Age verification popup

Overview

The Age Verification Popup section creates a compliance-focused modal that appears when visitors first access your site, requiring them to confirm they meet age requirements before browsing age-restricted products or content. This essential tool helps businesses comply with legal requirements for alcohol, tobacco, CBD, adult content, and other age-restricted merchandise.

What You'll Learn

• How to implement age verification for legal compliance and risk management
• How to design user-friendly age gates that don't harm conversion rates
• How to customize verification methods and age requirements
• How to ensure accessibility and mobile optimization for verification popups
• How to track verification completion and optimize for user experience

Before You Start

What you need:

• Access to your Shopify Admin
• Knowledge of legal age requirements for your products
• Understanding of your local and target market compliance laws
• About 10 minutes for setup

Important legal note: This guide provides technical implementation guidance only. Consult with legal professionals to ensure full compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

---

Understanding Age Verification Popups

What is an Age Verification Popup? An age verification popup is a modal dialog that appears when visitors first access your website, requiring them to confirm they are of legal age to view or purchase your products. The popup blocks access to site content until verification is completed, creating a compliance gate for age-restricted businesses.

Why use Age Verification Popups?

1. Legal compliance - Meet regulatory requirements for age-restricted products
2. Risk mitigation - Reduce legal liability and regulatory penalties
3. Brand protection - Demonstrate responsible business practices
4. Customer trust - Show commitment to following industry standards
5. Market access - Enable business in regulated industries

Industries requiring age verification:

• Alcoholic beverages and wine
• Tobacco and vaping products
• CBD and cannabis products
• Adult entertainment and content
• Gambling and gaming sites
• Some pharmaceutical products

---

Quick Setup (8 Minutes)

Step 1: Add the Age Verification Popup Section

1. Go to your Shopify Admin
2. Click Online Store → Themes
3. Click Customize on your Release theme
4. Navigate to Theme settings or Popup sections
5. Find Age verification popup
6. Enable the popup section

Step 2: Configure Basic Verification

1. Set Minimum age requirement (18, 19, 21, etc.)
2. Choose Verification method (Simple confirm, Date of birth, Yes/No)
3. Write Popup heading (e.g., "Age Verification Required")
4. Add Description text explaining requirements
5. Set Confirm button text ("I am 21 or older")
6. Set Decline button text ("I am under 21")

Step 3: Customize Appearance and Behavior

1. Choose Background overlay color and opacity
2. Select Popup color scheme and styling
3. Configure Session behavior (remember verification duration)
4. Set Decline action (redirect URL or block access)
5. Enable Remember device to avoid repeated verification
6. Test functionality before publishing

---

Example verification messages:

Professional alcohol retailer: "Age Verification Required You must be 21 years or older to enter this site and purchase alcoholic beverages. Please confirm your age to continue."

CBD product seller: "Legal Age Confirmation This website contains information about CBD products. You must be 18 years or older to access this content. By proceeding, you confirm you meet the legal age requirement in your jurisdiction."

Tobacco retailer: "Tobacco Age Verification Federal law requires age verification for tobacco product sales. You must be 21 years or older to access this site. Please confirm your birthdate to continue."

---

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Popup not appearing:

• Check popup enablement in theme settings
• Verify JavaScript functionality across browsers
• Test with ad blockers disabled
• Ensure popup isn't blocked by other scripts
• Check for conflicting cookie consent tools

Verification not remembering:

• Verify storage method configuration
• Check browser cookie and storage settings
• Test across different devices and browsers
• Ensure storage duration is set correctly
• Check for cookie deletion or privacy settings

Mobile functionality problems:

• Test on actual mobile devices, not just responsive design
• Verify touch events work properly
• Check popup sizing on various screen sizes
• Ensure buttons are adequately sized for fingers
• Test on both iOS and Android devices

Success Tips

1. Legal first: Always prioritize compliance over conversion optimization
2. Professional design: Invest in trustworthy, high-quality popup design
3. Clear communication: Make age requirements and process obvious
4. Mobile optimization: Ensure flawless mobile experience
5. Regular testing: Continuously test across devices and browsers
6. Update regularly: Stay current with changing regulations
7. Monitor performance: Track both compliance and business metrics
8. User feedback: Listen to customer concerns about verification process

The Age Verification Popup is a critical compliance tool that requires careful implementation to balance legal requirements with user experience. When properly configured with attention to both regulatory needs and conversion optimization, it provides essential legal protection while maintaining business viability in regulated industries.

Contact Us