Shopify Website Launch Checklist: 25 SEO Checks Before Going Live
Launching a Shopify store without a checklist is like deploying code without testing. Things will break — and in ecommerce, broken things cost sales. This checklist covers 25 SEO and technical checks to run before removing the password page.
SEO Configuration (Checks 1-10)
| # | Check | How to Verify | Impact if Skipped |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homepage title and meta description set | Online Store → Preferences | Google shows "Home" as your title |
| 2 | Every product has a unique title and description | Products → Edit each product → SEO section | Duplicate/missing titles hurt rankings |
| 3 | Collection pages have descriptions | Products → Collections → Edit | Thin pages with no unique content |
| 4 | URL handles are clean | Check each product/page URL handle | URLs like /products/blue-widget-v2-copy won't rank |
| 5 | Image alt text on all product images | Edit product → click image → alt text | Missed image search traffic + accessibility failure |
| 6 | Sitemap submitted to Google Search Console | GSC → Sitemaps → add yourstore.com/sitemap.xml | Slower indexing of all pages |
| 7 | Google Analytics 4 installed | Online Store → Preferences → Google Analytics | No traffic data from day one |
| 8 | Canonical tags are correct | View page source → look for rel="canonical" | Duplicate content from /collections/x/products/y URLs |
| 9 | Robots.txt isn't blocking important pages | Visit yourstore.com/robots.txt | Search engines can't index your products |
| 10 | Structured data (Product schema) present | Google Rich Results Test | No rich snippets (price, availability, reviews) in search results |
Speed and Performance (Checks 11-15)
| # | Check | Tool | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Homepage loads under 3 seconds | PageSpeed Insights | LCP < 2.5s |
| 12 | Product images are compressed | Check file sizes — aim for under 200KB each | WebP format, properly sized |
| 13 | Unused apps removed | Apps → review installed apps | Each app adds JavaScript — remove what you don't use |
| 14 | Lazy loading enabled for images | Theme settings or code | Below-fold images load on scroll, not on page load |
| 15 | No render-blocking third-party scripts | PageSpeed Insights → Diagnostics | Defer non-critical JS |
Mobile and UX (Checks 16-20)
| # | Check | How to Test |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Site looks correct on mobile | Chrome DevTools device mode — test iPhone, Android |
| 17 | Navigation works on mobile | Test hamburger menu, search, filters |
| 18 | Add-to-cart and checkout work on mobile | Complete a full test purchase on your phone |
| 19 | Text is readable without zooming | Body text should be 16px minimum |
| 20 | Forms are usable (email signup, contact, etc.) | Test on actual mobile device, not just browser emulator |
Legal and Compliance (Checks 21-25)
| # | Check | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Privacy Policy page exists and is linked in footer | Required by law in most jurisdictions. Shopify generates a template. |
| 22 | Terms of Service page exists | Protects you legally. Link in footer. |
| 23 | Refund/Return Policy is clear and accessible | Reduces chargebacks and builds trust |
| 24 | Cookie consent banner configured (if selling to EU) | GDPR compliance. Use Shopify's built-in or a consent app. |
| 25 | Contact information is visible | Email, phone, or contact form. Builds trust and is a local SEO signal. |
Post-Launch: First Week Checks
After removing the password page:
- Run a full SEO audit — use WebsiteChecker.Tech to crawl the live site and catch any issues the pre-launch testing missed. Common post-launch findings: broken links from incomplete content migration, missing redirects, pages accidentally set to noindex.
- Verify Google indexing — check Search Console's "Pages" report after 48 hours. Are your key pages being indexed?
- Test the checkout with a real payment — place and refund a real order. Test different payment methods.
- Check page speed on real devices — lab tests (Lighthouse) and real-world speed can differ significantly.
- Set up uptime monitoring — know immediately if the site goes down.
A pre-launch checklist prevents 90% of "oh no, we forgot" moments. The remaining 10% is what the post-launch audit catches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I check before launching a Shopify store?
Key areas: SEO settings (titles, descriptions, URLs, sitemap), page speed (image optimization, app bloat), mobile responsiveness, checkout flow testing, payment gateway configuration, legal pages (privacy policy, terms, refund policy), analytics setup (Google Analytics, Search Console), and redirect setup for any URL changes.
How do I set up SEO on Shopify before launch?
Edit page titles and meta descriptions for all products, collections, and pages. Set up URL redirects if migrating from another platform. Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console. Install an SEO app for structured data. Ensure your robots.txt isn't blocking important pages.
Does Shopify have SEO limitations?
Yes. Shopify forces a URL structure (/products/, /collections/, /pages/) that you can't change. It creates duplicate content through collection-based product URLs. It generates a rigid sitemap you can't customize. These are manageable with canonical tags and proper configuration, but they require attention before launch.
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