
Before adding the Box Builder to your store navigation, test the full flow:
- Open the preview link
- Complete each step
- Confirm the correct box size is selected
- Add the box to the cart
- Review the cart and checkout experience
Step 7: Add Your Box Builder to Your Store Navigation
Copy the unique Box Builder URL, then go to Shopify Admin > Content > Menus.
Choose the menu you want to edit and click Add menu item. Then:
- Add a menu title, such as “Build a Box”
- Paste the unique Box Builder URL into the URL field
- Save the menu
You can also add the Box Builder link to banners, buttons, custom sections, or landing pages. Giftship also creates a base product for your Box Builder that can be added to a Shopify collection.
Launch Checklist
Before going live, confirm the following:
- A Box Builder theme has been selected
- The Box Builder is enabled
- Steps are enabled and in the correct order
- Required steps are marked as required
- Minimum and maximum selection rules are set correctly for Products, Collection, and Image Selector steps
- Box sizes are configured correctly
- Discounts are set up if needed
- The base product is available for purchase
- The preview link has been tested
- The Box Builder has been added to your store navigation