Actions

Actions read and change the cart. They live under window.aftersell.cart.actions.

Actions run after the cart is ready, inside ready() or an event handler.

window.aftersell.cart.ready().then(() => {
  const state = window.aftersell.cart.actions.getCart();
  console.log(state.itemCount, 'items');
});

Before the cart loads, actions are stubs. Each one logs a console warning naming the action, for example cart.actions.addItem() called before the cart loaded, and does nothing. The async actions still resolve a Promise, so a .then() chain runs normally rather than throwing; getCart() returns null and formatMoney() returns an empty string.Nothing breaks if you call one too early, but nothing happens either. Watch the console for that warning when an action appears to do nothing.

Every action

Action	Signature	Returns	What it does
`open`	`open()`	None	Opens the drawer.
`close`	`close()`	None	Closes the drawer.
`getCart`	`getCart()`	`AftersellCart \| null`	Reads the current cart.
`formatMoney`	`formatMoney(cents)`	`string`	Formats an amount for display.
`addItem`	`addItem(variantId, quantity?)`	`Promise`	Adds a variant.
`removeItem`	`removeItem(key)`	`Promise`	Removes a line.
`updateItemQuantity`	`updateItemQuantity(key, quantity)`	`Promise`	Sets a line’s quantity.
`replaceLineVariant`	`replaceLineVariant(key, variantId)`	`Promise`	Swaps a line’s variant.
`refresh`	`refresh()`	`Promise`	Refetches the cart from Shopify.
`visualRefresh`	`visualRefresh()`	None	Repaints without refetching.

Calling an action from a cart_updated handler can loop. Read the two rules first.

Drawer

open and close

Open or close the cart drawer. Both are synchronous and take no arguments.

// Open the drawer from your own cart link.
document.querySelector('#my-cart-link').addEventListener('click', (event) => {
  event.preventDefault();
  window.aftersell.cart.actions.open();
});

// Close it after the shopper does something in a custom block.
window.aftersell.cart.actions.close();

Reading

getCart()

Returns the current cart object, or null before it has loaded. The result is a copy, so mutating it won’t change the real cart.

window.aftersell.cart.ready().then(() => {
  const state = window.aftersell.cart.actions.getCart();
  if (!state) return; // the initial load failed

  console.log(state.itemCount, 'items,', state.items.length, 'lines');
  console.log('Total:', window.aftersell.cart.actions.formatMoney(state.totalPrice));
});

Because it’s a snapshot, don’t hold on to the result; read it again each time you need current data. In an event handler you already have the fresh cart as the payload, so getCart() is redundant there.

formatMoney(cents)

Formats a minor-unit amount using your store’s money format. Every price in the SDK is in cents, so this is how you turn one into something you can display.

window.aftersell.cart.actions.formatMoney(5779);  // "$57.79"
window.aftersell.cart.actions.formatMoney(0);     // "$0.00"

// Show the cart total in your own header element.
window.aftersell.cart.events.on('cart_updated', (state) => {
  document.querySelector('#header-total').textContent =
    window.aftersell.cart.actions.formatMoney(state.totalPrice);
});

Override the format with configure({ money_format }).

Changing the cart

The item actions identify a line by its Shopify key, not by variant ID, because a cart can hold the same variant on several lines with different properties. Read it from getCart().items[n].key.

addItem(variantId, quantity?)

Adds a variant to the cart. quantity defaults to 1. Resolves once the cart has settled.

// Add one, then show the shopper.
window.aftersell.cart.actions.addItem(41720671830082).then(() => {
  window.aftersell.cart.actions.open();
});

// Add a specific quantity.
window.aftersell.cart.actions.addItem(41720671830082, 3);

Adding a variant already in the cart increases that line’s quantity rather than creating a second line, as long as the existing line has no line item properties. A line carrying properties is a distinct line, so you get a new one.

removeItem(key)

Removes a line entirely.

// Remove any free line from the cart.
const gift = window.aftersell.cart.actions
  .getCart()
  .items.find((line) => line.finalLinePrice === 0);
if (gift) window.aftersell.cart.actions.removeItem(gift.key);

updateItemQuantity(key, quantity)

Sets a line’s quantity. Passing 0 removes the line.

const line = window.aftersell.cart.actions.getCart().items[0];
if (line) window.aftersell.cart.actions.updateItemQuantity(line.key, 3);

// Cap a line at one unit.
window.aftersell.cart.events.on('cart_updated', (state) => {
  state.items.forEach((line) => {
    if (line.variantId === LIMITED_VARIANT_ID && line.quantity > 1) {
      window.aftersell.cart.actions.updateItemQuantity(line.key, 1);
    }
  });
});

That second example is safe to run from cart_updated because the > 1 check is false on the second pass. See the two rules.

replaceLineVariant(key, variantId)

Swaps a line’s variant while keeping its quantity and properties. Useful for a size or flavor switcher inside the cart.

const line = window.aftersell.cart.actions.getCart().items[0];
window.aftersell.cart.actions.replaceLineVariant(line.key, 41720671862850);

The line’s selling plan resets on a swap. A subscription line becomes a one-time purchase unless you reapply a plan.

The swap is an add followed by a remove, not an edit in place, so the result is a new line: it gets a new key and lands at the end of the cart. Re-read getCart() afterwards rather than reusing the key you passed in.

Refreshing

refresh()

Refetches the cart from Shopify. Use it after something outside the SDK changed the cart and the drawer didn’t notice.

// After a raw Ajax API call of your own.
fetch('/cart/add.js', { method: 'POST', /* … */ })
  .then(() => window.aftersell.cart.actions.refresh())
  .then(() => { window.aftersell.cart.actions.open(); });

Most of the time you don’t need this, since Aftersell already listens for Shopify’s standard cart events and refetches on its own. Reach for it when a custom integration bypasses those.

visualRefresh()

Re-runs the render transforms without refetching the cart from Shopify. You rarely need it: registering (or unregistering) a line transform, comparator, enricher, or either subscription hook triggers one for you. Only the two add-to-cart hooks don’t, since they change nothing already on screen. Reach for it when something a transform depends on changes but the cart itself hasn’t:

// A currency switcher changed the format: repaint prices already on screen.
window.myTheme.onCurrencyChange((currency) => {
  window.aftersell.cart.configure({ money_format: FORMATS[currency] });
  window.aftersell.cart.actions.visualRefresh();
});

Notes and edge cases

Async actions resolve when the change settles. Awaiting one lets you sequence work after the cart has actually updated.
getCart() returns a copy. Mutating it does nothing to the real cart.
There’s no action for discount codes. Applied codes are readable on the cart (discountCodes, totalDiscount) and per line (discountAllocations); shoppers apply them through the Discount code block.
There’s no action for cart attributes or notes. Attributes are readable on the cart object; shoppers write notes through the Notes block.
To hide a line rather than remove it, use registerLineTransform. Removing changes the shopper’s total; hiding doesn’t.

Where to go next

Cart object: what getCart() hands back.
Events: when to run these actions.
Hooks: change how a line renders instead of changing the cart.
Use cases: complete solutions to common requests.

Getting Started

Home Page

Best Practices

Post-Purchase Upsells

Cart

Checkout Upsells (Shopify Plus)

Thank You Page

Product Page Upsells

Rokt Thanks

Strategies

Analytics & Tracking

Integrations

Aftersell MCP

Billing & Account

Troubleshooting

Every action

Drawer

open and close

Reading

getCart()

formatMoney(cents)

Changing the cart

addItem(variantId, quantity?)

removeItem(key)

updateItemQuantity(key, quantity)

replaceLineVariant(key, variantId)

Refreshing

refresh()

visualRefresh()

Notes and edge cases

Where to go next

​Every action

​Drawer

​open and close

​Reading

​getCart()

​formatMoney(cents)

​Changing the cart

​addItem(variantId, quantity?)

​removeItem(key)

​updateItemQuantity(key, quantity)

​replaceLineVariant(key, variantId)

​Refreshing

​refresh()

​visualRefresh()

​Notes and edge cases

​Where to go next

Every action

Drawer

open and close

Reading

getCart()

formatMoney(cents)

Changing the cart

addItem(variantId, quantity?)

removeItem(key)

updateItemQuantity(key, quantity)

replaceLineVariant(key, variantId)

Refreshing

refresh()

visualRefresh()

Notes and edge cases

Where to go next