Bolts are modular apps that extend your CartOS store's functionality. Need customer reviews? There's a bolt for that. Want to recover abandoned carts? Install a bolt. Bolts let you add exactly the features you need without bloating your store with things you don't.
How bolts work
Think of bolts as building blocks you can snap onto your store. Each bolt adds specific functionality—whether it's a new feature for customers, a tool for your admin, or an integration with a third-party service. Bolts integrate deeply with CartOS, so they work seamlessly with your products, orders, customers, and themes.
Unlike traditional plugins that can conflict with each other or slow down your site, bolts are designed to work together harmoniously. They're built on CartOS's unified architecture, so they share data cleanly and don't duplicate functionality.
The Bolt Store
Browse available bolts in the Bolt Store. Go to Bolts in your admin sidebar to see what's available. You can filter by category, search for specific functionality, or browse featured and popular bolts.
Each bolt listing includes a description of what it does, screenshots, pricing information, and reviews from other merchants. Click into any bolt to learn more before installing.
Bolt pricing
Many bolts built by CartOS are included free with your subscription. These cover essential functionality like fulfillment, automation, and basic marketing tools.
Some bolts—especially those from third-party developers or with advanced features—have their own pricing. This might be a one-time purchase, a monthly subscription, or usage-based pricing. Pricing is always shown clearly on the bolt listing before you install.
Installing a bolt
To install a bolt, find it in the Bolt Store and click Install. Free bolts install immediately. Paid bolts prompt you to confirm the purchase first.
After installation, the bolt appears in your Bolts section under Installed. Most bolts add a new menu item to your admin sidebar or integrate into existing pages like Products or Orders.
Some bolts require configuration before they're fully functional—connecting an API key, setting preferences, or enabling specific features. The bolt's settings page will guide you through any required setup.
Managing installed bolts
View all your installed bolts at Bolts › Installed. From here you can:
- Configure – Open the bolt's settings to adjust how it works
- Disable – Temporarily turn off a bolt without uninstalling it; your settings are preserved
- Uninstall – Remove the bolt completely from your store
Disabling a bolt is useful when troubleshooting issues or during seasonal periods when you don't need certain features. The bolt stays installed with all its settings intact, ready to re-enable when needed.
CartOS bolts
CartOS develops and maintains a core set of bolts that cover common e-commerce needs. These are tightly integrated with the platform and receive regular updates. Some highlights:
Fulfillment
Generate shipping labels from major carriers directly in your order page. Connect to EasyPost for discounted USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL rates. Includes batch label printing and automatic tracking updates. Learn more
Automation
Build automated workflows triggered by events in your store. Send emails, update data, tag customers, and more—all without code. Powers order notifications, abandoned cart recovery, and custom automations. Learn more
Reviews
Collect and display customer reviews on your product pages. Automatically request reviews after purchase, moderate submissions, and showcase ratings to build trust.
Wishlists
Let customers save products they're interested in. Wishlists encourage return visits and can trigger targeted marketing when wishlist items go on sale.
Shipping Protection
Offer customers the option to protect their shipment against loss, damage, or theft at checkout. Handles claims and reimbursements automatically.
Gift Cards
Sell digital gift cards and let customers redeem them at checkout. Manage gift card balances and track usage.
Subscriptions
Turn products into recurring subscriptions. Customers can subscribe to receive products on a schedule—weekly, monthly, or custom intervals—with automatic billing.
Loyalty
Reward repeat customers with a points-based loyalty program. Customers earn points on purchases and redeem them for discounts on future orders.
Third-party bolts
In addition to CartOS bolts, the Bolt Store includes bolts from third-party developers. These extend CartOS with specialized functionality, integrations with other services, and niche features.
Third-party bolts go through a review process before being listed in the Bolt Store. However, they're developed and supported by their respective creators—check the bolt listing for support contact information.
Bolts and your theme
Many bolts add visible elements to your storefront—review displays, wishlist buttons, loyalty point balances. These elements are designed to work with any CartOS theme, but some themes include enhanced styling for specific bolts.
If a bolt's appearance doesn't match your theme perfectly, you can usually customize it through the bolt's settings or by adding custom CSS. Some bolts also provide theme snippets you can integrate for deeper customization.
Bolts and performance
Bolts are built to be lightweight and efficient. They load only on pages where they're needed and share resources to minimize overhead. However, installing many bolts—especially those with storefront components—can add up.
If you're concerned about performance, install only the bolts you actively use and disable or uninstall any you've stopped using. CartOS's built-in performance monitoring can help identify if any bolt is impacting your store speed.
Updating bolts
Bolts are updated automatically to ensure you always have the latest features and security patches. Major updates that change functionality significantly may require you to review and accept changes before they're applied.
Update notifications appear in your admin when action is needed. You can also check for pending updates at Bolts › Updates.