Online Store Launch Checklist
An ecommerce launch checklist for new online stores: products, payments, shipping, tax, legal pages, tracking and a real test order before you open to buyers.
- Typical schedule per store launch
- The checklist 5 sections, 23 items
- Variables
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Use this checklist in the last two weeks before a new online store goes live, whether it runs on Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopware or another platform. It also works when you open a second storefront for a new country or brand. It assumes the design and the product catalogue are mostly done, and focuses on what breaks or embarrasses you on launch day.
Who owns it
The store owner or e-commerce manager owns the run and makes the go-live call. The developer or agency handles domains, apps and tracking. Whoever runs fulfilment checks shipping and packaging, and the person who does the books confirms payment payouts and tax settings. Assign each step by name.
Common pitfalls
- No real test order. Test mode skips parts of the payment flow. Place at least one real order with a real card, ship it, and refund it.
- Shipping rates nobody checked. Free shipping on heavy items, or no rate for a country you sell to, shows up as lost money or abandoned carts.
- Emails from a no-reply default. Order confirmations sent from the platform's default address, with the default template, look unprofessional and often land in spam. Set up your sending domain.
- Password page left on, or removed too early. Decide the exact go-live moment and who flips it.
Adapt the legal pages to the countries you sell to. Requirements for terms, returns and privacy notices differ, and this checklist is not legal advice.
The checklist: Launch online store {{store}}
Catalogue and content
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Confirm every live product has a title, description, price, images and stock quantity
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Confirm product variants, SKUs and weights are correct
Weights drive shipping rates. A missing weight often means free shipping by accident.
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Confirm collections, navigation and search return the expected products
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Check the store on a phone: home page, product page, cart and checkout
Payments, shipping and tax
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Activate the live payment provider and the payment methods your customers expect
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Confirm payout bank account and payout schedule in the payment provider
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Set up shipping zones and rates for every country you sell to
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Configure VAT or sales tax settings for your registrations, and check prices display correctly with or without tax
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Confirm the store currency, and any additional currencies, are correct
Legal and trust
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Publish terms of sale, returns policy, privacy policy and shipping policy
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Add company details and a contact method to the footer or contact page, as your rules require
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Set up the cookie consent banner where your tracking requires it
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Configure order confirmation, shipping and refund emails with your branding and sending domain
Tracking and operations
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Install analytics and confirm purchase events record the correct order value
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Connect the store to accounting, inventory or fulfilment tools optional
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Prepare packaging, labels and a shipping carrier account
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Set up a support inbox and saved replies for common questions
Go live
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Connect the custom domain and confirm HTTPS works on all pages
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Set up redirects from any old site URLs optional
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Place a real order with a real card, fulfil it and refund it
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Remove the password page or maintenance mode at the agreed time
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Submit the sitemap to search engines
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Watch orders, payment errors and support messages closely during the first days after
{{store}}opens
Checklist as Markdown
Frequently asked questions
What do I need before launching an online store?
You need a working catalogue with prices and stock, a live payment provider, shipping rates for the places you sell to, tax settings, and the legal pages such as terms, privacy and returns. You also need a way to fulfil orders and answer customers. Then place a real test order before opening the store to the public.
How do I test my Shopify store before launch?
Use test mode to check the checkout flow, then place a real order with a real card and refund it, because test mode does not catch every problem. Check order emails, shipping rates for several addresses, discount codes and the mobile checkout. The same approach works for WooCommerce and other platforms.
Should I soft launch an online store?
A soft launch to friends, existing customers or a small audience is a good way to catch problems with real orders before you spend money on advertising. Keep it short, collect feedback on the checkout and delivery, fix what you find, then announce the full launch.
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