How to Start a Shopify Store in the US

This guide walks a US store owner or administrator through preparing a Shopify store, configuring its customer-facing experience and commerce settings, testing checkout, and making the storefront publicly accessible. It assumes an eligible business using Shopify Payments. A store is not ready for customers just because a theme has been saved or published: payment testing and public access are separate steps.

Before you begin

Prepare your product range, audience, product photos and descriptions, business identity, customer-contact details, fulfillment arrangements, intended delivery destinations, and any applicable US tax registrations. Decide who will handle the work, what budget and time you can allocate, which sales channels you intend to use, and how customers should move from the home page to products, About, Contact, and policy information.

You will need a Shopify account and, for the payment-testing and public-launch workflow here, an active paid plan, eligible Shopify Payments business, two-step authentication, and a bank account. Have access to your domain’s DNS and a working mailbox or forwarding address if you plan to authenticate a branded sender email. Tax registrations must be obtained from the relevant agencies outside Shopify; this guide does not determine your tax obligations or register your business.

The procedure below follows the setup dependencies in order. Menu names are Shopify Admin labels. Optional features are marked as such; you can launch without discounts, staff invitations, a custom domain, or external analytics.

1. Plan the store and its launch resources

Record the intended audience, product range, business goal, available time and budget, responsibilities, and brand tone. If you are working with a partner, agree who owns each setup and operating task. Consider the product range you may add later so the store name and category structure do not unnecessarily constrain the catalog.

Plan the catalog and site hierarchy

Sketch the home page, product categories and collections, and the About, Contact, and policy destinations. A simple example is a home page that links to “Shoes,” “Shirts,” “About,” and “Contact,” with relevant subcategories beneath the product groups. This is a planning aid, not a Shopify requirement. Prepare product descriptions and images before entering the catalog; do not rely on a fixed setup-time estimate.

How to Start a Shopify Store: A Step-by-Step US Guide

Plan fulfillment and destinations

List the locations from which orders will be fulfilled, the destinations you intend to serve, and the channels you plan to use. Check channel eligibility for your region, product type, and plan before committing to an additional channel. Determine applicable tax obligations and obtain any required registrations outside Shopify. If product selection or sourcing is unfinished, account creation will not resolve that separate business decision.

Complete when: your product and asset list, site outline, responsibilities, budget, fulfillment model, and intended channels are recorded.

2. Create the Shopify account

Go to Shopify and choose Start for free. Create an account with an email address and password, or continue with Google, Apple, or Facebook. If you already have a Shopify account, choose Log in and select it.

Billing information and the customized setup questionnaire are optional at signup: enter billing information or choose Skip, then complete the questionnaire or choose Skip customized setup. The observable result is that your new Shopify Admin opens.

The account holder must be at least 18. If the merchant is under 18, a parent or guardian must establish the account using their own details.

3. Set store identity and operating defaults

Open Settings > General. In Store contact details, open the store name, enter the customer-facing store name and contact information, and save. Then open Store address, enter the company name and business address used for the store, and save. Store contact information and address may be visible to customers; they are separate from private account identity and the billing address. Changing the store address does not change the address on Shopify bills.

In Store defaults, select the store time zone and save. Set the store currency before the first sale: choose Change store currency, select the monetary unit, and save. A later currency change carries risk; with Shopify Payments, its bank-account and currency settings govern the change rather than an unrestricted edit in General. Choose Unit system before Default weight unit, select the unit appropriate for your products, and save. The default weight unit can be adjusted for individual products later.

Optionally edit the order-ID prefix or suffix and save. You can change the format, but not the starting numeric order sequence. Confirm your saved values appear in General before continuing.

4. Choose a plan for the work you need to do

Choose a subscription plan before payment-gateway testing or third-party sender-email CNAME authentication. Compare online-store and collection eligibility, staff requirements, carrier-account needs, price, and billing cadence. The documented catalog and collections workflow here is compatible with Basic or higher; Starter does not support legacy collections. A trial alone does not enable gateway tests. Basic has no additional staff accounts; Grow allows five, Advanced 15, and Plus unlimited additional staff accounts.

Shopify’s US pricing page displayed the following amounts in an October 2026 observation. Annual-billing amounts are monthly equivalents, not month-to-month prices; promotional terms and plan amounts are observations, not a guarantee of future billing.

Plan	Monthly equivalent with annual billing (USD)	Monthly billing (USD)
Basic	$29	$39
Grow	$79	$105
Advanced	$299	$399

The same observed page displayed three free days followed by $1 per month for three months. A paid plan is required for payment tests, and a subscription plan is one of the requirements for public launch during a trial. Select the plan through your account’s available plan-selection flow; do not assume an old tutorial’s checkout screen or button placement applies.

5. Keep or configure your storefront domain

A Shopify-provided myshopify.com domain is available, so a custom domain is optional. If you change the myshopify.com name, choose carefully: the free Admin change is limited to one. In Settings > Domains, use the pencil beside the domain, enter the new name, and choose Add domain.

Buy a domain through Shopify

Go to Settings > Domains > Buy new domain, enter a candidate name, review the available extensions and their prices, and choose Buy for the domain you want. In the purchase summary, review annual renewal and whether automatic renewal is on, verify registration contact details, check whether the extension includes WHOIS privacy, choose a payment method, and review the registration terms before choosing Buy domain. Domain registration and renewal are separate from the Shopify plan; prices depend on the extension. Shopify domain purchases do not include email hosting.

Verify the registration email using a working address, not an unactivated mailbox on the domain being registered. If the message is missing, check spam, spelling, and the recipient address. Domain email verification is required; an unverified domain may be suspended after 15 days. A purchased domain can take up to 48 hours to start working.

Connect a domain you already own

At the DNS host that actually manages the domain, edit existing matching records rather than creating duplicates. Set the root A record to 23.227.38.65, the root AAAA record to 2620:0127:f00f:5::, and the www CNAME to shops.myshopify.com.. Keep the final period in that CNAME target. Remove conflicting root A and AAAA records, and edit an existing www CNAME rather than adding another. Leave TTL at its default. If the DNS provider rejects the shortened IPv6 address, use 2620:0127:f00f:0005:0000:0000:0000:0000. External DNS hosting can remain if its nameservers respond and publish the required records.

Then choose Settings > Domains > Connect existing domain, enter the root domain without www, choose Next, then Connect domain. Wait for Connected status; connection can take up to 48 hours. If the domain is already connected to another Shopify store, ownership verification or transfer is needed.

Make a connected domain primary

After the domain shows Connected, select it in Settings > Domains. In Type, choose Change, select Primary domain, then choose Change domain type. The primary domain appears in the customer’s browser address bar; other connected domains redirect to it. If a market uses the domain as its own market domain, reassign that market’s domain before making it primary.

6. Set the sender email and authenticate its domain

First make sure the mailbox or forwarding address works and the domain is configured. The Store email is for Shopify’s contact with you and exported files; the Sender email is customer-facing, appears as the From address on store notifications, and receives contact-form submissions. In Settings > Notifications > Sender email, enter the address and save.

Shopify-managed domains authenticate automatically. For a third-party domain hosted by Cloudflare, GoDaddy, or IONOS, Email domain authentication > Authenticate automatically can set up CNAME records. It does not create DMARC, so you must address DMARC separately. For manual authentication, the store must be on an active paid plan. Choose authenticate your domain and add every CNAME shown in Shopify Admin to the DNS manager for the sender’s domain. The number of records can vary by store. These CNAME records handle SPF; do not add a separate SPF TXT record for this purpose.

Before adding DMARC, inspect the domain’s existing DNS records. There must be only one DMARC TXT record; update an existing one rather than creating a duplicate. Shopify’s general default is host _dmarc and value v=DMARC1; p=none;. Some DNS hosts append the domain name to the host field automatically, so check how the saved record is formatted. Account for any existing email provider’s DMARC requirements; relaxed adkim/aspf alignment is recommended for Shopify delivery rather than strict alignment.

Allow up to 48 hours for authentication. If it fails, compare every DNS value against Admin. Missing authentication or duplicate DMARC can cause the sender address to be rewritten to a shopifyemail.com address. Keep successful CNAME records in place. Forwarding can deliver replies to another mailbox, but sending replies from the custom-domain address requires external email hosting.

7. Add and customize a theme

A theme controls the storefront’s layout and appearance. In Online Store, browse Discover themes or choose Visit theme store. Add a free theme to Draft themes. For a paid theme, choose Try theme and preview it through its actions menu; you must purchase it before publishing. A trial theme cannot use code editing or the AI code generator. Check the theme’s feature list against the content and product presentation you need.

Choose Edit theme beside the theme you want to customize. In the editor, Sections manages the sections and blocks on the selected template; Theme settings manages global choices such as colors, typography, and layout. Select the intended template and market before editing. Add brand assets and accurate store content using the settings the theme provides. The preview updates as you make changes; switch to mobile preview and inspect the layout, then choose Save. Theme-editor settings and content are specific to that theme, even though products, pages, and menus are managed separately.

For an existing store, optional AI theme generation is documented through the Shopify mobile app or a mobile browser: open Online Store > Manage themes, describe the business in Design your store in seconds, choose Generate themes, then select and Try theme. Optional ZIP import uses Draft themes > Import theme > Upload zip file > Choose File > Upload. Adding or saving a draft does not publish it. If a preview redirects or its preview bar is missing, check for custom scripts or external caching before assuming edits were saved.

8. Add products and make them available

Go to Products > Add product. Enter a customer-facing title, a clear description, product media, and a price, then save. Use accurate, original descriptions and images that represent the item; a reseller should not simply reuse a manufacturer’s exact description. A product needs at least a title and price.

Set product price and optional cost

Price is the amount charged to the customer. Compare-at price is the reference price displayed alongside a reduced price; use it only when it accurately represents the original price. Cost per item is optional merchant-side product cost, not a customer price. Shopify’s projected product margin uses (price - cost) / price; for example, a $50 price and $30 cost produce a 40% product margin, not net business profit. The projected profit and margin are not displayed when Charge tax on this product is selected.

Classify the product and enter identifiers

Choose the most accurate standard Category. It is distinct from Type, which is an optional custom category; a product can have one standard category and one custom type. Category can inform tax treatment and product organization. In Product organization, add a Vendor if useful for filtering or identifying the manufacturer or supplier, and add Tags for searchable labels or collection conditions. Add a new tag by entering it, choosing Add, and saving. Use a unique SKU if your business needs an internal stock code. Enter a real barcode only when applicable to the item or sales channel; up to 20 barcodes can be attached to a product or variant.

Configure shipping and inventory

For a physical item that you ship, turn on Physical product and enter its accurate weight. A missing physical-product flag can prevent checkout from requesting a shipping address. Optionally assign a package used when the product ships alone. For packed dimensions, enter length, width, and height together or leave all three blank. Add country or region of origin and a Harmonized System code when needed for international shipments.

For tracked stock on desktop, open the product or variant, activate Inventory not tracked, enter the number of sellable Available units, and save. On mobile, open Inventory > Edit and activate Track quantity. Available stock is sellable; committed, unavailable, on-hand, and incoming quantities represent different inventory states. Enable Continue selling when out of stock only if you intend to accept orders when the available quantity reaches zero. If an app manages stock, quantities may belong to that app’s location.

Add options and publish the product

For choices such as shirt size, go to Variants > + Add options like size or color. Enter an Option name, such as Size, and values, such as Small, Medium, and Large. Add up to three options per product. Choose Done, then Save. Once variants exist, review price, inventory, and shipping details on each variant; do not assume product-level values cover every variant. Shopify supports up to 2,048 variants, but some themes, apps, and sales channels may not support more than 100, so check compatibility if your catalog needs a larger set.

Set the product status to Active when it is ready to sell. In Publishing, choose Adjust, select Online Store and any intended channels, choose Done, and save. An Active product that is not published to the Online Store will not appear there. Optionally edit its search listing by opening the pencil in Search engine listing, entering a page title, meta description, or URL handle, and saving. Avoid unnecessary handle changes. Choose Preview and check the product’s media, description, selectable options, price, and availability.

9. Organize products into collections

Go to Products > Collections > Add collection. First identify the model shown in your Admin. A source-based interface with Products or Variants sources is the newer model. A Collection type choice of Manual or Smart indicates the legacy model. Shopify documents both, so use the branch matching your screen. A collection groups products for customers to browse; its display depends on the theme and template.

New source-based collections

Add a title and, if useful, a description and image. For a fixed product group, use the default Products source, choose Add products, select items, choose Add, then save. Products added manually remain in the collection until removed.

For automatic membership, choose Add condition, then select the product attribute, matching operator, and value. Add other conditions as needed and choose whether products must Match all or Match any conditions. Where an attribute accepts multiple values, choose AND if all selected values must match or OR if any can match. Save and check the resulting membership. A Products source includes all variants. If the collection should include only particular variants, change the source to Variants and add selected variants or conditions.

Optional sources can include another collection or an app source. Exclusions can be set in a Products source; exclusions override inclusions. Set sorting and intended sales-channel availability, then save. Verify the collection in the storefront before adding its menu link in the navigation step. A collection created in the mobile app may have limited desktop editing until the new model is available in Admin.

Legacy manual collections

Choose Collection type > Manual, then save. In Products, search or choose Browse and add the products you want. Set sorting, use Sales channels > Adjust to select intended availability, and optionally add an image or edit the search listing. Save again. Manual membership changes only when you add or remove products. Legacy collections include whole products, not selected variants.

Legacy smart collections

Choose Collection type > Smart and decide whether a product must match all conditions or any condition. For each condition, select its type, matching operator, and value. For example, a tag condition can include products assigned a tag you use consistently; the particular tag wording is your choice. Add further conditions if needed, then save. Matching products appear in the Products section. Set sorting and active sales channels; optionally add an image or edit the search listing, then save again. Legacy smart collections permit up to 60 conditions and up to 5,000 smart collections, and include entire products.

To correct legacy smart membership, edit the conditions and save: matching products are added and nonmatching products removed. A manual collection cannot be directly converted to smart; create a replacement. If scheduling a legacy collection’s Online Store availability, use the calendar beside that channel, set the date and time, and save. Duplicated smart collections need explicit sales-channel selection before publication. Check membership and Online Store availability before linking the collection.

10. Create customer-facing pages

Go to Online Store > Pages > Add page. Enter a descriptive title and the content for an About page or other information customers will need, keep Visible selected, and save. Preview the page; reload the browser if a saved change does not appear. A page that is saved but not linked in a menu may be difficult for customers to find.

For a Contact page, add a title and any truthful response-time, contact, or store-location details you want above the form. In Theme template, select contact, then save. The built-in contact form sends submissions to the Sender email set in Notifications. Add this page to a menu in the navigation step. If a message is missing, check sender-email authentication and spam handling; flagged submissions may have a [SPAM] subject prefix, and the form submissions are still delivered.

Optionally customize the Contact template in Edit theme > Pages > Contact > + Add section. Configure sections, drag them into the intended order, and save. For an optional search listing, edit the page title, meta description, or handle through the search-listing pencil and save; changing the handle can create a redirect.

11. Add and review store policies

Open Settings > Policies > Written policies. For each policy relevant to your store—such as return, privacy, terms of service, shipping, legal notice, or subscription policy—enter your own content or choose Insert template. Review and edit the text to match your actual practices before saving. In particular, describe shipping destinations, processing and delivery expectations, carrier or tracking information accurately.

Saved policy resources are automatically linked in checkout. You can also put them in a storefront menu using the Policies link type, instead of creating duplicate legal pages solely for navigation. Templates do not transfer responsibility for your published terms or applicable obligations. If you use a Google channel, its policy checks require policies under Settings > Policies, not just standalone pages.

Create the destination pages, policies, and collections before linking them. Open Content > Menus, select the main or footer menu, and choose Add menu item. Enter the label customers should see, select the appropriate link type and specific destination, choose Add, then Save or Save menu. Use Collections for catalog groups, Pages for About and Contact, and Policies for policy resources.

For an external URL, paste it into the link field, wait for the destination dropdown, and select the result. Pasting and pressing Enter without selecting the dropdown item can leave an invalid link. To edit an item, choose Edit, change its name or clear and select a new destination, choose Apply changes, and save. Drag the handle to reorder items, then save. Removing a parent item also removes its nested items. Preview the storefront, open key links, and set the menu’s display location in theme settings if needed.

Go to Settings > Checkout. Under Customer contact method, choose Email (the new-store default) or Phone number or email. Optionally require customers to sign in only if you intend to restrict checkout that way; requiring sign-in limits the contact method to email. Shopify does not offer a contact setting that requires both email and phone. Save your choices.

Under Customer information, choose whether first and last name are both required or only last name is required. New stores require first and last name. Decide whether to include company name: requiring it can hide accelerated checkout options such as Apple Pay. Address line 2 is for apartment, unit, floor, or department details; making it required or removing it can prevent some customers from continuing, so optional is generally less restrictive. Set shipping phone to optional, required, or not included according to carrier or payment needs. Save.

Under Marketing opt-in, choose where email consent appears and whether it is preselected only in eligible regions that match your consent requirements. Shopify’s recommendations are not legal advice. SMS opt-in cannot be preselected. Review the saved checkout during testing. If checkout omits a shipping address, inspect whether the product or variant is marked Physical product; address preferences cannot force a shipping step for a cart with no shippable items.

14. Create a discount code if you plan to offer one

This step is optional; skip it if you are not planning a discount. Otherwise open Discounts > Create discount > Amount off products or Amount off orders, then select Discount code. Enter a code such as 15offnecklaces or choose Generate code. Select Percentage or Fixed amount and enter the value.

For a product discount, choose whether it applies to all products or specific products or collections. If subscriptions are configured, select whether the code applies to one-time purchases, subscriptions, or both. Set a minimum purchase amount or quantity if needed. For product discounts, only eligible items count toward a minimum, after earlier product discounts; shipping and taxes are excluded. Order-discount minimums have separate checks before product discounts and on the post-discount subtotal.

Choose eligibility: all customers, selected customers, customer segments, or markets. Optionally set total-use and one-per-customer limits, choose permitted discount combinations, and set start and end dates. Dates use the Admin time zone. Save, then test both a cart that qualifies and one that does not. If the code fails, check its scope, minimum, purchase type, customer eligibility, combinations, and active dates.

15. Activate Shopify Payments

This payment path is for a business eligible for Shopify Payments in its country and business category. Confirm eligibility, prepare genuine identity and business information, and enable two-step authentication. Set the store currency before the first sale. PO Box and Private Mail Box addresses are not supported for Shopify Payments.

Go to Settings > Payments > Shopify Payments > Activate Shopify Payments. Enter the requested personal, address, and identification information and choose Next. Enter business details and the phone number you want shown on the customer’s bank statement, then choose Next. Review Business type and Store details, choose Confirm, and choose Submit for verification.

If Shopify requests documents, upload them through the secure Admin banner, not by email or support chat. Submit a clear, complete color photograph of the original document with all four borders visible; for digitally issued documents, use the original unaltered PDF with all pages. Names, dates, and addresses must match the account. If rejected, follow the stated reason—for example, recapture a cropped or unreadable document or correct a mismatch.

After verification is complete, go to Settings > Payments > Shopify Payments > Connect a bank account, enter the eligible real payout-bank details, and save. Pending verification is not completed verification; payout holds can remain until verification and two-step authentication requirements are met. If switching from another provider, the documented path is Switch to Shopify Payments, submit for verification, then activate after approval. A different provider requires its own setup workflow and is outside this Shopify Payments procedure.

16. Configure shipping rates for your fulfillment model

Before creating rates, confirm products that need shipping have Physical product enabled, enter accurate product weights, identify fulfillment locations, and make sure each destination is in an active market. Shipping rates appear after a customer enters a delivery address. If you use packages for calculated rates, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery > Packages > Add package, enter a name, package type, dimensions, and weight, optionally select it as the default, then add it.

If Admin shows Shipping profiles

Most stores continue to use shipping profiles. Open Settings > Shipping and delivery > Shipping profiles and select the relevant profile. To add a zone, choose Add zone, enter its name, select the regions, and choose Done. A region can belong to only one zone within a location group. A country must also be in an active market; a rate alone cannot make an inactive market orderable.

For the zone, choose Add shipping option, enter the customer-facing name and optional delivery details, then select a rate type. A Flat rate uses one price; enter 0 for free shipping. An Order amount rate uses order-value ranges, and a Weight rate uses shipment weight. For each tier enter its minimum, maximum, and price; leave the highest maximum blank to cover the remaining range where the interface provides that field. Add further tiers as needed and ensure they cover the intended values or weights. Missing weights or gaps can leave checkout without a correct rate. Optional transit time communicates transit only, not processing time. For a carrier/app-calculated option, choose the carrier or app and services, and optionally set new-service inclusion or a handling fee. Built-in integrations and use of your own carrier account have different eligibility and plan requirements. Choose Done, then Save. Conditional free shipping applies only to orders in a covered tier.

If Admin shows shipping options under Markets

Shipping options by market are an early-access interface available to some stores. Open Markets, choose an active market, then Shipping. A child market inherits its parent’s options by default; choose Customize to set different child-market options. Add a shipping option, name it, and choose its rate type. For a flat rate enter the price, using 0 for free shipping. For order-amount or weight tiers, set the lowest minimum to 0, leave the highest maximum blank, and cover the full range. Optional settings can limit an option to selected collections or ship-from locations, add delivery details or transit time, and provide free shipping above a minimum.

For a carrier or app rate, select the provider and services and optionally add a handling adjustment. Weight and carrier/app options have one rate; flat and order-amount options can have several. In this Markets interface, if multiple flat or order-amount rates match a cart, the highest matching rate applies—not their sum. Weight rates are calculated for each shipment and summed if an order is split. Do not apply that rule to profile-based rates, which can combine across profiles. Choose Done and Save; when editing, save the option and market with the controls presented.

Check rates in checkout

Test an address in a covered active market after entering it in checkout. Confirm the intended choices and prices appear. A customer in a region outside active markets may receive a no-shipping notice. If checkout does not request a shipping address, check the physical-product flag at the product or variant level.

17. Configure collection in US states where you are registered

This step applies only to US sales-tax collection in states where the business is registered. First determine obligations with the relevant state authorities or qualified tax expertise, then obtain each required agency registration outside Shopify. Shopify configuration does not register the business. Use only genuine sales tax IDs issued for the business.

Review fulfillment locations. If inventory is fulfilled from an address different from the store address, create that location in Settings > Locations > Add location, enter its name and address, save, review whether it can fulfill online orders, and save again. When a location exists, its address—not Store contact details—determines nexus in the documented setup.

Go to Settings > Taxes and duties. Under Manage sales tax collection, select United States. Under Regional settings, choose Add new state, select a state where the business is registered, and enter its real Sales tax ID. If the state’s settings display Advanced options > Shipping tax, the documented choices are When applicable (default), Always, and Never. This option is documented for California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, and Maryland. If unsure, retain the default and consult the relevant authority or tax professional.

Choose Collect taxes to activate that registered-state collection. Add another registered region or account number with Collect sales tax. Review product tax treatment and select the most accurate standard category for applicable products or variants; Shopify Tax uses categories when calculating applicable reduced rates or exemptions. Save any product edits. Revisit the US tax settings to confirm registered states and IDs, then check the tax line in checkout using an applicable test address.

If a calculation looks unexpected, review the registered states, fulfillment-location address, product tax flag, and category. A test amount does not determine legal liability. Filing and remittance remain separate unless the business is enrolled in an applicable automated-filing service.

18. Consider additional staff access only if needed

A solo owner can skip this conditional task. If additional staff accounts are part of the plan decision, the documented additional-account limits are: Basic, none; Grow, five; Advanced, 15; Plus, unlimited. Collaborator and POS-only staff do not count toward these limits. An owner-operated launch does not require adding staff.

19. Connect external analytics only if you need it

Shopify Analytics is available for store reporting; external tracking is optional. To connect Google Analytics 4 (GA4), install the Google & YouTube channel and connect an authorized Google account. Under Sales channels > Google & YouTube, choose Looking only to set up Google Analytics 4? > Get started. Select an existing GA4 property for which that Google account is an administrator, or choose Create new and complete property creation in Google Analytics. Choose Connect. Merchant Center and Google Ads are not required for this Analytics-only connection. If the intended property is missing, check Google-account administrator access.

Optional home-page search metadata is under Online Store > Preferences > Social sharing image and SEO. Enter the home page title and meta description and save. Connecting GA4 does not by itself validate every advertising or consent event configuration.

20. Publish the intended theme

If the selected theme is paid, purchase it before publication. In Online Store > Draft themes, find the intended theme and choose Edit theme. In the editor’s top bar, choose Publish, then choose Publish again in the confirmation window. Confirm the intended theme shows Live; the previous live theme moves to Draft themes. Publishing the theme does not change store access. A Live theme on a Private store is still private.

21. Test checkout without triggering real fulfillment

A payment test requires a paid plan and completed Shopify Payments setup. Keep the store out of production while testing. Before placing an order, disable automatic fulfillment apps. Do not fulfill test orders or buy shipping labels for them; purchased labels still incur real charges.

Go to Settings > Payments > Shopify Payments > Manage > Test mode > Enable test mode > Save. Preview the intended storefront, select an Active product available to the Online Store, add it to the cart, enter a covered delivery address, and review shipping, taxes, and any intended discount. Test purchases must be worth more than the equivalent of $1 USD.

For a successful Visa test payment, enter card number 4242424242424242, a name containing at least two words, any future expiration date, and a three-digit security code. For a generic card decline, use 4000000000000002; use the same name, future expiry, and three-digit code format. These numbers are test-mode credentials only; never use them for a live transaction.

Open the resulting order and confirm its test-mode banner. Review the Timeline, payment status, inventory behavior, notification, and customer-facing checkout. A wallet flow may appear to complete without an error in test mode; the order banner is the check that it was a test rather than a real capture. Test orders do not appear in payouts or reports. Shop Pay Installments, PayPal Wallet, and Shopify POS card readers are not supported by this test mode.

Turn test mode off in the Shopify Payments settings and save before launch. Restore fulfillment automation only after testing has ended and the production configuration is ready. If a test confirmation email is missing, check spam and the Notifications template; a customized confirmation template can be reverted to default. Do not mix credentials for Shopify’s separate Test payment gateway with Shopify Payments test-card numbers.

22. Make the storefront public

Before launch, confirm that a subscription plan is selected, the business/store address is saved, a payment method is set up, checkout testing is complete, and Shopify Payments test mode is off. Use Preview store for a final review of the Live theme, pages, menu destinations, policy links, and shipping options for covered addresses.

For a first launch, open Online Store, choose Private, select Public, then choose Launch store. Alternatively, go to Online Store > Preferences > Store access, turn off Private mode, and save. When changing access through the general access menu, use the control shown for that state; the documented general access flow uses Update.

Confirm the access menu says Public, then open the customer-facing domain in a browser without an Admin preview or password session. A preview link or Live theme alone does not establish public access. If launch is blocked, recheck plan, address, payment method, and test mode. If a domain is still connecting, allow the documented connection time.

23. Review orders, Analytics, and app needs after launch

When orders arrive, open Orders, select an order, and inspect its product information, Paid section, and Timeline. Expand a payment event and choose Information from the gateway when you need gateway details. The product information on an order reflects the purchase-time details even if the product is later edited. Payment and fulfillment status are separate; this orientation does not cover processing fulfillments, refunds, cancellations, archiving, or partial fulfillments.

In Analytics, choose a preset or custom date range and apply it. Select a comparison range if useful, apply custom comparison dates when needed, and choose a metric-card title to open its report. Desktop Analytics defaults to the last 90 days; mobile defaults to today compared with yesterday. Data updates within about a minute. Sessions are cookie-based and end after 30 minutes of inactivity, so one visitor can have multiple sessions. Daily Insights require an average of at least 10 orders per week over the prior six months; a new store may not have them.

Install apps only for a defined need that Shopify’s core features do not meet. Before choosing, review price model and usage charges, compatibility, reviews, support, and requested data permissions. An app marked Not compatible cannot be installed unless the relevant store settings change. Oberlo is not currently available, and a fixed app bundle is not required for launch.