How to add notes to individual items in Shopify POS

Can you add a note to a single item in Shopify POS?

Not with a field Shopify documents. Shopify’s POS help covers one note for the whole order, so detail for one item lives in the order note, a custom sale’s title or an app property. Each prints differently: the order note on receipts once you turn it on, and an app property where the app and your template allow it.

Shopify describes the note as “generally for internal use”, a message to your own team, so it suits instructions for whoever makes the order. When two rings need two different engravings, though, that one shared note has to carry both, and the person at the bench has to work out which line goes with which ring. The fix is to make every instruction name its item.

How do I add an order note that staff can match to each item?

Add the note from the cart, then write one line per item, starting with the item’s name or its position in the cart. Keep the lines in the same order as the cart, so whoever reads the note can count down the items and match each instruction to its line.

1. In Shopify POS, open the Cart.
2. Tap the horizontal menu icon (⋯).
3. Tap Add note.
4. Type the note, then tap Save.

For example, an engraver taking two rings might write:

• Item 1, Silver ring: engrave “Always”
• Item 2, Gold band: engrave “J & M”

To get the note onto your sales receipts, turn on the order note on your receipts. For a message that goes on a card rather than on the item, see printing a card message from Shopify POS.

Can I use a custom sale as an item note?

Yes, for one-off items made to order, such as engraved jewelry. Its optional title can carry the instruction. Custom sales need staff permission and report differently, so read when a custom sale fits and how it reports before you make them a habit.

1. In Shopify POS, tap the Add custom sale tile on the smart grid.
2. Enter a title and the sale price.
3. Tap Add to cart.

For example, an engraver making a pendant to order might title the line “Custom pendant, engrave: Always”.

On a draft order in the Shopify admin, the equivalent is Custom item: in the Add custom item dialog, enter the item name, price and quantity, then click Add.

What are line item properties, and how do POS apps add them?

A line item property is custom information stored on one line of an order, such as engraving text on one ring. POS apps can add a menu item to the cart’s line item details screen and write properties to that item. These are separate from cart properties, which an app stores on the whole order.

Watch for one naming rule. If a property’s name starts with an underscore (_engraving rather than engraving), Shopify hides it everywhere in POS: the cart and checkout screens, the customer view, printed and emailed receipts, and order and draft order details. It’s still saved on the order and visible in the Shopify admin.

Which Shopify POS apps add notes to individual items?

As of October 2026, two Shopify App Store apps that add per-item notes or values in POS are AttrCart, by K2 Digital, for values such as serial numbers, and BL POS Quick Product Notes, by BACKLIP, for free-text or template notes. Before you subscribe, check that the listing says its notes print on your receipt or packing slip.

• AttrCart: US$4.00/month with a 7-day free trial, no reviews yet, launched July 9, 2026, and requires POS 10.6 or later. Values are set from the cart’s line-item menu, and its listing says “Per-item values print on customized POS Pro receipts.”
• BL POS Quick Product Notes: US$5.99/month or US$57.50/year with a 3-day free trial, rated 5.0 from 3 reviews, launched December 4, 2025. Staff choose free-text notes or up to five reusable templates, and its listing says notes stay attached to the product on the order.

Will item notes print on the receipt, the packing slip or a prep ticket?

Receipts print the order note once Order note is on. App properties depend on the app. Packing slips and Order Printer show the order note and app properties when the template includes them. Prep Ticket, from Countermade, prints the order note and item names from a draft in POS. On Shopify’s current template, gift receipts leave out line items.

For whoever edits the templates: the packing slip variables are order.note and line_item.properties, and Order Printer’s are note and properties. On receipts, the closest setting for one line is Product metafields, set on the product and so the same on every order: right for “contains nuts”, not one customer’s note.

If your location still uses the receipt code editor, its line item object includes custom_attributes, so a developer can add those details for each line to your receipt template. The code editor applies only to POS Pro locations and is available until your customizations move to the visual editor or January 1, 2027, so read what the code editor’s end means for your receipts.

Print a test order before you rely on any route.

How do I print item instructions for the person making the order, without prices?

Save the cart as a draft (this needs Shopify POS Pro), then print it with Prep Ticket. The prep ticket shows item names, quantities, customer and notes and leaves prices off, so an order note written one line per item, or a custom sale title, reaches the maker.

Prep Ticket is built for shops that make or personalize to order, where the maker needs the instructions and not the bill. To save the cart as a draft, choose Create draft order in the cart’s horizontal menu (drafts in Shopify POS), then print from Prep Ticket through the iPad’s print dialog to a printer the iPad can reach (AirPrint). Engravers, embroiderers and framers can set it up as job tickets for custom orders.

Next step

Prep Ticket isn’t on the Shopify App Store yet. Join early access to Countermade, the Shopify POS apps from Invenire Studios, and we’ll email you when it’s ready to try.