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Creating your first Calculator

4 min read

Table of Contents

Calculator Quick Overview ~ 7 min #

Calculator Detailed Overview ~ 29 min #

Creating and Configuring a Calculator in the Option Price Calculator App #

This guide will walk you through the key features, steps, and sections of the Option Price Calculator app. By the end, you’ll understand how to create, configure, and customize a calculator to suit your needs.

Getting Started with the Calculator Tab #

When you open the Option Price Calculator app and navigate to the Calculators tab, you’ll see a list of all your existing calculators. If you’re starting fresh, this list will be blank.

You have three options to create a calculator:

  1. Create from Scratch: Begin with a blank slate.
  2. Create from a Template: Use pre-built templates (free or premium).
  3. Import a Calculator: Import a previously exported calculator.

Creating a Calculator from Scratch #

When creating a new calculator, the following sections must be configured:

1. Calculator Name #

This is the identifier for your calculator. Give it a meaningful name so you can distinguish it from others.

On the right side of the screen, you’ll see a checklist of steps to complete. The final step, Advanced Settings, is optional.

2. Calculator Options #

Calculator Options are inputs your customers fill out to customize your products. You can add options in two ways:

  1. Select Existing Options: Reuse options you’ve already created. For example, a “Color” option can be added directly from the system. However, changes to shared options will affect all calculators using them.
  2. Create New Options: Configure a completely new option.

3. Assigning Products #

After defining your options, assign the calculator to specific products. You can do this in three ways:

  1. Select Specific Products: Choose individual products manually. Note that a product can only be assigned to one calculator at a time.
  2. Assign by Tags: Use comma-separated tags (e.g., “flooring, wood”) to associate products. You can set conditions to require all or any of the tags.
  3. Assign by Collection: Link the calculator to all products in a specific collection.

Avoid overlapping conditions that might assign a product to multiple calculators, as this can cause unexpected behavior.

4. Price Calculation #

By default, the calculator adds the values of all options to calculate the final price. You can customize this behavior:

  • Automatically Add Option Values: Sums all option prices.
  • Custom Formula: Uncheck the automatic option and define a formula. Use calculation variables dropdown to insert option variables to built a formula

Advanced Features #

Discounts #

You can apply discounts to the final price:

  • Fixed Amount: Deduct a specific dollar amount.
  • Percentage: Apply a percentage discount.
  • Formula-Based: Use a custom formula for dynamic discounts.

Quantity-Based Pricing #

To display total prices based on quantities, check the box for Display Total Price Instead of Unit Price. For example, if the customer enters a quantity of 5, the calculator will display the total price for those 5 items.

Advanced Settings #

The Advanced Settings section includes configurations for visibility, inventory, and shipping:

  • Visibility: Restrict calculators to specific customer types (e.g., logged-in users, tagged customers).
  • SKU and Inventory Location: Define SKUs and inventory sources for products added to the cart. Ensure inventory locations match your Shopify setup.
  • Shipping Profiles: Select the Shopify-defined shipping profile to calculate shipping costs.
  • Weight Calculation: Define the product weight dynamically using a formula.

Customizations #

Rules #

Rules let you apply conditional logic to your calculators. For example:

  • Hide Options: E.g., hide the “Dimensions” option if the selected color is “Gray.”
  • Hide Values: E.g., hide the “Green” option if the quantity is 2.

Styles #

Customize the look and feel of your calculator:

  • Over 110 built-in styles are available.
  • Use custom CSS to modify individual options (referenced by their class names).

Custom JavaScript #

If additional functionality is needed, custom JavaScript can be added to extend the calculator’s capabilities.

Working with Templates #

Templates allow you to quickly create calculators with predefined settings.

  1. Select a Template: Browse the template library for free or premium options.
  2. Install the Template: Click “Install” to create a new calculator based on the template.
  3. Modify as Needed: Adjust the template to suit your specific needs.

Cloning and Exporting Calculators #

You can clone existing calculators for reuse:

  • Clone with New Options: Creates new copies of all options, ensuring independence from the original.
  • Clone with Existing Options: Reuses existing options from the original calculator.

Export calculators as JSON files to save backups or transfer settings to another store.

Saving and Finalizing #

Once all configurations are complete, save your calculator. You can edit, clone, or export it anytime from the Calculators tab. The calculator will now appear on the assigned product pages, ready for customer interaction.

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