Free resource

Shopify Store
QA Checklist

Every quality assurance item we verify before handing off a live Shopify project. Use it on your own store - tick off each item and catch what most agencies miss.

56 checklist items 9 categories Progress saves automatically
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Pre-Launch Setup
0 / 7
Custom domain is connected and propagated
Confirm DNS has fully propagated. Test from multiple devices and networks - not just your own browser.
SSL certificate is active (HTTPS on all pages) Critical
Check that no mixed-content warnings appear in the browser console. All assets should load over HTTPS.
Password page removed from storefront
Verify the store is publicly accessible. It's easy to forget this after development - especially on password-protected preview links.
Payment gateway is live (not test mode) Critical
Run a real £1 test transaction end-to-end. Confirm funds reach the merchant account, then issue a refund.
Notification emails are configured and tested
Order confirmation, shipping, and refund emails should send from a branded domain, not Shopify's default address.
Legal pages are published and linked in footer
Privacy policy, refund policy, terms of service, and shipping policy should all exist and link correctly from the footer.
Favicon and browser tab title are set
Upload a 32×32 and 180×180 favicon. Verify the page title appears correctly across Chrome, Safari, and mobile browsers.
Homepage & Navigation
0 / 7
Hero section loads correctly with no layout shift
Check for CLS issues - images and fonts should not cause elements to jump after the page loads. Test on a slow 3G connection.
All navigation links point to correct pages
Click every link in the main nav, footer, and any dropdowns. Check for 404s, wrong destinations, or anchor link scroll issues.
Primary CTA buttons are working and visible above the fold
The most important action (Shop Now, Book a Call, etc.) should be immediately visible without scrolling on both desktop and mobile.
Promotional banners and announcements are correct
Check any announcement bars, countdown timers, and sale banners for correct messaging, dates, and linked destinations.
Featured products and collections display correctly
Confirm product images, titles, and prices are pulling through correctly. Check that sold-out items display the correct badge or are hidden.
Social proof elements are visible and accurate
Reviews, star ratings, press logos, and customer counts should all display correct, current data. No placeholder text left in.
Footer is complete with all required links
Navigation, legal pages, social links, contact info, and newsletter signup (if applicable) should all be present and working.
Collection Pages
0 / 6
Filtering and sorting work correctly
Test every filter option (size, colour, price range, availability). Confirm filters combine correctly and show accurate product counts.
Pagination or infinite scroll functions without errors
Navigate through multiple pages of products. Check that the URL updates, browser back button works, and no products are duplicated or skipped.
Product card images are consistent in ratio and size
All product thumbnails should be the same aspect ratio. Landscape images shouldn't appear cropped in portrait containers and vice versa.
Sold-out and unavailable products are clearly marked
Out-of-stock items should display a badge or be greyed out. Check that customers can't accidentally add unavailable products to cart.
Empty collection state displays correctly
When a filter returns no results, the empty state should show a helpful message - not a blank page or broken layout.
Breadcrumb navigation is present and accurate
Breadcrumbs should reflect the correct hierarchy and each link should navigate correctly. This helps SEO and user orientation.
Product Pages
0 / 8
All variant selectors work (size, colour, material, etc.)
Select every variant combination. Confirm that the price, image, and availability update correctly for each selection.
Image gallery loads all images without errors
Cycle through every image in the gallery. Test zoom functionality if present. Check that variant-specific images display when the correct variant is selected.
Add to Cart button works and triggers correct feedback
Clicking ATC should provide immediate visual feedback (cart count update, drawer opening, or confirmation message). Test with multiple quantities.
Out-of-stock messaging is clear and correct
Sold-out variants should disable the ATC button and display a clear message. Back-in-stock sign-up should show where configured.
Product description renders correctly with proper formatting
Rich text from Shopify's editor should display with correct heading hierarchy, bullet lists, bold, and any embedded links or tables.
Reviews section loads and displays correctly
If using a reviews app (Judge.me, Okendo, Yotpo), verify review counts match the app dashboard and the star rating is accurate.
Upsell and cross-sell recommendations are relevant
Check that "You may also like" or similar sections show products from the right collections, not random or unrelated items.
Structured data (schema) is present for rich results
Use Google's Rich Results Test to confirm product schema includes name, price, availability, and review data. This drives rich snippets in search.
Cart & Checkout
0 / 8
Cart drawer or cart page shows correct product details
Verify that item name, variant, image, quantity, and price are all accurate. Update and remove functions should work without page reload errors.
Discount codes apply correctly and show savings
Test percentage, fixed amount, and free shipping codes. Verify that invalid codes show a clear error and don't break the cart total.
All payment methods display and process correctly Critical
Credit card, PayPal, Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and any BNPL options should all appear based on the customer's device and location.
Shipping rates calculate correctly for all zones
Enter addresses from each shipping zone you serve and confirm the correct rates appear. Test free shipping thresholds if applicable.
Tax is calculated and displayed correctly
Verify tax is applied based on the customer's shipping address. Confirm the tax amount shown in checkout matches the order confirmation email.
Order confirmation page and email both send correctly Critical
After placing a test order, confirm the thank-you page loads with correct order details and the confirmation email arrives within 2 minutes.
Checkout branding matches the storefront
Logo, brand colours, and custom fonts should carry through into Shopify's checkout. Check the Checkout & accounts settings in the Shopify admin.
Abandoned cart recovery is configured
Shopify's built-in abandoned checkout emails or a connected email platform (Klaviyo, Omnisend) should be set up and triggering correctly.
Mobile & Cross-Browser
0 / 6
Layout is fully responsive across all screen sizes
Test at 375px (iPhone SE), 390px (iPhone 15), 768px (iPad), and 1440px (desktop). Look for overflowing content, broken grids, and text overlap.
Touch targets are large enough for mobile interaction
Buttons, links, and interactive elements should be at least 44×44px on mobile. Tiny tap targets cause frustration and cart abandonment.
Mobile menu opens, closes, and navigates correctly
Test the hamburger menu on actual iOS and Android devices, not just browser dev tools. Check that submenus work and the menu closes after navigation.
Forms are easy to complete on mobile keyboards
Email fields should trigger the email keyboard. Number fields should use numeric input. Autocomplete attributes should be set for checkout fields.
Tested on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox
Safari (macOS and iOS) often behaves differently with CSS and JavaScript. Test core user flows - product page, add to cart, checkout - in all three browsers.
No horizontal scroll exists on any page
Horizontal overflow is one of the most common mobile bugs. Use Chrome DevTools to simulate a 375px screen and check every page for overflow-x issues.
Performance & Speed
0 / 6
Google PageSpeed Insights score is 80+ on mobile Required
Run the homepage, a collection page, and a product page through PageSpeed Insights. Address LCP, TBT, and CLS issues before launch.
All images are compressed and in modern formats
Product images should be under 200KB each. Use WebP where possible. The LCP image (usually the hero or first product image) should have fetchpriority="high".
Installed apps are audited for performance impact
Every Shopify app that injects scripts adds to your load time. Remove any apps that are unused. Use the Network tab to identify which apps load the most resources.
Fonts load without causing layout shift or flash of unstyled text
Use font-display: swap or preload critical fonts. Avoid loading more than 2-3 font weights - each adds a network request and render-blocking risk.
Videos are hosted externally (not uploaded to Shopify files)
Shopify's CDN is not optimised for video delivery. Host on Vimeo, YouTube (embed without autoplay), or a dedicated CDN to avoid impacting page load.
Lazy loading is enabled on below-fold images
Images not visible in the initial viewport should have loading="lazy". The hero and first product images should not be lazy loaded - they're LCP candidates.
SEO & Metadata
0 / 7
Every page has a unique, descriptive title tag
Title tags should be 50–60 characters and include the target keyword. No two pages should share the same title. Check this in Shopify's SEO fields for each template.
Meta descriptions are written for all key pages
Keep under 160 characters. Include a clear benefit and a call to action. These appear in Google search results and directly influence click-through rate.
Open Graph and Twitter card tags are configured
Test with the Facebook Sharing Debugger and Twitter Card Validator. The OG image should be 1200×630px and show the correct branding for each page.
Sitemap is accessible and submitted to Google Search Console SEO
Shopify automatically generates /sitemap.xml. Verify it exists and includes all key pages. Submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
301 redirects are in place for any old URLs SEO
If this is a redesign, set up redirects from old product and collection URLs to the new ones. Missing redirects destroy existing search rankings overnight.
All images have descriptive alt text
Alt text serves both accessibility and SEO. Product images in particular should have alt text that includes the product name and key variant details.
Canonical tags are set to prevent duplicate content SEO
Shopify generates faceted URLs when filters are applied (?sort_by=, ?filter.*). Confirm canonical tags point to the base collection URL to consolidate ranking signals.
Analytics & Integrations
0 / 7
Google Analytics 4 is tracking pageviews and events Required
Use GA4 DebugView to confirm page_view, view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, and purchase events are all firing on the correct actions.
Meta (Facebook) Pixel is firing on key events Required
Use Meta Pixel Helper to verify ViewContent, AddToCart, InitiateCheckout, and Purchase events. Confirm purchase event includes value and currency.
Email marketing integration is syncing customers correctly
If using Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or similar, place a test order and confirm the customer profile, order data, and list membership all sync within a few minutes.
Search functionality returns relevant results
Search for product names, partial names, and common misspellings. If using Shopify Search & Discovery or a third-party app, confirm synonym rules and boosting are configured.
Live chat or support widget is configured correctly
If using Gorgias, Tidio, or similar, confirm the widget loads, doesn't block the ATC button on mobile, and routes conversations to the right inbox.
Cookie consent banner is present where legally required
EU (GDPR), UK (UK GDPR), and California (CCPA) all have distinct requirements. Shopify's built-in privacy banner or a compliant third-party solution should be active.
404 error page is branded and offers navigation
The 404 page should match your branding and direct users to the homepage or top collections rather than leaving them stranded. Monitor 404s in Google Search Console post-launch.
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We handle every item on this list

Every store we launch goes through this checklist - plus our internal QA suite. We don't hand over keys until everything is green.

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Shopify Store QA Checklist – Stargazer Studio