As a Shopify store owner, there are some times you want to temporarily or permanently unpublish your store. This could be for site maintenance, preparing a new product launch, addressing stock shortages, or simply taking a break from selling. 

Shopify makes it easy to unpublish your store without losing your data or hard work, allowing you to resume operations whenever you need.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through five easy methods to unpublish your Shopify store, each catering to different needs and situations. So, let’s read on to find the best option for unpublishing your Shopify store.

Before Unpublishing Your Shopify Store: Important Notes 

Before unpublishing your Shopify store, there are a few essential things to consider. These steps will help you avoid unnecessary issues and ensure you’re fully prepared. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

• Backup your store’s data: Always save a copy of your store’s data, including customer information, product listings, and sales reports. Once the store is unpublished, this data may no longer be accessible.
• Check for active subscriptions: If you’re using any third-party apps or services, check if you have active subscriptions that might still charge you after unpublishing. Cancel or pause these services as needed. 
• Consider your SEO rankings: Unpublishing your store might impact your search engine rankings. If SEO concerns you, consider alternatives like password protection or a “coming soon” page.
• Communicate with customers: If you have existing orders or customers expecting updates, inform them about the temporary closure beforehand. This helps maintain trust and avoids confusion.
• Consider alternatives: Depending on your reason for unpublishing, there might be better alternatives. For instance, password-protecting your store allows you to work on it while preventing public access. 

How To Unpublish Your Shopify Store: 6 Methods

Before unpublishing your Shopify store, choosing the method that best fits your situation is essential. Let’s dive into each process, starting with simple password protection and moving to more advanced solutions like deactivation or selling your store.

Method 1: Password Protection 

This method keeps your store online but restricts access to visitors, making it appear “closed.”

• Step 1: Log in to your Shopify admin panel. On the left-hand side, under Sales Channels, click “Online Store,” and then select “Preferences.”

• Step 2: Scroll down to the Password Protection section. Check the “Restrict access to visitors with the password” box to enable password protection.

• Step 3: In the Password field, enter a password that visitors will need to access your store.
• Step 4: (Optional) Add a message in the Message to your visitors field to explain why the store is password-protected (e.g., “We’re temporarily offline for updates and will be back soon”).

Step 5: Click “Save” at the bottom of the page to apply the changes.

After completing these steps, your store will be accessible only to visitors who enter the password. This is ideal if you want to continue working on your store while limiting customer access.

Method 2: “Pause and Build” Plan 

The “Pause and Build” plan allows you to keep your store running at a reduced cost, with checkout disabled.

• Step 1: From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Plan.

• Step 2: Select the “Deactivate Store” button. 

• Step 3: Click “Switch to Pause and Build.”

• Step 4: Confirm your selection.

Your store will be online, but customers won’t be able to make purchases. You can continue to work on your store and prepare for relaunch.

Method 3: Unpublishing Sales Channels

• Step 1: In your Shopify admin panel, navigate to Settings, then select “Apps and Sales Channels” from the left menu.

• Step 2: In the Apps and Sales Channels section, locate the sales channel you want to remove (e.g., Online Store), and click the three dots (…) next to it to display more options.

• Step 3: From the dropdown, click “Uninstall.” A warning message will appear, explaining that uninstalling the sales channel will prevent you from publishing products or fulfilling orders.

• Step 4: Check the box “I understand the risks of uninstalling this sales channel” to confirm the action.

Step 5: (Optional) If necessary, Select a reason for uninstalling, then click “Uninstall” to finalize the process. Your store will now be unpublished from the selected sales channel.

This will successfully unpublish your Shopify store from that specific sales channel while keeping other parts of your store active.

Method 4: Completely Deactivating your Store

• Step 1: In your Shopify admin panel, click on your store name at the top-right corner to open the dropdown menu. Select “Manage account.”

• Step 2: In the Security section of your account settings, click “Log out all devices” to ensure that no other devices remain logged into your Shopify account.

• Step 3: Above the Log out all devices option, you’ll see Authentication methods under the Two-step authentication section. Toggle it to Off to disable two-step verification for your account.

• Step 4: Once you’ve secured your account, return to the main Settings page and click “Plan.” Scroll down in the Plan section and click the “Deactivate Store” at the bottom to continue the deactivation process.

• Step 5: A pop-up window will ask you to select a reason for closing your store. Pick an option from the dropdown that best fits your situation.

• Step 6: If you plan to reopen your store in the future, check the box labeled “Store my payment details for easier store reopening.” This will help you re-enable the store quickly if needed. 

Once you have reviewed the details and selected, click “Deactivate Store” to confirm your action.

• Step 7: After completing the process, a message will appear confirming that your store has been deactivated. The system will keep your data saved in case you want to reopen the store in the future.

Once you complete these steps, your Shopify store will be deactivated, and you will no longer have access to the store admin unless you choose to reopen it in the future.

Method 5: Sell Your Store

• Step 1: Prepare Your Store for Sale

Before listing your store, make sure everything is in good order. Ensure that your store’s inventory is up-to-date, your financials are accurate, and the store is fully operational. 

Step 2: Choose Where to Sell

There are two main ways to sell your store:

• Private sale: You find a buyer directly, usually through business connections or communities like Reddit, LinkedIn, or Facebook groups.
• Marketplaces: Platforms like Shopify Exchange, Flippa, and Empire Flippers provide wider exposure to potential buyers but may charge fees​. 

• Step 3: Update Business Information

In your Shopify admin panel, update your business contact information, including your store’s email, phone number, and address. Ensure the new owner’s email is set for notifications like new orders​. 

• Step 4: Transfer Ownership of Domains

If your store uses a custom domain, transfer ownership to the buyer. This can be done through your domain provider or within Shopify if you purchased the domain through them.​

• Step 5: Update Payment and Billing Information

Switch your store’s payment details to the new owner’s bank account and update any third-party payment gateways (e.g., PayPal). Also, ensure that billing details for Shopify and any third-party apps are transferred to the buyer​. 

• Step 6: Draft a Contract of Sale

Consult a legal professional to draft a contract outlining the sale terms. This contract should include the sale price, transition period, and any specific agreements, such as transferring social media accounts, email lists, or ongoing contracts.

• Step 7: Transfer Ownership

Once the buyer has agreed to the terms, you can officially transfer the ownership of the Shopify store through your admin panel. This step removes your access as the account owner and transfers control to the new owner.

Ending Words

I hope you find this post helpful in navigating the different ways to unpublish your Shopify store. Whether you’re looking to pause, hide, or fully deactivate, there’s a method that suits your needs. Don’t hesitate to review the steps and choose the best option for your business!

Related posts: 

• Setting Up a Shopify Store with 11 General Settings Checklist
• How to Start a Shopify Store in 7 Easy Steps & No Money (2025)

FAQs

How do I temporarily hide my Shopify store?

You can hide your Shopify store temporarily by enabling password protection. This will restrict access, so only visitors with the password can see the store. You can set this up from the Online Store > Preferences section in your Shopify admin. Once activated, visitors will see a “coming soon” page or your custom message.

How do I temporarily suspend my Shopify store?

To suspend your store, switch to the Pause and Build plan, which keeps your store online but disables the checkout feature. This allows you to continue working on your store without allowing customer purchases. To access this option, go to Settings > Plan and select Pause and Build.

How do I hide my shop on Shopify?

Password protection can hide your Shopify shop. You go to Online Store > Preferences, scroll down to Password Protection, and enable it. This will hide your shop from the public while allowing access only to users with passwords. 

Can I archive my Shopify store?

Shopify has no archive feature, but you can deactivate your store if needed. This action closes the store but preserves your data, which can be restored if you reopen the store later. You go to Settings > Plan and click Deactivate Store. 

What happens to my store’s data when I unpublish?

When you unpublish or deactivate your Shopify store, your data, including products and customer information, is retained. If you plan to reactivate the store in the future, this data will be restored unless you choose to delete it permanently. 

Can I reactivate my Shopify store after un publishing?

The answer is YES; you can reactivate your Shopify store after unpublishing it. If you have paused or deactivated the store, you can log back into your Shopify admin, choose a new plan, and restart the store. All your previous data, such as products and customer information, will remain available unless you manually delete it before deactivating.