Set up your checkout fields.

Install on a staging store

Start on a staging store with a working checkout page. Cartdini declares WordPress 6.7+, WooCommerce 9.9+ and PHP 8.0+; your WooCommerce version may require newer WordPress or PHP versions. Check compatibility before installing.

1. Download Cartdini Free.
2. Open Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, select the ZIP, install and activate it.
3. If you already have the Pro package, upload and activate it as a second plugin. Keep Free active. New Pro subscriptions are not open yet.
4. Open WooCommerce → Cartdini. Your checkout type appears above the editor.

Create the fields you need

Free includes text, select, checkbox, textarea, email and telephone on Classic. Text, select and checkbox also work in Blocks. Pro adds number, date and radio on Classic.

Click Add field, then set its label, type and location. Use the Enabled and Required controls to decide whether the field appears and needs an answer.

Drag a field to change its order, or use the up/down buttons. Ordering applies within a location. Duplicate creates another field with a fresh storage key.

The field key is a permanent identifier, such as delivery_note. It is locked after saving. Labels may change without changing the key.

Choice fields

Enter one option per line as value | Label. Example: door | Leave at the door. Values must be unique. The server rejects values outside your configured options.

Choose where answers appear

In each field’s Where answers appear section, choose admin order details, customer order details, admin emails and customer emails independently. These four controls are included in Free and default to on. Turning off a destination hides the answer there without deleting its saved value. Hidden conditional answers are excluded from new orders.

Core fields in Classic

The Core fields tab supports company, phone, address line 2 and order notes. You can change labels, placeholders, required status or visibility. A new label edit keeps WooCommerce’s requirement and placeholder defaults. Choose WooCommerce default, Required or Optional in the Requirement control. Enable Use a custom placeholder to replace or clear the store placeholder. Existing explicit overrides retain their behavior; Restore WooCommerce default resets the entire core-field override. Other address, tax and payment essentials remain under WooCommerce’s control. Use the WordPress checkout editor for core Checkout Blocks fields.

Build a checkout workflow with Pro

Open WooCommerce → Cartdini → Tools & restore → Ready recipes for a gift message, business purchase reference or product-specific question. Choose Review recipe, inspect the proposed fields and select Load reviewed draft. Review and save the result before testing your staging checkout.

You can also show a field when the final order total reaches a chosen amount. Follow the four worked conditional examples for exact controls and expected outcomes.

• Combine up to five rules with Match all (AND) or Match any (OR); nested groups are not supported.
• Answer sources must be earlier, enabled, unconditional fields in the same location. Classic accepts text/select/checkbox/radio sources; Blocks accepts select/checkbox.
• Product rules match exact simple-product or variation IDs, with up to 50 IDs per rule. A variable parent does not include every variation.
• Total rules use your store currency and the final amount after discounts, including tax and shipping.
• Blocks product/total rules and conditional Contact information fields require WooCommerce 10.1+. Supported field-only rules in other locations work from 9.9.

A hidden field is not required, and its answer is excluded from the submitted order. Use the condition tester for sample answers, then test real checkout changes and inspect saved orders. Rules collect information; they do not apply fees, alter taxes or change payment/shipping methods. Chained dependencies, cross-location answer comparisons, category rules and shipping/payment-method conditions are not included.

Templates, transfers and restore points

After testing and saving the workflow, open Tools & restore and choose Save current setup as template. Pro keeps up to 20 named templates and ten restore points. Ready recipes do not use template slots.

Choose View templates or View restore points, then Load draft. To move a setup between stores, use Export JSON · Pro on the source store and Import JSON · Pro on the destination. JSON transfers configuration, not customer answers.

When loading a template, a restore point or a JSON file, review the proposed draft first. Choose Add fields to current setup to merge selected fields, or Replace current fields to replace the custom-field list. Core-field overrides stay unchanged unless Replace core overrides too (otherwise keep current overrides) is selected. Restore-point reviews select that option by default; ordinary file imports do not.

For conflicting keys, choose whether to keep the existing field, replace it or add the imported field with a new key. Review source-field dependencies too. File imports require explicit product mapping to this store, even when ID numbers happen to match. If the currency or decimal precision differs, or source precision is unknown, set each destination total explicitly; amounts are not converted automatically.

Click Load reviewed draft and inspect the result. Before saving, Recover previous draft returns to the draft from before loading and discards changes made since loading. Click Save changes to apply the reviewed setup. Existing order answers are preserved.

Loading a template, file or restore point prepares a draft. If another tab saves first, reload the latest revision before making further changes.

Two checkout systems, clear boundaries

Blocks fields use WooCommerce’s Additional Checkout Fields API. Pro visibility uses its conditional schema support.

Your data stays in WordPress

Free sends no telemetry. Pro contacts the Cartdini license service only after an administrator explicitly connects it. License checks send the site URL, installation ID and software versions, never checkout answers, orders or customer details. Only authorized store managers can view or save Cartdini settings.

Order values are saved using WooCommerce order APIs. A historical snapshot preserves labels, answers and display choices for completed orders. While a field definition exists, its current display settings apply to existing and new orders. After deletion, saved snapshots use their recorded display settings; legacy snapshots without these settings are visible by default. These controls change presentation and do not provide access control or encryption. Hiding a destination does not erase the stored answer.

Cartdini participates in WordPress personal-data export and WooCommerce order personal-data removal. WooCommerce controls order-retention decisions. Native contact/address values saved to customer profiles follow WooCommerce’s handling. Store owners remain responsible for their retention settings and privacy notice.

Deactivating Pro pauses Pro-only and conditional fields. Their definitions stay locked and unchanged while you edit unrelated Free fields. You may explicitly delete paused fields, or reactivate Pro to edit them. Existing configuration and order data are retained. Removing the plugins also retains data; no uninstall routine erases store records. Clear field configuration is a draft action that takes effect only after saving.

Plans and currencies

Free is available now as a ZIP download. New Pro subscriptions are not open yet. See pricing for the proposed annual update/support plans for 1, 5 and 25 sites and quotes in USD, EUR, GBP, AUD and CAD.

These currencies apply to buying Cartdini. The plugin does not change your store currency or WooCommerce payment settings.

Current release and updates

Current release candidates: Free 0.1.0-rc.11 and Pro 0.1.0-rc.8. Use a staging store first and read the release notes before updating.

Free updates use manual ZIP installation. Pro includes WordPress update checks after an explicit eligible license connection, provided the license service is available. Older Pro RC5 installations need one manual update to gain that updater. Installed checkout features work independently of subscription status.

Test your theme, gateways, taxes, shipping and other checkout extensions before using the release on a live store. The compatibility page explains supported controls and recorded test limits; the release guide contains detailed evidence.

Pro downloads and billing

When paid subscriptions open, the return page will show your download key after confirmed payment. Save it privately; use Downloads & billing for future Pro releases while your updates subscription is active. Billing uses Stripe-hosted email verification. Lost keys require support to verify purchase ownership.

Connect Pro to the license service

1. Open WordPress Settings → Cartdini Pro License.
2. Enter your purchase download/license key, review the communication notice and connect this site.
3. See the verified status, paid period, site allowance, latest version and last successful check.
4. Use Check now to refresh, or Disconnect to release the site seat.

Checks run daily through WP-Cron and can be delayed on quiet sites. Moving a website or changing WordPress salts requires reconnecting. Installed checkout features continue working independently of subscription status. Free updates remain manual. Pro RC8 can offer updates in WordPress after an explicit eligible license connection, when the hosted service is reachable. Existing RC5 installations require one manual upgrade. Cartdini does not enable automatic installation.

Update checks and license connection require an available Cartdini license service. If you cannot connect an existing eligible key, contact support; your installed checkout features continue to work.