What fields are absolutely necessary vs nice to have?

Question

As an e-commerce business owner, I'm trying to understand how to prioritize product fields when setting up my online store. I want to ensure I'm capturing the most critical information without overwhelming my team or cluttering my product pages. What are the must-have fields that directly impact sales and customer experience, and which ones can I consider optional or add later? I need a strategic approach to product information management that balances comprehensiveness with efficiency.

Muhammed Tüfekyapan · Accepted Answer

Required vs. Optional Checkout Fields
Every field you add to checkout reduces completion rates. Research shows each unnecessary field costs 2-4% of conversions. Ruthlessly distinguish essential from optional.

Truly Required Fields

Field
Why Required

Email addressOrder confirmation, shipping updates, recovery emails
First + last nameShipping label, personalization
Street addressDelivery - split into lines 1 and 2
City, state, zipDelivery and shipping rate calculation
CountryShipping carrier selection
Payment infoCompleting the transaction

Nice to Have (Use Sparingly)

Field
When to Include
Impact

Phone numberCarriers require it for some services-3% CVR if required
Company nameB2B stores onlyIrrelevant for B2C
Order notesCustomizable products onlyMinimal
Gift messageGift-focused storesCan increase AOV

Optimization Rule
Make phone number optional but note "for delivery updates." Most customers will provide it voluntarily. Required phone fields drop conversion 3-5%.

Fields to Remove Entirely

Date of birth (unless age verification required by law)
How did you hear about us (post-purchase survey instead)
Newsletter opt-in at checkout (default opt-in via Shopify email marketing)
Address line 2 as required (optional only)
Fax number (remove completely)

Growth Suite Insight
Growth Suite's Cart Insights dashboard shows where customers drop off - including which form fields cause the most abandonment. If you see high drop-off at the address step, you likely have unnecessary required fields creating friction.

What fields are absolutely necessary vs nice to have?

TL;DR - Quick Answer

Complete Expert Analysis

Required vs. Optional Checkout Fields

Truly Required Fields

Nice to Have (Use Sparingly)

Fields to Remove Entirely

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Muhammed Tüfekyapan

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Use Cases

Field	Why Required
Email address	Order confirmation, shipping updates, recovery emails
First + last name	Shipping label, personalization
Street address	Delivery - split into lines 1 and 2
City, state, zip	Delivery and shipping rate calculation
Country	Shipping carrier selection
Payment info	Completing the transaction

Field	When to Include	Impact
Phone number	Carriers require it for some services	-3% CVR if required
Company name	B2B stores only	Irrelevant for B2C
Order notes	Customizable products only	Minimal
Gift message	Gift-focused stores	Can increase AOV