Liquid Crash Course (for DN Order Templates)

Learn how to use the Liquid templating language within DecoNetwork order templates to insert dynamic order data, apply conditional logic, and format content. This crash course is tailored specifically for the variables and contexts available in DecoNetwork templates.

In This Article

• Why use Liquid in DecoNetwork templates
• Step 1: Understand Liquid basics
• Step 2: Insert and format variables
• Step 3: Add logic and loops
• Step 4: Apply filters
• Best-practice tips
• Troubleshooting common issues
• Additional Resources

Why use Liquid in DecoNetwork templates

Liquid is the templating language that powers DecoNetwork order templates. Instead of static HTML, Liquid lets you:

• Insert dynamic data like order numbers, customer names, and line items.
• Apply conditional logic (e.g., only show discounts if they exist).
• Loop through collections (e.g., all items in an order).
• Format and transform content using filters (e.g., format currency, truncate text).

Step 1: Understand Liquid basics

Liquid syntax uses double curly braces for variables and tags inside {% %} for logic.

Example of variable, filter, and loop usage in Liquid

• Output variable: {{ order.customer_name }}
• Logic tag: {% if order.discount 0 %} ... {% endif %}
• Loop tag: {% for item in order.line_items %} ... {% endfor %}

Step 2: Insert and format variables

Variables are placeholders for order data. Some common ones include:

• {{ order.id }} – the order number
• {{ order.customer_name }} – the customer’s full name
• {{ order.total_price }} – the total price
• {{ order.shipping_address }} – formatted shipping address

Step 3: Add logic and loops

Use Liquid tags to control template flow:

{% if order.discount_amount  0 %}
  <p>Discount: {{ order.discount_amount }}</p>
{% endif %}

{% for item in order.line_items %}
  <tr>
    <td>{{ item.sku }}</td>
    <td>{{ item.quantity }}</td>
  </tr>
{% endfor %}

Step 4: Apply filters

Filters let you format output:

• {{ order.total_price | currency: "USD" }} – format as currency
• {{ order.date | date: "%B %d, %Y" }} – format as a human-readable date
• {{ item.name | upcase }} – convert to uppercase
• {{ order.notes | default: "No special instructions." }} – provide a fallback value

Best-practice tips

• Always wrap optional content in {% if %} checks to avoid blank gaps.
• Use {% comment %} ... {% endcomment %} to document your customizations.
• Test in small increments: edit → save → preview → adjust.
• Use consistent naming and formatting to make templates easy to maintain.

Troubleshooting common issues

• Blank output: Variable not available in this context. Check the reference list.
• Syntax error: Ensure every {% if %} has a matching {% endif %}, and each {% for %} has a closing {% endfor %}.
• Weird spacing: Use {{- variable -}} to trim whitespace.

Additional Resources

• Official Shopify Liquid reference
• Order Templates in DecoNetwork
• Order Template Variables Reference (DecoNetwork)