How to Pause a Shopify Store

Key takeaways

You can pause your Shopify store by opting for the “Pause and build” plan. 

• Shopify’s “Pause and Build” plan will cost you $9 per month [1].

• Log in as the store owner in the Shopify app and navigate to Settings > Plan > Deactivate store > Pause and build to access the plan.

• You can uninstall any third-party apps, if possible, to prevent charges while your Shopify store remains paused.

Discover the steps you need to take to temporarily pause your Shopify account. Afterward, if you’re ready to learn how to boost customer engagement in e-commerce, enroll in the Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to attract customers through digital marketing channels like search and email. 

What are some reasons behind pausing a Shopify store?

Whether you're new to Shopify or you've been at it for a long time, there may come a time when you want to pause your store. This allows you to keep your store running and access your administration panel, but it prevents people from checking out and buying items when you're unable to handle new orders. You might be on vacation for a little while, or you might just need to take some time to build up your inventory or catch up on past orders. You might also be working on a new look for your store or brand. Whatever the case, by the end of this tutorial, you will know how to pause your Shopify store. 

How much does it cost to pause a Shopify store?

Shopify’s “Pause and Build” plan costs $9 per month [1]. Once activated, you can temporarily stop selling products without deactivating your Shopify account. 

How to pause a Shopify store for maintenance 

Here's a quick summary of the steps you'll take to pause your Shopify store:

1. Log in. 

2. Go to Settings > Plan.

3. Go to Deactivate store > Pause and build. 

4. Review plan details. 

Let's take a closer look at each step: 

1. Log in to your store. 

Before you can pause your store, you'll want to make sure you're logged in as the store owner. You can do this through your internet browser or through the Shopify app. Just make sure you're not logged in as a staff member or organization user. 

Read more: How to Set Up a Shopify Store

2. Go to your settings. 

Once you're logged in, go to your administration panel and click on Settings. Under the Settings menu, click on Plan. 

3. Click on deactivate store.

Once you're under the Plan menu, click on Deactivate store. Under that menu, you will see a button that says Pause and build. Click on it. 

4. Review the details. 

Make sure you read all of the details before committing. Once you are ready to pause your Shopify store, choose Switch to Pause and build. 

How to take a Shopify store off pause

When you're ready to unpause your Shopify store, make sure you're logged in as the owner, and go to the administration panel. Click on Settings > Plan > Pick a plan > Choose plan. After considering the plan you want, click Start plan.

How to deactivate your Shopify store 

If you prefer to deactivate your store rather than pause it, you'll simply need to cancel your subscription to Shopify. You can go to your administration panel and click Settings > Plan > Deactivate store. Your prompts after this will vary based on how long you've been on Shopify and where you live. Shopify will store your information for two years, so if you reactivate your store, make sure you do it within that time frame. 

Other things to consider when you pause your Shopify store

There are a few things you should keep in mind when pausing your Shopify store:

• You can't pause Shopify Plus stores. 

• You can only pause your store if you're on a paid plan. 

• Make sure you uninstall any third-party apps if possible; otherwise, they may continue billing you during your pause.

• Pausing your store may affect advances on your Shopify Capital if you have it.

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