Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to common questions about disabling a Shopify store:
Why would I want to disable my Shopify store?
You may want to temporarily disable your Shopify store if you are going on vacation, rebranding, doing maintenance, or closing your business. Disabling the store takes it offline so customers can’t access it.
How do I disable my Shopify store?
You can easily disable your Shopify store from the Shopify admin. Go to Online Store > Preferences and uncheck “Online Store.” Your products will no longer be viewable.
Is there a way to show a “Closed” message when my store is disabled?
Yes, you can create a custom “Store Closed” page and select it in Online Store > Preferences when you disable your store. Customers will see that instead of your products.
Will disabling my store pause my Shopify plan and billing?
No, disabling your store does not affect your Shopify subscription or billing. You’ll need to manually cancel your account to stop billing.
How long can I keep my store disabled?
You can keep your Shopify store disabled for as long as you need. There is no time limit. Your products and account will remain intact while disabled.
When to Disable Your Shopify Store
There are a few common situations when temporarily disabling your Shopify store can be useful:
- You’re going on vacation – Disabling your store while you’re away means you don’t have to worry about orders coming in that you can’t fulfill.
- You’re rebranding – If you need to take your store down to change your brand name, logo, product images, etc., disabling it can prevent customer confusion.
- You’re doing maintenance – Whether it’s changing payment providers or updating inventory, disabling your store temporarily prevents disruptions.
- You’re closing your business – If you’ve decided to close up shop permanently, disabling the store is the first step before canceling your Shopify plan.
The key benefit of disabling rather than deleting your Shopify store is that you can easily reactivate it later. Your products, settings and account will still be there when you’re ready to sell again.
How to Disable Your Shopify Store
It only takes a few clicks in the Shopify admin to disable your online store. Here are the steps:
- Log in to your Shopify admin and go to Online Store > Preferences.
- Uncheck the “Online Store” box.
- A message will appear warning you that your online store will be disabled. Click “Disable.”
- Your Shopify store is now disabled! Your products will no longer be viewable to customers.
That’s all there is to it. The process is very straightforward.
Note that disabling the store doesn’t affect your subscription, billing, product inventory, orders, or any other behind-the-scenes settings. It simply takes your storefront offline.
Displaying a “Closed” Message
Rather than your store disappearing altogether when disabled, you may want to display a customized “closed” message for visitors.
To do this:
- Create a page in your Shopify admin titled something like “Store Closed.” Include text, images, etc. explaining your store is disabled.
- Go to Online Store > Preferences and disable your store as usual.
- Select the “Store Closed” page you created in the “Online Store unavailable page” dropdown.
Now when customers visit your disabled Shopify store, they’ll see the content from your custom closed page instead of just getting an error.
How Disabling Your Store Affects Orders, Products, and Billing
Disabling your Shopify store front-end only affects the customer experience of viewing your shop. Here’s what happens behind-the-scenes:
- Orders – Existing orders will still come in to your Shopify admin. But no new orders can be placed.
- Products – Your products and inventory remain intact. You can still edit them in the admin.
- Billing – Your Shopify subscription and recurring billing continues as normal. Cancelling requires closing your account.
- Account – All account details, users, permissions, etc. are unaffected.
So in summary, disabling is a purely cosmetic change. Business operations continue per usual, payments are still processed, and the back-end works the same.
How Long Can My Shopify Store Stay Disabled?
You can keep your Shopify store disabled for as long as necessary. There is no time limit or expiration on disabled stores.
Your products, orders, account details, etc. will all remain intact while your store is disabled. You can take it offline for weeks, months, or even indefinitely if needed.
Some examples of extended disabled store timelines:
- Vacation – Disable your store for a month while you’re traveling to prevent orders
- Rebranding – Take your store down for 1-2 months during a rebranding process
- Closing Shop – Disable your store permanently if you’ve gone out of business
Just keep in mind that billing continues even while disabled. You’ll need to manually cancel your Shopify plan to stop recurring subscription charges.
Reactivating Your Disabled Shopify Store
When you’re ready to take your store live again, reenabling it is simple:
- Log in to your Shopify admin and go to Online Store > Preferences
- Check the “Online Store” box
- Click “Enable” when prompted
That’s all it takes to activate your storefront so customers can start shopping again. All your products, settings, and account details will still be in place.
Deleting Your Shopify Store
In some cases, such as if you are closing your business permanently, you may want to delete your Shopify store entirely instead of just disabling it.
Deleting is a more permanent action that removes your store, products, and account:
- Storefront is removed permanently
- Products and inventory deleted
- Account cancelled and closed
- Subscription and billing stopped
So only delete your Shopify store if you are absolutely certain, as there is no going back. Use disabling if you may want to reactivate the store later.
To delete your Shopify store:
- Log in to your Shopify admin and go to Settings > Account > Permanently delete store
- Enter your store URL and click “I understand my store will be deleted”
- Click “Delete store” to confirm
Your Shopify store, products, and account will be removed. This is permanent, so be absolutely sure before deleting.
Conclusion
Disabling your Shopify store is an easy way to temporarily take your products offline. Customers won’t be able to view or purchase from your shop while it is disabled.
Your billing, account, inventory, and orders will still function normally behind-the-scenes. You can keep your store disabled for as long as needed and instantly reenable it when ready.
Alternatively, permanently deleting your Shopify removes everything for good. Only do this if you’re sure you won’t sell online again.
Now you know how to easily disable or delete your Shopify storefront when needed!
