# How Checkout studio works

Learn about and set up Checkout studio's core capabilities.

[Checkout studio](https://dashboard.stripe.com/checkout) lets you manage checkout integrations, track metrics, and define your payment method strategy by running experiments. It centralizes information that’s normally spread across multiple Dashboard pages and API parameters, including:

- Active checkout integrations and transaction details.
- Payment method usage and rules.
- Performance metrics and running experiments.

## Determine whether you use Checkout 

You use Checkout if your integration creates Checkout Sessions with the `POST /v1/checkout/sessions` API. To confirm:

- Search your server-side code for `checkout/sessions` API calls or a `stripe.checkout.sessions.create` SDK call.
- Look for a `checkout.session.completed` webhook handler in your codebase.
- Visit the [Checkouts page](https://dashboard.stripe.com/checkout/checkouts) in the Dashboard. If you have existing sessions listed, you’re already using Checkout.

Checkout studio supports all three Checkout integration types:

- [Hosted page](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/accept-a-payment.md?payment-ui=checkout&ui=stripe-hosted): Stripe hosts the entire payment page. You create a session server-side and redirect the customer to the returned URL. Requires the least ongoing maintenance.
- [Embedded form](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/accept-a-payment.md?payment-ui=elements&api-integration=checkout): The Checkout form renders directly on your site using a client secret. Customers complete payment without leaving your page.
- [Payment Links](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links.md): A no-code option that generates shareable links or an embeddable buy button, with no API integration required.

## Checkout studio and the Checkout Sessions API 

Checkout studio configures your Checkout integration through the same APIs you use in code. When you make changes in Checkout studio:

- Settings map to Checkout Session parameters.
- Payment method configurations apply to your existing integration.
- Experiments create separate Checkout Session configurations that are served based on traffic allocation.
- All configuration remains accessible through the API.

This means you can:

- Use Checkout studio for some configurations and the API for others.
- Migrate existing API-based configurations to Checkout studio management.
- Continue using your current deployment and CI/CD processes.
- Access Checkout studio configurations programmatically if needed.

## Customize and launch a checkout integration 

The [Checkouts](https://dashboard.stripe.com/checkout/checkouts) tab lets you customize, launch, and manage a Checkout integration without writing code. To get started:

1. Click **Create checkout**, and select **Web** or **In-app purchases**.

1. Choose an existing integration type: Hosted page or Embedded form.

1. Set up the integration’s capabilities, and customize its design.

1. To go live, click **Implement** and complete the checklist, which includes creating a Checkout Session and setting up webhooks.

After you launch an integration, it appears under the **Active** section. Clicking **Review** lets you inspect sessions transactions. Like the **Checkouts** tab, the [Payment Links](https://dashboard.stripe.com/payment-links) tab lets you create, edit, and manage payment links.

## Monitor performance 

The [Performance](https://dashboard.stripe.com/checkout/performance) tab lets you compare metrics across different time horizons and checkout integrations. Here, you can see:

- Conversion funnels broken down by Checkout integration and country
- Payment volume and average order value
- Session count by month

## Create payment rules and experiments 

While the [Logic](https://dashboard.stripe.com/checkout/logic) tab lets you create payment rules to automatically apply different configurations to different customers, the [Experiments](https://dashboard.stripe.com/checkout/experiments) tab lets you run experiments to test different configurations.

### Define a payment rule 

To define a payment rule:

1. Click **Create rule** from the **Logic** tab.

1. Select a payment method configuration.

1. Select a payment method.

Any [custom rules](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/payment-method-rules.md) you create determine when the select payment method displays as an option for your users.

### Create an experiment 

To create an experiment:

1. Click **Create experiment** from the **Experiments** tab.

1. Select a payment configuration.

1. Create a treatment group by toggling on payment methods.

1. Start the experiment by giving it a name, and defining the treatment traffic allocation.

Only sessions that meet the experiment criteria are eligible. All other sessions see your standard configuration. Your existing configuration is your control group, and you can’t edit payment methods for it while the experiment is running.

## Data and privacy 

Checkout studio accesses the same transaction data your Checkout integration already generates. All data handling follows the Stripe standard security and privacy practices:

- Transaction details are only visible to users with appropriate Dashboard permissions
- The AI assistant doesn’t train on your specific transaction data
- Analytics aggregations follow the same privacy controls as other Stripe reports
- You control which team members can access Checkout studio