Shopify Store Launch Checklist: What to Check Before You Go Live

Who it is for

Owners about to launch a new Shopify store

Time needed

Two to four hours, plus up to two days for the domain

What you need

A paid Shopify plan and admin access

I've launched a lot of Shopify stores, and the launches that go wrong rarely fail on design. They fail on settings: a store goes live with test mode still on, order emails that say "My Store", no shipping rate for half the country, or a domain that only works with "www" in front. Each one is a two-minute fix before launch and an expensive one after.

This is the checklist I use before I hand a new store to a client. Work through it in order, because later sections depend on earlier ones: you can't test checkout until payments and shipping are set. Each table gives the check, why it matters and where to find it in Shopify. Keep this page open while you work, or print it from your browser to use as a paper checklist. Admin paths were checked against the Shopify Help Center on 7 November 2026.

1. Account, plan and security

Give developers and agencies their own access rather than your password. Shopify supports collaborator accounts for Shopify Partners, with permissions that limit which parts of the store they can see. My answer on giving a developer access safely walks through it. If you haven't chosen a plan yet, read how to choose the right Shopify plan first.

2. Domain and email

When you connect a domain bought elsewhere, the DNS change usually takes effect within two hours but can take up to two days, according to Shopify. Connect it at least two days before launch so you aren't waiting on the day. My guide on connecting a domain and business email to Shopify covers the DNS records step by step.

3. Products and collections

Open three random products on your phone and read them as a stranger would. If you're still building the catalog, my guide on adding products to Shopify the right way and the product page checklist will save you rework later.

4. Payments and test orders

1. Turn on test mode. Go to Settings > Payments, click Manage in the Shopify Payments section, select Enable test mode and save.
2. Place the order. Buy a product on your store using the card number 4242 4242 4242 4242, any future expiry date and any three-digit security code.
3. Check the result. Confirm the order appears in the admin, the confirmation email arrives and the stock drops.
4. Turn test mode off. While test mode is on, customers can't place real card orders.

Shopify lets you test a payment gateway only after you've chosen a paid plan. The full setup is in my Shopify Payments setup guide, and how to test your store before going live lists more test scenarios, such as discount codes and refunds.

5. Shipping and taxes

A shipping zone is a group of countries or regions, and each country can sit in only one zone per shipping profile. Test an address in each zone at checkout. My guide to setting up shipping rates and zones covers profiles, and the tax guides cover US sales tax and VAT.

6. Policies and legal pages

Shopify links your policies in the checkout footer automatically, and some policies can use Use automated policy, which fills them in from your store settings. Others offer Insert template. A template is a start, not a finished policy: edit it to match how you really handle returns. See how to write a returns policy.

7. Theme, pages and notifications

Open the order confirmation and shipping confirmation emails and send yourself a test of each. They're the emails customers read most closely. For more on looking credible from day one, see how to build trust in a new Shopify store.

8. Tracking and SEO

Shopify generates your sitemap automatically at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. Google can't read it while the store is private, so submit it in Search Console right after launch. My guide on setting up Google Search Console shows how.

9. Go live

1. Do a final test order. Use a real card on the live checkout, then refund it.
2. Remove the password. In the admin, go to Online Store, click the Private label, choose Public and click Launch store.
3. Visit as a customer. Open the store in a private browser window on your phone and on a laptop.
4. Submit the sitemap. Add it in Google Search Console.
5. Watch the first orders. Check the first few by hand: payment captured, email sent, stock updated, label printed.

Common misses

• Test mode left on. The store looks live but no one can pay by card.
• No shipping rate for some regions. Customers there reach checkout and can't finish.
• Order emails still branded "My Store". Check the sender name and logo.
• The domain connected on launch day. DNS can take up to two days.
• Too many apps installed "for later". Each one can slow the store. Install what you need now.

Before you sign off the launch

Next steps

1. Run an outside check. The free Shopify store checker flags common setup problems in a minute.
2. Review the settings most owners skip. My list of Shopify settings every store owner should check covers the less obvious ones.
3. Plan your first customers. Read how to find your first 100 customers.
4. Want it done for you? My store design and development starts from $300, and every launch gets this checklist before handover.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Password protecting your online store, Shopify Help Center
2. Test orders, Shopify Help Center
3. Placing a test order with Shopify Payments in test mode, Shopify Help Center
4. Adding store policies, Shopify Help Center
5. Connecting a third-party domain, Shopify Help Center
6. Finding and submitting your sitemap, Shopify Help Center

Related services and work

Written by Ashraf Siddik

I'm a Shopify developer and CRO specialist. I have built and improved Shopify stores since 2018, completed more than 1,000 projects, and hold a 4.96 average rating across 719 client reviews.

About me · Client reviews