Enhanced Explanations of the Free Shipping settings

[cscrewvala]

Issue in ./help/merchandising-promotions/price-rules-cart-free-shipping.md

Our documentation around Free Shipping setting in Cart Price Rules is a little unclear about the underlying logic of the Free Shipping settings for ‘For Matching Items Only’ and ‘For Shipments with Matching Items’, and when they should be applied, and the relationship to the Free Shipping Method, which is confusing, even after experimenting with the settings.

This post made it clear on the underlying logic.
https://magento.stackexchange.com/questions/332118/magento-2-free-shipping-coupon/332124#332124

Essentially
‘For Matching Items Only’ will remove the products specified in the Actions conditions of a Cart Price Rule from the shipping calculation, but leave any other items in the shipping calculation and a potential shipping fee, and will display as the normally calculated Shipping Method at $0 (if all items match the Action conditions). So its good for targeting free shipping only for specific items in a promotion.

‘For Shipment with Matching Items’ will apply the formal Free Shipping method for the whole cart, even if the cart does not meet the $ threshold specified in the Minimum Order Amount configuration setting, and will display as Free Shipping: $0. So its good for qualifying a whole cart for free shipping when the specified Cart Price Rules are used. But this also requires the Free Shipping method to be active, and set to a high threshold ($99999 etc.) if you don’t have a normal free shipping $ threshold policy in place.

SUGGESTIONS

1. have a general information page about setting free shipping, distinguishing the Free Shipping method, Cart Rules ‘For Matching Items Only’ and Cart Rules ‘For Shipments with Matching Items’, the underlying logic and when they should be applied.

2. update https://experienceleague.adobe.com/docs/commerce-admin/marketing/promotions/cart-rules/price-rules-cart-create.html?lang=en
   The two places where it describes the Free Shipping settings on this page should change
   FROM:
   --
   Free Shipping | Determines if free shipping is included in the promotion, and if so, for which items.
   Options:
   No - Free shipping is not available for the current rule.
   For matching items only - Free shipping is available only for specific items in the cart that match the rule.
   For shipment with matching items - Free shipping is available for all items in the cart. The Free Shipping delivery method must be enabled to use this option.
   --
   TO:
   --
   Free Shipping | Determines if free shipping is included in the promotion, and if so, for which items.
   Options:
   No - Free shipping is not available for the current rule.
   For matching items only - Free shipping is available only for specific items in the cart that match Action conditions specified in the rule - these products are not included in the shipping calculation. All other items that do not match the Action conditions are still included in the shipping calculation and may incur a shipping fee.
   For shipment with matching items - Free shipping is available for all items in the cart, by allowing the application of the formal Free Shipping method, even if the free shipping threshold specified in the Minimum Order Amount configuration setting of the Free Shipping method is not met. The Free Shipping delivery method must be enabled to use this option, and can be set to a very high Minimum Order Amount value (e.g. 999999) if a standard Free Shipping threshold policy is not required.
   --

3. update this page https://experienceleague.adobe.com/docs/commerce-admin/stores-sales/delivery/basic-methods/shipping-free.html?lang=en
   Another info box should be added near the top section (before Step 1):
   "Note. If a Cart Price Rule is active on the current cart with the setting Free Shipping set to ‘For Shipments with Matching Items’, the Free Shipping method will be applied, even if the free shipping threshold specified in the Minimum Order Amount configuration setting of the Free Shipping method is not met. This allows Cart Price Rules to activate the Free Shipping method whenever required on their own specific criteria."

4. Consider revising the Free Shipping Promotion guide https://experienceleague.adobe.com/docs/commerce-admin/marketing/promotions/cart-rules/price-rules-cart-free-shipping.html?lang=en
   It specifies using 'For Matching Items Only' setting (potentially due to earlier feedback I gave), which technically works, and doesn't require configuring the Free Shipping Method, so is a leaner solution, BUT suggesting using it for a general free shipping policy is against the ethos of the setting, which is to target free shipping at SPECIFIC items in a Cart Price Rule, which can then confuse readers. Perhaps an additional method for achieving a free shipping promotion should be written for the same page, using the 'For shipment with matching items' setting and the Free Shipping method, and again highlighting the difference in the underlying logic.