Before you launch, there are things most tutorials skip that will cost you sales if they're wrong. If you haven't started yet, begin with our full guide on how to start a Shopify store. This interactive checklist covers every step — work through it top to bottom and don't launch until it's done.
How to use this: Click each item to mark it complete. Don't launch until everything in the core sections is checked off.
0 of 28 items complete
🏪 Account & Basic Setup
- Create your Shopify account — start with the free 3-day trial at shopify.com
- Choose a plan — Basic ($39/mo) is the right starting point for most stores
- Set your store currency — Settings → General. Match your target market
- Add your business address — required for tax calculations
🌐 Domain & Branding
- Buy and connect a custom domain — remove the .myshopify.com URL
- Upload your logo — Online Store → Themes → Customize → Header
- Set brand colours and fonts in theme customiser
- Set up a branded email address (hello@yourdomain.com via Zoho or Google Workspace)
- Add a favicon — shows in browser tabs
📦 Products
- Add all products with descriptive, keyword-rich titles
- Write original product descriptions — never copy from supplier
- Upload high-quality product photos — minimum 3 per product
- Set prices and compare-at prices — double-check your margins
- Set up inventory tracking correctly for your business model
- Organise products into collections (Best Sellers, New Arrivals, etc.)
💳 Payments & Checkout
- Enable Shopify Payments (or Stripe) — Settings → Payments
- Enable PayPal — many customers only pay with PayPal
- Place a test order using Shopify's test payment mode
- Configure checkout fields — remove unnecessary friction
🚚 Shipping
- Set up shipping zones and rates — Settings → Shipping
- Configure free shipping threshold if using (e.g. free over $50)
- Add product weights and dimensions
📄 Essential Pages
- About Us page — your story builds trust with new visitors
- Contact page — email form or direct contact details
- Shipping Policy — clear delivery timeframes and costs
- Return & Refund Policy — Settings → Legal → generate template
- Privacy Policy — Settings → Legal → auto-generate
- FAQ page — answer the top 5–10 pre-sale questions
🚀 Pre-Launch Final Checks
- Check store on mobile — over 70% of shoppers browse on phones
- Check all navigation links work — broken links kill trust
- Remove password protection — Online Store → Preferences
- Connect analytics — Shopify Analytics or Google Analytics
You're ready to launch when all sections are checked off and you've placed a successful test order. Everything else can be improved after launch — don't let perfectionism stop you. Next step: get your first sale.