Shopify Store Launch Checklist: 50 Things to Check Before Going Live

Why a Checklist Matters More Than You Think

Most Shopify launch disasters are preventable. Broken payment gateways, missing legal pages, no email confirmations, shipping zones that charge wrong amounts, and product pages with placeholder text all happen on live stores — and they cost sales. This 50-point checklist covers everything that should be verified before you press publish.

Payments and Checkout (10 Points)

• Shopify Payments or payment gateway is activated and test mode is OFF
• Test purchase completed with real card
• Order confirmation email received after test purchase
• Abandoned cart email triggers correctly
• Discount codes work at checkout
• Shipping rates calculate correctly for all destination zones
• Free shipping threshold (if applicable) triggers correctly
• Checkout shows correct tax rates for your selling regions
• Currency display is correct for your target market
• Failed payment handling shows clear error messages

Legal and Trust Pages (5 Points)

• Privacy Policy page exists and is linked in footer
• Terms of Service page exists and linked
• Refund/Returns Policy is clear and linked at checkout
• Shipping Policy covers delivery times, costs, and international options
• Cookie consent banner is displayed on first visit (GDPR compliance)

Products and Inventory (8 Points)

• All product titles are finalised (no placeholder text)
• All product descriptions are complete
• Product images are high quality and compressed
• Inventory tracking is enabled for products with limited stock
• Out-of-stock behaviour is configured (hide or show with “notify me”)
• Product variants (size, colour) display and select correctly
• Metafields display correctly if used for specifications
• Collections are set up with correct products in each

SEO and Technical (8 Points)

• Page titles set for homepage, collections, and key products
• Meta descriptions set for key pages
• Google Analytics or GA4 tracking code installed and firing
• Facebook Pixel or Meta Pixel installed if running paid social
• sitemap.xml is accessible at yourstore.com/sitemap.xml
• robots.txt does not block important pages
• 301 redirects set up for any URLs that changed from a previous store
• Custom domain connected and SSL active (padlock in browser bar)

Email and Marketing (6 Points)

• Welcome email flow is live (for new sign-ups)
• Pop-up or sign-up form is live and working
• Email sender domain is verified (SPF, DKIM records in DNS)
• Klaviyo or email platform is connected to Shopify and syncing
• Transactional emails (confirmation, shipping) are on-brand
• Unsubscribe link works in all email templates

Mobile and UX (7 Points)

• Homepage looks correct on iPhone and Android
• Product pages are fully readable on mobile
• Add to cart button is visible without scrolling on mobile product pages
• Navigation menu works on mobile
• Images do not stretch or overflow on small screens
• Checkout completes on mobile without layout issues
• Page speed score on mobile is above 60 (PageSpeed Insights)

Fulfilment and Operations (6 Points)

• Shipping carrier integration is tested and rates are accurate
• Fulfilment workflow is documented and staff are trained
• Packing materials are stocked and ready
• Returns address is correct on all documentation
• Order notification emails go to the right inbox
• Customer support contact method is visible on site