The Shopify Launch Checklist: 12 Things to Fix Before You Go Live

Every store I hand over goes through the same launch checklist. Most bugs and lost sales come from missing one of these items. Use this list before you send a single paid visitor to your store.

The 12 checks

• Every product has at least 3 photos and a real description (not the manufacturer's).
• Mobile view is tested on a real phone — not just Chrome's device emulator.
• Checkout completes with a real card in test mode.
• Shipping rates are set for every country you sell to.
• Refund, privacy, and terms pages exist and are linked in the footer.
• Contact page has a working email and a form that reaches your inbox.
• Favicon is set (not the default Shopify bag).
• Social share preview (og:image) is set for the homepage.
• Google Analytics 4 and Meta Pixel are installed and firing.
• Abandoned checkout email is turned on.
• Page speed on mobile is under 3 seconds on 4G.
• A discount code works end-to-end at checkout.

The two most common misses

The two items most stores skip are the mobile test on a real phone and the checkout test with a real card. Emulators lie about real network conditions, and Shopify's test mode does not surface every payment gateway issue. Do both before launch.

If you want a second pair of eyes on your store before you go live, my Shopify store design service includes a full pre-launch audit — or send me a link and I'll flag the biggest issues for free.