Store setup and launch
Set-up, checks and launch services.
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Shopify Checklist: Launch, SEO, Speed and Busy-Season Checks
Four practical checklists for the moments stores most often go wrong. Use them yourself, or order the matching services if you would rather we did.
- Launch checklist with 14 checks
- SEO and speed basics
- A busy-season check
- Linked to services that do each job
Checklists4
Checks50+
Since2015
How to use them
A Checklist Is Cheaper Than a Bad First Week
Most launch problems are small and avoidable. They are just easy to forget when everything else is urgent.
These lists come from the faults we see most often after launch: a payment method that was never tested, a policy page that was left blank, a pixel that records nothing, a phone layout nobody checked. Each check is a single action you can confirm.
Work through a list in order and tick each item only when you have seen it work, not when you believe it should. A test order is worth more than a settings screen.
Where a check turns into a job you would rather hand over, the matching service is linked in the section.
Launch checklist
Before You Launch: 14 Checks
Check each one
- Store name, logo and favicon set
- Domain connected and secure address working
- About, Contact, shipping, returns, privacy and terms pages written and linked
- Payment methods enabled and a test order placed
- Shipping rates cover every country you sell to
- Taxes and currency set correctly
- Every product has photos, price, description and stock
- Variants and size guides checked on real products
- Menus and footer links all work
- Mobile layout checked on a real phone
- Order and shipping emails branded and tested
- Tracking and pixels verified with a test order
- Old addresses redirected if you migrated
- Password page removed and store published
SEO checklist
SEO Basics: 10 Checks
Check each one
- Every page has a unique title and description
- Product and collection titles are clear and not duplicated
- Images have alt text
- Important pages are not set to noindex
- Sitemap is available and submitted to Search Console
- Old addresses redirect to the right new pages
- Internal links connect related products and pages
- Headings follow a sensible order
- Duplicate content is handled with canonical addresses
- Search Console shows no major errors
Speed checklist
Speed Basics: 10 Checks
Check each one
- Images are the right size and compressed
- Only the apps you use are installed
- Unused app code is removed from the theme
- Fonts are limited to what the design needs
- Videos load without blocking the page
- Lazy loading is on for images below the fold
- The homepage has a sensible number of sections
- Popups do not delay the first view
- Core Web Vitals are measured on a phone
- Speed is checked again after every new app
Busy-season checklist
Before a Busy Season: 12 Checks
Check each one
- Stock counts are accurate
- Shipping cut-off dates are stated
- Discount codes and automatic discounts are tested together
- Banners and announcement bars are updated and linked
- Checkout is tested with each payment method
- Apps are updated and tested
- Delivery and returns pages match what you will do
- Order emails mention delivery times accurately
- A backup of the theme is saved
- Support routes are ready
- Speed is checked with the new banners
- A plan exists for urgent fixes
Why they work
How to Run a Checklist So It Actually Catches Problems
A checklist is only as good as the way you use it.
- Set aside the time. A launch list takes an hour or two when you do it properly. Do it on a day with no distractions.
- Use a phone and a laptop. Many problems only show on one of them.
- Be a customer. Visit the store signed out and in a private browser window.
- Tick only what you saw work. A setting screen proves nothing, but a test order does.
- Write down what failed. A short note beside each failed item becomes your fix list.
- Repeat after changes. Re-run the relevant list after a theme change, a new app or a big sale.
If a failed check turns into a job you would rather hand over, the matching service is linked below the lists, each with a fixed price.
Product page checklist
Product Pages: 12 Checks
The product page does most of the selling. Check it on a phone first.
Check that
- The title says what the product is, clearly
- The first image shows the product at a useful size
- Every variant has its own image or a clear selector
- The price, any compare-at price and any discount are correct
- The add to cart button is visible without scrolling on a phone
- Size, fit or compatibility information is easy to find
- Shipping and returns information is linked or shown
- The description answers the questions customers ask
- Stock status is accurate and clear
- Reviews, if you have them, are real and visible
- Related products load and link correctly
- The page loads quickly on mobile data
Mobile checklist
Mobile Experience: 10 Checks
Most Shopify visits happen on phones, so test there first.
Check that
- The menu opens, closes and fits long item names
- Search is easy to find and use
- Text is readable without zooming
- Buttons are large enough to tap and not too close together
- Images fit the screen and do not shift as they load
- Forms, including email signup and checkout, work with a phone keyboard
- Popups can be closed easily and do not cover important content
- The cart drawer or cart page works end to end
- Sticky bars do not hide key content
- The page does not scroll sideways
First-week checklist
The First Week After Launch: 10 Checks
Problems show up when real customers arrive. Look for them early.
Check that
- Real orders arrive with the right amounts, taxes and shipping
- Order emails are received and look right
- Analytics and ad pixels record visits and purchases
- Search Console shows no new errors
- Redirects from old addresses, if any, land correctly
- Abandoned checkout emails, if used, fire as intended
- Customer messages are being answered
- Page speed has not dropped after launch
- Stock counts match what you have
- You have a backup of your theme and a note of what changed
In depth
Why These Checks Catch the Problems They Do
Every item on these lists exists because a store skipped it.
Test orders catch more than settings screens
Payment, shipping and tax settings can look correct and still fail in practice, for example when a shipping rate does not cover a country or a payment method is not enabled for a currency. Placing a test order with each payment method shows what a customer sees.
Policies are part of trust
Shipping, returns, privacy and terms pages answer questions shoppers ask before they buy. Leaving them blank or unlinked reduces trust and can cause disputes later.
Speed problems accumulate quietly
Each app, font, video and large image adds a little weight. The store feels fine until it does not. Checking regularly keeps the total in view.
Tracking is invisible until it fails
A pixel that records nothing looks normal on the page. You find out weeks later when reports are empty. Testing events after launch avoids this.
Busy seasons expose weak spots
Sales multiply small problems, such as inaccurate stock, untested discount combinations and unclear shipping cut-offs. A short check beforehand is far cheaper than fixing them during a rush.
Related searches
Shopify Launch and SEO Checklists
Short answers to questions people often search for on this topic.
What is on a Shopify launch checklist?
A Shopify launch checklist covers store name, domain, policies, payments, shipping, taxes, a test order and mobile checks. A Shopify pre launch checklist should be run on a phone before you go live.
What does a Shopify SEO checklist include?
A Shopify SEO checklist includes unique titles and descriptions, clear product names, alt text, working links, a sitemap and no accidental noindex settings.
Is there a Shopify store setup checklist?
Yes. A Shopify store setup checklist covers plan, domain, theme, products, collections, shipping, payments, policies and tracking. Our store setup services do each step.
Is there a free Shopify marketing or dropshipping checklist?
A free Shopify marketing checklist and a free Shopify dropshipping checklist cover email signups, tracking, product pages and trust pages. Use ours as a base and add your own steps.
How do I launch a Shopify website, store or online store with Shopify?
To launch a Shopify website, finish content, test an order, check mobile, connect your domain, switch off the password page and monitor the first days. Building a Shopify website checklist and a Shopify start business checklist help you do it in order.
Related searches
Related Searches: Shopify Launch Checklist
The searches below are the ones that lead people here.
People looking into Shopify Launch Checklist also type “shopify store checklist”, “shopify app creation checklist” or “shopify marketing plan checklist”.
People looking into Shopify Launch Checklist also type “building shopify website checklist”, “how to launch shopify website” or “launch online store with shopify”.
You may also have come across “how to launch a shopify store”.
FAQ
Checklist Questions Answered
How to use the lists. Open any question for the full answer.
What should I check before launching a Shopify store?
Pages and policies, payments with a test order, shipping and tax, product data, menus, mobile layout, emails, tracking and redirects.
How do I test payments safely?
Place a test order with each payment method you enable and confirm it appears in your orders.
What are the SEO basics for a new store?
Unique titles and descriptions, alt text, a submitted sitemap, working redirects and no accidental noindex.
How do I check store speed?
Measure on a real phone connection and recheck after adding any app or section.
When should I run the busy-season list?
Several weeks before the season, so fixes are not rushed.
Can you run these checks for me?
Yes. Launch QA, SEO, speed and maintenance services cover them.
Are the checklists complete?
They cover the most common faults. Your store may need more.
Can I download them?
They are on this page to tick through. A downloadable version is not provided here.
How often should I run these checklists?
Run the launch list once before launch, the first-week list after launch, and the SEO and speed lists every few months. Run the busy-season list a few weeks before a major sale.
Can I use the checklists for a client's store?
Yes. They are written for any Shopify store. Add or remove items to match the store's products and markets.
What should I do if a check fails?
Write down what you saw, fix it if it is simple, and for anything that needs code or specialist knowledge, price the matching service or ask for a quote.
Are these checks specific to one theme?
No. They are general and apply to any Shopify theme, though some settings are in different places in different themes.
Do the checklists cover legal requirements?
They remind you to publish policies, but they are not legal advice. A legal adviser can confirm what your store needs.
Can I get a professional check instead?
Yes. QA, audit and launch services in the catalogue run these checks for you with a fixed price.
Ready when you are
Check It, or Have Us Check It
Use the lists yourself, or order the matching service and see its price.
- Fixed prices shown before you pay
- Two revision rounds in every package
- A written handover with every job