Getting ready to sell comes down to a short list of steps. Work through them in order and your store will be ready to open to the world. You'll find this checklist on your dashboard home so you can track your progress. The Finish store setup page showing setup progress, the next step to set up payments, step cards for Store Identity, Products and Shipping, and a Launch readiness checklist ## How the checklist works The checklist lives on your dashboard home and tracks which steps you've completed. You don't have to do everything at once – your progress is saved, so you can step away and pick up later. A few steps are essential before you open (products, payments), while others polish your store but won't stop you from launching. > **Tip:** Do it with AI – the [AI Assistant](/help/getting-started/ai-assistant) can take care of some of these steps and guide you through the rest. Try *"add a product called Lavender Candle for $24"* and it adds it for you, or ask *"how do I set up free shipping over $50?"* and it walks you through the steps. ## Your setup steps ### 1. Add your products Your store needs something to sell. Add your first products with names, prices, and photos. See [Add a product](/help/products/add-a-product). ### 2. Connect Stripe for payments To get paid, connect Stripe – this is how your store accepts cards and sends money to your bank. See [Connect Stripe to get paid](/help/payments/connect-stripe). ### 3. Set up shipping Decide how customers receive their orders and what they'll pay for delivery. See [Shipping methods](/help/shipping/shipping-methods). If everything you sell is digital – downloads, tickets, subscriptions with nothing to mail – this step is optional. You can skip it for now and it reappears on its own the moment you add a product that needs shipping. ### 4. Set your taxes Tell your store how to handle tax so the right amount is added at checkout. See [Taxes](/help/payments/taxes). ### 5. Customize your design Make your store look the way you want. Just describe the changes with the [AI design builder](/help/storefront/ai-design-builder). ### 6. Set your store details Add your store name, contact info, and other basics in your settings. See [General settings](/help/account/general-settings). ### 7. Add your legal pages Add pages like your privacy policy and terms so customers (and you) are covered. See [Legal pages](/help/account/legal-pages). ### 8. Publish your store When everything's ready, publish and open your doors. See [Publish and go live](/help/getting-started/go-live). ## What's essential vs. nice to have Not every step blocks your launch. Here's how they sort out: | Must do before you open | Polish you can add later | |-------------------------|--------------------------| | Add at least one product | Fine-tune your design | | Connect Stripe so you can get paid | Add extra pages and content | | Set up shipping and taxes (shipping only if you sell anything physical) | Turn on modules like reviews or a blog | | Add your legal pages | Connect a custom domain | > **Note:** You can publish with just the essentials and keep improving your store while it's live. Customers won't see your in-progress edits until you publish them. ## Tips for working through it - **Go in order when you can.** The steps build on each other – products and payments first, polish later. - **Lean on the AI Assistant.** Many steps are faster by chat than by clicking through menus. - **Test as you go.** After connecting payments and shipping, a quick test order confirms everything works – see [Publish and go live](/help/getting-started/go-live). - **Don't aim for perfect.** A live store you keep improving beats a perfect one that never opens. ## FAQ ### Do I have to finish every step before I launch? No. Add at least one product, connect Stripe, set up taxes and your legal pages, and you're ready to open. Shipping is also required unless everything you sell is digital – a store with nothing to ship can skip it and add it later. The rest you can refine while your store is live. ### Can I do these steps with AI instead of clicking around? For some steps, yes – the [AI Assistant](/help/getting-started/ai-assistant) can add products and change store details just by describing what you want. For others, like shipping and taxes, ask it to guide you and it'll walk you through the setup screens. ### Is my progress saved if I stop partway? Yes. The checklist saves your progress, so you can leave and come back any time and pick up where you left off. ### What if I get stuck on a step? Each step links to a help article with full instructions. You can also ask the [AI Assistant](/help/getting-started/ai-assistant) to walk you through it or do it for you. ## What's next - Add what you sell in [Add a product](/help/products/add-a-product). - Get paid by connecting [Stripe](/help/payments/connect-stripe). - When you're ready, [publish and go live](/help/getting-started/go-live).