Shopify launch checklist.

Every step to open a Shopify shop, in order.

0 of 30 done

Set up0 of 4
Products0 of 5
Payments and tax0 of 5
Shipping0 of 7
Policies0 of 4
Launch and sell0 of 5

Set up

0 of 4 done

Pick a domain that suits your market, such as .com, .co.uk or .co.za, and point it to Shopify. Customers trust yourshop.com more than a myshopify.com address.

Products

0 of 5 done

Payments and tax

0 of 5 done

Shipping

0 of 7 done

Policies

0 of 4 done

Launch and sell

0 of 5 done

Your ticks are saved in this browser, so you can come back to them.

Shopify launch checklist

0 of 30 done. lilacfragment.co.za/free/shopify-launch-checklist/

1. Set up

Connect your own domain. Pick a domain that suits your market, such as .com, .co.uk or .co.za, and point it to Shopify. Customers trust yourshop.com more than a myshopify.com address.
Set your markets and currencies. Set your store currency to the one you report in. If you sell abroad, use Shopify Markets to show local prices, currencies and languages in each country.
Add your business details. Registered name, address, phone and email, shown in the footer or on a contact page. Many countries require online sellers to show these, for example under UK and EU e-commerce rules or the ECT Act in South Africa.
Give each person their own login. A staff account for everyone who helps, with only the access they need. Never a shared password.

2. Products

Take clear product photos. Same background and shape for every product, at least 2048 pixels wide, with one photo that shows size or the product in use.
Write descriptions in your own words. Size, material, what is in the box and how to care for it. Not the supplier text, which many other shops use.
Set up variants and track stock. Sizes and colours as variants, with stock tracked so nobody can buy what you do not have.
Group products into collections. Group them the way customers shop, such as by type or occasion, and link the collections in your menu.
Fill in the search title and description. Each product and collection gets a short title and description written for Google, not left on the default.

3. Payments and tax

Set up your payment provider. Use Shopify Payments where it is offered, and add PayPal. Where it is not offered, pick a supported local gateway, for example PayFast, Yoco or Paystack in South Africa. Compare fees, currencies and payout times.
Decide which other ways to pay to accept. Wallets, buy now pay later or bank transfer can lift sales in some markets. If you accept bank transfer, add it as a manual method and hold each order until the money clears.
Check where you must register for tax. VAT, GST and sales tax depend on where your customers are and how much you sell there. Check the threshold in each country or state you sell to, and ask your accountant if you are close.
Show prices with tax handled correctly. Set the tax rates for each market, or use Shopify Tax where it is offered. In the UK, EU, Australia and South Africa, prices shown to consumers usually include VAT or GST. In the US, sales tax is usually added at checkout.
Place a real test order. Buy a cheap product with a real card, then refund it. Check the payment, every email and the payout.

4. Shipping

Add a weight to every product. Carrier prices are worked out from weight, so a missing weight means a wrong shipping charge.
Set shipping rates for each market. Flat rates by zone to start, or live rates from a carrier app. Use carriers you trust in each market, for example Royal Mail, USPS or DHL, or The Courier Guy in South Africa.
Set up international shipping. Add a shipping zone for each country you sell to, check what you may not send there, and add the country of origin and HS code to each product for customs.
Decide who pays import duties. The customer can pay duties and import taxes on delivery, or you can collect them at checkout where Shopify supports it. Say which on your shipping page, so nobody gets a surprise bill.
Offer local pick-up points. Locker and counter collection costs less and suits buyers who are out during the day, for example InPost in the UK and Europe, or Pargo and Pudo in South Africa.
Set a free shipping amount. Free shipping over a set order value lifts the average order. Work the amount out from your margins, for each market.
Say how soon orders leave. For example, within 2 working days, on the product page and in the order email.

5. Policies

Publish a privacy policy that meets the law in your markets. Say what you collect, why, who you share it with, such as your carrier, payment provider and email tool, and how people can see or delete their details. Check the rules where your customers are, for example GDPR in the EU, UK GDPR, the CCPA in California or POPIA in South Africa.
Publish a returns and refunds policy. Follow the rules in each market. For example, buyers in the UK and EU can usually cancel within 14 days of delivery, and the ECT Act in South Africa gives 7 days. Faulty goods have extra rights in most countries.
Publish your terms of sale. Payment, delivery, cancellations and how you handle complaints, in plain words.
Ask for cookie consent where the law requires it. If you use the Meta pixel, Google Ads or similar, the UK and EU usually require consent before they load. Turn on the Shopify cookie banner for those markets, and name the tools in your privacy policy.

6. Launch and sell

List your products on Google. Connect the Google and YouTube app to Merchant Center, so products can show in Google Shopping and free listings in each country you sell to.
Turn on abandoned checkout emails. Shopify can email people who left at checkout. Send the first one after about an hour.
Leave the email sign-up box unticked. People tick it themselves to join your list. Many privacy and anti-spam laws, such as GDPR, the UK PECR rules and POPIA, need clear consent for marketing by email and SMS.
Connect Google Analytics and Search Console. So you can see where visitors come from and which searches find your shop.
Buy something on your phone. Many shoppers will buy on a phone. Go from the home page to a paid order on one, and fix anything awkward.

Optional

Email me my results and what to fix first.

Your checklist, with what is done and what is still open.
The three things to do first before you open, in order.
An honest note on what you can do yourself and where help saves time.

Shopify launch checklist.

Your progress

Set up

Connect your own domain, not done

Set your markets and currencies, not done

Add your business details, not done

Give each person their own login, not done

Products

Take clear product photos, not done

Write descriptions in your own words, not done

Set up variants and track stock, not done

Group products into collections, not done

Fill in the search title and description, not done

Payments and tax

Set up your payment provider, not done

Decide which other ways to pay to accept, not done

Check where you must register for tax, not done

Show prices with tax handled correctly, not done

Place a real test order, not done

Shipping

Add a weight to every product, not done

Set shipping rates for each market, not done

Set up international shipping, not done

Decide who pays import duties, not done

Offer local pick-up points, not done

Set a free shipping amount, not done

Say how soon orders leave, not done

Policies

Publish a privacy policy that meets the law in your markets, not done

Publish a returns and refunds policy, not done

Publish your terms of sale, not done

Ask for cookie consent where the law requires it, not done

Launch and sell

List your products on Google, not done

Turn on abandoned checkout emails, not done

Leave the email sign-up box unticked, not done

Connect Google Analytics and Search Console, not done

Buy something on your phone, not done

1. Set up

2. Products

3. Payments and tax

4. Shipping

5. Policies

6. Launch and sell

Email me my results and what to fix first.