After spending time setting up and designing your Shopify store, you might wonder why you’re not getting any visitors yet. The reason is simple — your store isn’t live. To make your store accessible to customers, you need to publish it. Fortunately, turning your Shopify store live is a quick and easy process once you know the steps.
Before You Go Live: Things to Check
Before publishing your Shopify store, make sure you’ve completed these essential steps:
1. Sign Up for a Shopify Account
Create your account by providing your email address, password, store name, country, and contact information.
2. Choose a Shopify Theme
After signing up, go to your Shopify Admin panel. From there, you can set up payment options, upload products, and manage shipping settings.
Most importantly, you’ll need to choose a theme — the design your customers see when visiting your store. Visit the Shopify Theme Store, select a theme that suits your brand, and customize it.
💡 Tip: Always compress your images to ensure faster page loading speeds.
3. Add Your Products
Your store exists to sell products — so this step is vital.
In your Shopify Dashboard:
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Go to Products → Add Product
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Fill in details like product title, description, images, price, and SKU
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Click Save
4. Choose a Shopify Plan
Shopify offers flexible pricing options for all business sizes.
💡 Pro Tip: Build your entire store before choosing a plan — this way, you won’t be charged during setup. Start with the $29/month plan if you’re new, and upgrade later as your business grows.
You can also save money by choosing an annual plan.
5. Set Up a Payment Provider
Shopify’s built-in payment gateway, Shopify Payments, is available for U.S. merchants.
If you’re outside the U.S., don’t worry — Shopify supports many local and international third-party payment providers.
To set one up:
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Go to Settings → Payments
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Under “Payment Providers,” click Choose a provider
Steps to Make Your Shopify Store Live
1. Add a Domain
Go to Settings → Domains in your Shopify Admin.
You can either:
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Purchase a new domain, or
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Connect an existing one by entering your domain name.
2. Update DNS Records
To connect your domain properly:
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Log in to your domain registrar account.
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Update your A record to point to: 23.227.38.32
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For the CNAME record, add storename.myshopify.com (found in your domain settings on Shopify).
3. Set Your Primary Domain
To keep your SEO healthy:
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Go to Sales Channels → Domains
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Set your preferred domain as the primary one
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Enable Redirect all traffic to this domain to make sure all visitors land on your main site.
4. Remove the Storefront Password
If your store is password-protected, customers won’t be able to see it.
To remove it:
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Go to Online Store → Preferences
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In the “Password Protection” section, uncheck Restrict Access
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Click Save
5. Add Additional Domains (Optional)
If you have more domains, repeat the steps above to add them. All domains will redirect to your primary one unless you specify otherwise.
Final Checks Before Publishing
Before hitting “publish,” take time to review your store and fix any issues.
1. Title and Meta Description
Make sure your store’s title and meta description clearly explain your brand and products — these are what customers see first in search results.
2. Test Your Website
Check for:
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Broken links
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Missing pages or content
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Slow loading speeds
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Mobile responsiveness
If you see a “Coming Soon” page, make sure your storefront password is turned off.
3. Place a Test Order
Perform a test order to ensure checkout, payments, and shipping work correctly.
If you’re using Shopify Payments, enable Test Mode under Settings → Payments.
You can also use apps like Shipping Rates – Shipeasy to test how shipping costs are calculated.
4. Double-Check Essential Details
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Product descriptions and prices are correct
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Images and videos are high quality
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Payments and emails are functioning properly
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Shipping rates and taxes are accurate
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Install analytics tools (via Shopify App Store) to track performance
Set Up Your Legal Pages
Every Shopify store should have these key legal documents:
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Terms of Service
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Privacy Policy
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Return/Refund Policy
You can manage them under Settings → Policies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I connect Shopify to my existing website?
Yes! Shopify’s Buy Button lets you integrate e-commerce features into your existing site — whether it’s built with WordPress, Wix, or another platform.
2. Can I delete my Shopify account after the free trial?
Yes. During your 14-day free trial, you can explore Shopify’s features without being charged.
If you decide not to continue:
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Go to Settings → Plan → Deactivate Store
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Enter your password to confirm
Shopify’s built-in tools make it easy to design, manage, and publish your online store.
While Shopify gives you full control to set things up yourself, working with an experienced Shopify developer can help you optimize your design and workflow.
This guide has walked you through everything you need to know to take your Shopify store live. Follow each step carefully — and soon, your store will be ready for the world to see.
Happy Selling! 🚀