Checklist · 44 items
The Shopify launch checklist.
Everything we check before a store goes live, in the order we check it. Print it, or let us run it for you.
Products and catalog
- Every product has a title, description, price, and at least one image
- Variants have correct inventory, SKUs, and weights
- Collections are organized and have descriptions
- Product types, vendors, and tags are consistent
- Metafields (materials, dimensions, care) filled where the theme shows them
- Image alt text written for every product image
- Compare-at prices only where there's a real sale
Checkout, payments, shipping, taxes
- Shopify Payments (or gateway) activated and a test order placed
- Express checkout (Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay) enabled
- Shipping zones, rates, and free-shipping thresholds set
- Local pickup / delivery configured if offered
- Taxes set by region and verified on a test order
- Checkout branding, order notes, and tipping settings reviewed
- Abandoned checkout recovery enabled
Theme and content
- Home page, navigation, and footer reviewed on a phone
- 404 page, search results page, and empty cart designed
- Policies written: shipping, returns, privacy, terms
- Contact page with a working form and real address
- About / story page tells the brand story
- Favicon, social sharing image, and site title set
- Lighthouse mobile performance and SEO 90+
SEO and redirects
- Title tags and meta descriptions on home, collections, key products
- Redirect map from old URLs (if migrating) uploaded and tested
- Product and organization schema validated
- Sitemap submitted in Search Console
- Google Business Profile matches the store's name, address, phone
- Robots and password page removed at launch
Analytics and marketing
- GA4 connected with purchase and add-to-cart events
- Google Merchant Center feed connected and approved
- Meta pixel / Conversions API if running ads
- Email platform connected; welcome, abandoned cart, and order flows live
- Reviews app installed and import of existing reviews done
- Instagram / Facebook / Google sales channels connected
Legal, accounts, and ownership
- Store owner account is the business owner, not the developer
- Staff accounts with the right permissions
- Domain connected with SSL; www and non-www both resolve
- Business email on the domain sending from Shopify
- Billing and plan confirmed
- Backups / theme duplicate saved before launch
Launch day
- Place a real order and refund it
- Test checkout on iPhone and Android
- Check every navigation link and footer link
- Announce: email, social, Google Business post
- Watch orders, Search Console, and speed for 30 days
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FAQ
Checklist questions.
Can you run this checklist on my store?
Yes — that's the free site audit. Send the store URL and we'll check it within two business days.
Is this for new stores or migrations?
Both. Migrations add the redirect map and a data verification pass.
Do you build Shopify stores?
Yes. It's most of what we do. See the pricing page or get a free quote.
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