Shopify Launch Checklist
Tick off everything to do before you open your Shopify store. Your progress saves in this browser.
0 of 27 done
27 things left
Store basics
0/4Store name, contact email, address, currency and time zone under Settings → General.
Settings → Plan. Yearly billing is cheaper if you're sure.
Settings → Domains → Connect existing domain, then set it as primary.
Settings → Notifications → Sender email, then add the DNS records Shopify gives you so emails don't land in spam.
Payments and checkout
0/4Settings → Payments. Shopify Payments avoids the third-party transaction fee.
Settings → Checkout: customer contact method, marketing consent, tipping and order processing.
Settings → Payments → Shopify Payments → Manage → Enable test mode. Pay with the test Visa 4242 4242 4242 4242, check the confirmation email, then turn test mode off.
Check which discounts combine before you announce them.
Shipping and tax
0/2Settings → Shipping and delivery. Weigh your packaged products so calculated rates are right.
Settings → Taxes and duties. Register where you have to collect before you charge tax.
Policies and legal
0/3Settings → Policies: return, privacy, terms of service and shipping.
A short page on how you make the store usable and how to reach you.
Online Store → Pages → Add page, with the Contact template. Put it in your footer menu.
Products and content
0/4Title, description, images with alt text, price, compare-at price, SKU, weight and inventory.
Lead with the benefit, then the details a buyer needs.
Content → Menus: main menu and footer menu, with collections, policies and contact.
Settings → Notifications → Customer notifications. Add your logo and colors, and preview the order confirmation.
SEO and tracking
0/3Online Store → Preferences, in the social sharing image and SEO section.
Settings → Customer events, or the Google & YouTube and Facebook & Instagram channels.
Content → Menus → View URL Redirects, or import a CSV.
Speed and QA
0/3Browse, search, add to cart and check out on a real phone. Most shoppers will.
Every app adds cost and often a script on every page.
Uninstalled apps can leave code behind in your theme.
Launch
0/4Online Store → Private → Public → Launch store. Search engines can't crawl a private store.
In Google Search Console: Indexing → Sitemaps, and enter sitemap.xml.
Marketing → Automations. It's the first email flow worth having.
Email your list, post on social, and add a launch offer to your announcement bar.
27 items left. If you'd rather hand the rest to a Shopify developer, email hello@emmanuelasika.com or use the Hire me button at the top.
How to use the checklist
The checklist follows the order most stores are set up in: basics, payments, shipping and tax, policies, products, SEO and tracking, testing, then launch. Every item gives the exact place in your Shopify admin, and a tool or help page where one exists.
- 01
Work through it in order
Tick items as you finish them. Your progress is saved in this browser, so you can come back later.
- 02
Hide what's done
Use Hide done to see only what's left, or Copy what's left to paste the list into a task manager or an email to your developer.
- 03
Launch last
Only open the store once test orders work and policies are live.
The items people most often miss
- A test order. Go to Settings → Payments, click Manage in the Shopify Payments section and enable test mode. Pay with the test Visa 4242 4242 4242 4242, then turn test mode off.
- Email authentication. Set your sender email under Settings → Notifications, then add the DNS records Shopify shows you. Check them with the email authentication checker.
- Policies. Add return, privacy, terms of service and shipping policies under Settings → Policies.
- Opening the store. In Online Store, click Private, choose Public, then Launch store. Google can't read your sitemap while the store is private.
- The sitemap. Shopify generates
sitemap.xmlfor you. Submit it in Google Search Console under Indexing → Sitemaps.
After launch
- Watch your first orders end to end: confirmation email, fulfillment, tracking and delivery.
- Check Google indexing after a week or two. If pages are missing, run the not showing on Google checker.
- Review your app stack once things settle, using the app cost calculator.
- Progress is per browser. Clearing site data or switching devices starts a fresh list. Use Copy what's left to keep a copy.
Questions people ask
What should I do before launching a Shopify store?
Connect your domain, set up payments and place a test order, set shipping and tax, publish your policies, finish product pages, set your SEO title and analytics, and test on a phone.
How do I remove the password from my Shopify store?
In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store, click Private, select Public, and click Launch store (or Update if you've launched before).
How do I place a test order on Shopify?
Enable test mode under Settings → Payments → Shopify Payments → Manage, then check out with the test card 4242 4242 4242 4242, any future expiry date and any 3-digit code.
Where is my Shopify sitemap?
Shopify generates it automatically at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. Google can only read it once your store is public.
Is my checklist progress saved?
Yes, in this browser only. Nothing is sent to a server, so it won't follow you to another device.
Related tools
Want this builtinto your store?
I'm Emmanuel, a Shopify and WooCommerce developer. If this tool pointed at something you'd rather have fixed for you (a faster store, cleaner product data, a migration, a custom feature), send me a note.
Emmanuel Asika
Shopify & WooCommerce developer, Dublin
I build and fix online stores: new builds, migrations, speed, SEO and the custom bits apps can't do.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026.
Sources: Shopify Help Center: Set up your business settings · Shopify Help Center: Connect a third-party domain · Shopify Help Center: Shopify Payments test mode · Shopify Help Center: Checkout settings · Shopify Help Center: Shipping settings · Shopify Help Center: Store policies · Shopify Help Center: URL redirects · Shopify Help Center: Title and meta description · Shopify Help Center: Private mode and launching your store · Shopify Help Center: Find and submit your sitemap