Customizing Error Messages in Exchange It

To customize what your customers see when something goes wrong, open the Exchange It app in your Shopify admin and go to the settings for your Return Portal (sometimes labeled Portal Settings or Content). In that menu you’ll find an “Error Messages (English)” section where all the default messages are listed. As shown in the screenshot above, each message has a headline (like Order Not Found) and a default text field. Click into any field there to edit the wording that customers will see. (By default, these messages are in plain English. Unless you’re translating to another language, you can tweak them for tone or clarity instead of the raw wording.)

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In the Error Messages section you can customize each of the customer-facing prompts that appear during the return/exchange process. Here are the main messages shown in the app, with the default text (from the screenshot) and a brief note on when it appears:

1. Order Not Found: Shown on the portal’s search page when a customer enters an order number or email that doesn’t match any order. The default text is “Order not found. Please make sure you typed the correct order number and e-mail address or phone number.” This tells the customer to double-check their order info. You can adjust it to be clearer or more friendly if you like (for example, “We couldn’t find that order – please check your details”).

2. Order Lookup Error (multiple returns found): If the system detects that a return request has already been submitted for this order, this error appears. Default: “You have already sent a return request for this order.” You might customize it to explain what to do next (for example, “We see an existing return. Please contact support if you need help.”).

3. Order Not Fulfilled: This message appears if a customer tries to request a return before the order has shipped. Default: “Order not dispatched yet. You’ll be able to access this page after receiving your shipment confirmation.” It simply tells the customer returns can be done after fulfillment. You could rephrase it to match your shipping terms or timeline.

4. Something went wrong (Shopify connection): A very general error if there’s a technical hiccup (like a network or API problem). The default text is just “Something went wrong.” With no detail, so you may want to expand it slightly (for example, “Sorry! There was an error. Please try again in a moment.”) to reassure customers.

5. Resolution method not selected: If a customer skips choosing a return method (refund, exchange, etc.) and tries to continue, they’ll get this prompt. Default: “Please complete the Resolution Method.” It reminds them to pick refund, store credit, or exchange. You can reword it to fit your style (for example, “Please choose how you’d like us to resolve this return.”).

6. Required image not added: If your return policy requires a photo (e.g. for “Damaged” reasons) and the customer neglects to upload one, this error shows. Default: “Must upload an image of your item to request a return.” You could make this more polite or explanatory (e.g. “Please upload a photo of the item so we can process your return.”).

7. Required note not added: Similarly, if you require a reason note and it’s left blank, this message appears. Default: “Must write a reason note to request a return.” Feel free to change it to a friendlier tone, like “Please tell us why you’re returning the item” or similar.

8. Must select quantity for exchange: When a customer chooses an exchange but doesn’t pick how many items to exchange, they see this message. Default: “Please select a quantity for the exchange item(s).” You might fine-tune it based on how your product variants work, but it essentially tells the customer to pick a number.

9. Successful return request: After a customer submits a return or exchange request successfully, a success message is shown. It has a header (“Success!” by default) and a body (“Your return request was successfully submitted to us.”). You can customize these to celebrate the completion or give next steps (for example, adding “Thank you” or telling them to check their email for confirmation).

10. Failed return request: If the return submission fails (due to a system or payment error), a failure message appears. Default header is “Something went wrong...!” and the body says “Sadly we couldn’t process your request. Please contact us and we will fix this for you.” You might update this to be less alarming or more supportive (for example, “Oops! We ran into an issue. Please try again or reach out to our support team.”).

Each of the above is editable. Just click the message headline in the settings and type your custom text. Keep in mind the defaults are fairly straightforward and customer-friendly, so aim for clarity if you change them.