Getting started: your launch checklist

Work through these steps in order and your store is ready for real orders. Each step links to a step-by-step guide.

1. Sign up and look around. Create your store and pick a theme. See Sign up and choose a plan.
2. Name, logo and contact details. My store → Branding and Settings → Settings → General. See Store design and Store settings.
3. Your policy pages. Fill in About, Contact, Privacy, Returns, Shipping and Terms in My store → Pages. Payment gateways and the shopping assistant need them.
4. Add products. Start with your best sellers, with good photos, prices, stock and weight. See Products.
5. Organise categories and menus. Products → Categories, then add them to My store → Navigation. See Categories.
6. Get paid. Connect an online gateway and, if you offer it, cash on delivery. See Payments and taxes setup.
7. Set up taxes. In India, switch on GST and enter your GSTIN. See Taxes and GST.
8. Set delivery prices. Create rate areas and at least one shipping method, or connect Shiprocket. See Shipping setup.
9. Check your emails. Make sure order emails go out with your name and logo. See Email Notifications.
10. Design your home page. Banners, category tiles and product sliders in My store → Layouts. See Store design.
11. Connect your domain (optional). See Custom domain.
12. Invite your team. Give each person their own login and only the access they need. See Staff and roles.
13. Place a test order. Buy something yourself (use the gateway's test mode, or cash on delivery), then process it: change the status, ship it, and check the emails. See Orders.
14. Open the store. Settings → Settings → Store status. Then share your link and start marketing: see Marketing.

Stuck at any step? Click ? at the bottom right of any admin page, or ask CartWhizz AI: "how do I add a shipping method?".