Shopify Store Launch Checklist 2026: How to Go Live in Germany

Your store is fully set up, but visitors only see the password page? Then the last step is missing. Here you'll learn how to take your Shopify store live, what you absolutely must check beforehand in Germany and what matters in the first few days after launch. If you are still right at the beginning, start with the overview Starting a Shopify store: costs, setup and launch.

How to take your Shopify store live

Every new Shopify store starts out private and protected by a password page. Visitors and search engines only see this landing page. According to the Shopify Help Center, here's how to remove the protection:

1. Choose a paid plan. Without one, the checkout stays inactive even if you remove the password. Customers could see the store, but not buy anything.
2. In the Shopify admin, open Online Store.
3. Click the lock label Private and select Public.
4. Click Publish store (the first time) or Update.

Shopify only lets you publish once the necessary setup steps are done. According to the Help Center, Shopify prompts you to complete this step if the store is still on a trial or has no business address. If the option is grayed out, that's usually why. You can set the store back to "Private" at any time if you've overlooked something.

By the way, you don't have to remove the password to work on the design. In the theme editor and the preview, you can see all pages while visitors still only see the password page. If you are moving from an existing store, the old one stays online until launch. Only switch the domain to Shopify on launch day.

Collect emails before launch

The password page doesn't have to be an empty barrier. According to Shopify, it contains an "Email signup banner" section that visitors can use to sign up, for example to find out when your store opens. You edit the page in the theme editor like any other page. This turns the password page into a simple coming-soon page. In Germany, however, people who sign up there may only receive marketing emails after confirmed consent (double opt-in); more on this in Shopify email marketing: Messaging, double opt-in & the law.

Shopify store launch checklist, part 1: legal and mandatory information

In Germany, this is the part that can cost the most money if it's missing. Cease-and-desist letters (Abmahnungen) often target new stores in particular. Check before launch:

Don't copy the legal texts together yourself; get them from a specialized provider that updates them when the law changes. Which providers exist and how to add the texts to Shopify is covered in Protecting your Shopify store from cease-and-desist letters. You implement the withdrawal button and warranty label through your theme or an app, for example with our apps EU Withdrawal Form & Button and EU Warranty Label GARAN. There are also solutions from other providers in the Shopify App Store, and with some theme customization both can be implemented without an app.

GPSR: what the product safety regulation means for your product pages

Many founders keep postponing their launch because of the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). The obligations for online offers are manageable, though. Since 13.12.2024, according to Art. 19 of Regulation (EU) 2023/988, the following must be stated in the offer, i.e. on the product page:

1. Manufacturer: name or brand, postal address and electronic address (e.g. email or contact form).
2. Responsible person in the EU: if the manufacturer is based outside the EU, their name, address and electronic address.
3. Product identification: image, type of product and other identifiers such as model or batch number.
4. Warnings and safety information in clear German, where these exist for the product.

In Shopify, the easiest way to implement this is with metafields that you display in the product template. It gets critical with dropshipping goods from outside the EU: if you can't find a responsible person in the EU, you shouldn't sell the product. IHK Berlin has summarized the obligations in a fact sheet on product law in online retail (German). How to place the information on the product page so it doesn't get in the way is shown in The perfect Shopify product page.

Checklist part 2: payments, shipping, taxes, tech

Payments

• Shopify Payments is activated and verified (ID, proof of address, bank account with a euro IBAN).
• PayPal is connected, Klarna activated if needed.
• No payment provider is still in test mode, otherwise customers can't place orders.

Setup in detail: Setting up payment methods in Shopify.

Shipping and taxes

• Shipping zones and rates for all countries you deliver to. No zone for countries you don't want to serve.
• Delivery times on product pages and in your terms and conditions match.
• Taxes set up correctly: as a small business without VAT and with a reference to § 19 UStG, otherwise with 19% or 7%.

Help with this: Setting up shipping in Shopify and Setting up taxes in Shopify.

Products and content

• All products have the status "Active" and are available in the Online Store sales channel. Draft products don't appear in the store.
• Prices, unit prices (Grundpreise, for goods sold by weight or volume), variants and inventory are correct.
• No placeholder texts, "Lorem ipsum" or demo images from the theme are visible anymore.
• A contact page with a working email address.
• Enough products to show what you offer. There is no minimum: a few properly set-up products with good images and complete information are better than 50 half-finished ones. How to add, import and publish products is shown in Adding, importing & publishing products in Shopify.
• Order confirmations and other store emails checked in German and set up with your sender name.

Tech and domain

• Custom domain connected, set as the primary domain, SSL active. Guide: Connecting your own domain to Shopify.
• Store clicked through on a phone: menu, product page, cart, checkout.
• Cookie banner active, tracking and pixels only fire after consent. More in Setting up tracking in Shopify.

The test order

Place at least one test order before launch. According to the Help Center, Shopify offers three ways:

• Shopify Payments test mode: simulates card payments without fees.
• Shopify's bogus gateway: for stores without Shopify Payments.
• Real order: with a real payment that you cancel and refund afterwards. Payment provider fees may apply.

You can only use test mode once you've chosen a paid plan. Important: as long as a payment provider is in test mode, real customers can't place orders. Switch it off again after the test.

During the test order, don't just check whether the payment goes through. Look at the order confirmation: are the withdrawal policy and warranty notice included? Are the shipping costs, tax display and sender correct? Does the withdrawal button work all the way to the acknowledgment of receipt?

After launch: the first few days

A common misconception: after launch, visitors come by themselves. They don't. A new store has practically no visibility on Google at first. These steps are due right after going live:

• Google Search Console: Verify your store and submit the automatically generated sitemap (yourstore.de/sitemap.xml). According to Shopify, Google can't read the sitemap while the store is password-protected. So this only works after going live.
• Bring in your first visitors: via social media, your network or advertising. How this works without a budget is covered in First sales without an ad budget.
• Keep a close eye on orders: Check the first orders manually, ship quickly, answer questions immediately. Early reviews shape a store for a long time.

FAQ

Can I publish my store during the free trial?

You can remove the password during the trial, but you can't sell yet. The checkout only becomes active once you choose a paid plan. You also need a payment provider set up to receive orders. So it makes sense to choose the plan first and then go live.

How do I log in once the password is removed?

The storefront password has nothing to do with your admin login. It only protects the public store page. You still get into your Shopify admin as usual with your Shopify account, i.e. email address and password, or via the Shopify app. Removing the password doesn't change anything about that.

Can I keep working on the design after going live without customers seeing it?

Yes. Duplicate your current theme and edit the copy. Customers can't see an unpublished theme, but you can check it in the preview. Only once everything is right do you publish the copy. That way the live store stays stable while you rebuild in the background.

Can I go live without my own domain?

Yes, technically the store also works under the free myshopify.com address. For trust and advertising, though, your own domain is much better. Since connecting it only takes a few minutes of work plus waiting time, it's worth setting up the domain before launch.

Why can't I see my products or collections in the preview?

Usually the product is still set to "Draft" or isn't published to the Online Store sales channel. Check both in the product details. The same applies to collections; in addition, automated collections need conditions that match your products. This has nothing to do with going live itself.

Can I password-protect just one specific category?

Shopify's built-in password protection applies to the entire online store, not to individual collections. If you only want to lock certain areas, for example for wholesale customers or members, you need an app from the Shopify App Store or a custom solution in the theme.

Does my store stay online if I stop paying for Shopify?

No. Customers can only order as long as a paid plan is active. So the Shopify subscription isn't a one-off fee for the build, but the ongoing rent for your store, hosting and checkout. If you want to take a break, pause the store via the subscription settings instead of simply letting the payment fail. If you've also booked an external website builder, check its terms separately.

Can I take the store offline again after launch?

Yes. In the Online Store section, simply change access from "Public" back to "Private". Visitors will then see the password page again. This makes sense if you discover a major error. For longer breaks, you can pause the store instead; you'll find options for this in the subscription settings.

As of: October 2026. Menu paths according to the Shopify Help Center. This article is not legal or tax advice.