Free resource
Shopify Launch Checklist (2026)
Everything a first-time Shopify store needs before opening for business — in one printable checklist. Work through each section and tick off items as you go.
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Start your Shopify trial →Store setup
- Shopify trial started ($1/month for first 3 months)
- Store name and legal business name set in Settings → General
- Free theme picked (Dawn, Craft, or Sense — all fast-loading)
- Logo uploaded (Canva or your own file)
- Primary brand colour set in theme customiser
- Favicon uploaded
Products
- At least 1 product listed with 3+ high-quality photos
- Product title includes the main keyword customers will search for
- Product description leads with benefits, not features
- Price, SKU, and inventory count set for each product
- Weight and dimensions set (required for shipping calculations)
- Products organised into at least one collection
Payments
- Shopify Payments activated (2.9% + 30¢ per transaction)
- Tax settings configured for your country/state
- At least one secondary payment method enabled (PayPal, Shop Pay)
- Test order completed and refunded successfully
Shipping
- Shipping zones set for every country/region you will sell to
- Flat rate or calculated rates configured per zone
- Free shipping threshold set (if offering)
- Return/refund policy written and published on Policies page
Legal pages
- Privacy policy published (Shopify has a generator in Settings → Policies)
- Terms of service published
- Refund policy published
- Shipping policy published
- Contact page with email or form
Pre-launch checks
- Store preview tested on desktop, tablet, and mobile
- All product pages load without errors
- Checkout completes end-to-end with a real card (refund yourself after)
- Abandoned cart email enabled (Marketing → Automations)
- Custom domain connected (not just the .myshopify.com URL)
- Google Analytics or Shopify Analytics confirmed tracking
First-week actions
- Share the store link with 20–30 people in your personal network
- Post the launch on every social platform you use
- Offer a launch discount or bonus (first 10 customers get 15% off)
- Ask your first 3 customers for a review within 48 hours of delivery
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