How to Prevent Auto-Redirect to Checkout
Overview
When products are added to a Shopify cart via third-party checkout tools (such as chat automations, SMS links, landing pages, or embedded purchase flows), customers may be redirected directly to Checkout instead of the Cart page.
This behavior is controlled by Shopify’s cart permalink handling and is not specific to ManyChat. It can affect:
Chat tools (ManyChat, WhatsApp, Instagram DM)
SMS marketing platforms
QR code order links
Custom landing pages
Headless or embedded storefront flows
This article outlines three supported approaches, with Solution 1 strongly recommended based on Shopify’s official documentation and widespread community usage.
✅ Recommended Solution (Best Practice)
Solution 1 — Add storefront=true to Cart Permalinks
Status: ⭐ Recommended
Reliability: High
Compatibility: Works across most Shopify themes and third-party tools
The Issue
Shopify cart permalinks without the storefront=true parameter may trigger an automatic redirect to Checkout when invoked from:
External tools
Non-storefront contexts
Embedded or scripted flows
Current URL Format (Problematic)
https://yourstore.myshopify.com/cart/{variant_id}:{quantity}?return_to=/cartCorrected URL Format (Recommended)
https://yourstore.myshopify.com/cart/{variant_id}:{quantity}?storefront=trueWhy This Works
Adding storefront=true:
Forces Shopify to treat the request as a storefront interaction
Prevents automatic redirect to Checkout
Keeps the user on the Cart page
Is a supported and documented Shopify behavior
Works reliably with third-party checkout tools
Expected Result
👉 The customer lands on /cart, where they can review, edit, or remove items before proceeding to checkout.
⚠️ Alternative Solutions (Use with Caution)
Solution 2 — Use /cart/add Endpoint
Use case: Silent cart additions
Reliability: Medium
Example
https://yourstore.com/cart/add?id=VARIANT_ID&quantity=2
Behavior
Product is added to cart
User remains on the current page
No redirect to Cart or Checkout
Explaination
This approach is useful when the third-party tool is only responsible for adding items, and navigation is handled separately.
Limitations
Customer must manually navigate to the Cart
Not ideal for guided or conversational checkout flows
Solution 3 — /cart/add + Redirect to Cart
Use case: Mixed reliability depending on theme
Example
https://yourstore.com/cart/add?id=VARIANT_ID&quantity=1&return_to=/cart
Behavior
Item is added to cart
User is redirected to the Cart page
Limitations
Redirect behavior varies by Shopify theme
Less predictable than Solution 1 when used with third-party tools
🔧 Example: Applying Solution 1 in ManyChat (Recommended)
Although this fix applies to any third-party checkout tool, ManyChat is a common implementation.
Before
https://yourstore.myshopify.com/cart/{{variant_id}}:{{quantity}}?return_to=/cartAfter
https://yourstore.myshopify.com/cart/{{variant_id}}:{{quantity}}?storefront=true✅ No other changes to the ManyChat flow are required.
🧪 Quick Validation Test
Ask the merchant to test the following URL directly in a browser:
https://yourstore.com/cart/VARIANT_ID:1?storefront=true
Success Criteria
Cart page opens
No automatic redirect to Checkout
If successful, the solution is confirmed and safe to deploy across third-party tools.
📌 Key Takeaways
This issue is Shopify behavior, not a bug in ManyChat or other tools
storefront=trueis the most reliable fixWorks across chat tools, SMS links, landing pages, and embedded flows
Requires no theme changes and no app-specific configuration
📚 References & Documentation
Shopify Cart Permalinks
https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/checkout/create-cart-permalinksShopify Help Center — Cart Permalinks
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/checkout-settings/cart-permalinkShopify Community Discussion
https://community.shopify.com/t/how-can-i-redirect-permalinks-to-the-cart-page-instead-of-checkout/128390ManyChat + Shopify Automation Guide
https://support.manychat.com/support/solutions/articles/36000201185-how-to-build-automation-for-shopify
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