How to delete a shopify store
So you have decided to close your Shopify store and move on to new ventures? Deleting a Shopify store might seem daunting, but with the right guidance, it can be a straightforward process. In this article, we will walk you through the necessary steps to delete your Shopify store, ensuring that all your data is safely removed and your store is permanently shut down.
Before you proceed, it’s crucial to note that deleting your Shopify store is irreversible. This means that once you delete your store, you will lose all your products, settings, and customer data. Hence, it’s essential to back up any necessary information before initiating the deletion process.
Step 1: Access your Shopify Account
To get started, open your web browser and log in to your Shopify account. Enter your login credentials and click on the “Login” button to access your Shopify dashboard.
Step 2: Navigate to “Settings”
Once you’re logged in, you will find yourself in the Shopify admin dashboard. Look at the lower-left corner of the screen; you will find various options. Click on the “Settings” tab to proceed.
Uninstall and Delete your Shopify Store Permanently
If you have decided to close your Shopify store and remove it from the platform, follow the steps below to uninstall and delete your store permanently.
Step 1: Uninstall Apps and Themes
Before deleting your store, it is essential to uninstall any installed apps and themes. This process involves removing all the integrations and customizations that you have added to your Shopify store.
- Go to your Shopify admin dashboard and click on “Apps” from the left-hand menu.
- Review the list of installed apps and uninstall each one by clicking on the “Delete” button beside the app name.
- Once all the apps are uninstalled, go to the “Online Store” section of your dashboard and click on “Themes”.
- Delete all the themes by clicking on the “…” button and selecting “Delete”.
Step 2: Cancel Your Subscription
Next, cancel your Shopify subscription to stop any future charges.
- Go to your Shopify admin dashboard and click on “Settings”.
- Select “Billing” from the dropdown menu.
- Under “Cancel subscription”, click on “Cancel subscription”.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm the cancellation.
Step 3: Delete Your Store Permanently
Once all the apps are uninstalled and your subscription is canceled, you can proceed with deleting your store permanently.
| Warning: |
Deleting your Shopify store is irreversible and will completely remove all your store data. |
|---|
- Go to “Settings” in your Shopify admin dashboard.
- Scroll down the page and click on “Plan and permissions”.
- Click on “Close store” in the “Store status” section.
- Enter the email address associated with the store to confirm the closure.
- Review the information about closing the store and click on “Close Store” to complete the process.
After completing these steps, your Shopify store will be permanently deleted, and you will no longer have access to your store data. Make sure to take any necessary backups before proceeding with the deletion.
If you change your mind after closing your store, you can always reopen it within 30 days by following the instructions provided by Shopify.
Deactivate your Shopify Store
Whether you’re closing your business or taking a temporary break, deactivating your Shopify store is a simple process. Deactivating your store will put it on hold and hide it from customers while allowing you to keep your data intact and reactivate it whenever you’re ready.
Steps to deactivate your Shopify store
Follow the steps below to deactivate your Shopify store:
- Log in to your Shopify admin panel.
- From the Shopify admin, click on the ‘Settings’ tab, then select ‘Plan and permissions’.
- Scroll down to the ‘Store status’ section and click on the ‘Pause’ button.
- A pop-up window will appear. Review the information and click on the ‘Pause and build a new plan’ button to confirm the deactivation.
- Your Shopify store is now deactivated, and you won’t be charged any forthcoming subscription fees.
What happens when you deactivate your Shopify store?
When you deactivate your Shopify store, the following will happen:
| Your store will become temporarily inaccessible to customers |
| You won’t be able to make any changes to your store or access your admin panel |
| You will not be billed any subscription fees for the duration of the deactivation |
| Your store’s data, including products, orders, and customer information, will be saved and accessible when you reactivate your store |
Note that if you’re using any paid apps or services, you may still be charged fees associated with those even after your store is deactivated. Be sure to cancel any subscriptions to avoid any extra charges.
When you’re ready to reopen your store, simply follow the same steps outlined above and choose to reactivate your store. Remember to review your billing and subscription settings to ensure a smooth reactivation process.
Cancel your Subscription
If you no longer want to continue using Shopify and want to delete your store, you will first need to cancel your subscription. To cancel your subscription and stop the recurring charges, follow the steps below:
- Login to your Shopify account.
- Click on the ‘Settings’ tab in the lower left corner of your dashboard.
- From the dropdown menu, select ‘Billing’.
- Scroll down to find the ‘Cancel Subscription’ section and click on it.
- You will be redirected to a new page where you will have to confirm your decision to cancel your subscription.
- Read the terms and conditions and enter your Shopify password in the provided field to confirm the cancellation.
- Click on the ‘Cancel Subscription’ button to proceed.
- Your subscription will be cancelled, and your store data will be saved for 30 days in case you change your mind.
Note: If you cancel your subscription in the middle of a billing cycle, you will still have access to your store and its functionalities until the end of the billing period. Once the billing period ends, your store will be permanently deleted along with all the associated data.
If you have any unresolved billing issues or concerns, it is recommended to contact Shopify’s support team for further assistance.
Remove Custom Domains
If you have set up a custom domain for your Shopify store and you want to delete it, then you will need to follow these steps:
- Go to your Shopify admin panel and click on the “Online Store” tab.
- From the drop-down menu, select “Domains”.
- Locate the custom domain that you want to remove.
- Click on the ellipsis (…) next to the custom domain.
- Select “Remove” from the options that appear.
- A confirmation message will appear. Click “Remove” to confirm the deletion.
Once you have completed these steps, the custom domain will be removed from your Shopify store. However, it may take some time for the changes to propagate and for your store to become accessible again using the original myshopify.com domain. Please note that removing a custom domain does not cancel any domain registration or hosting services associated with it. You will need to contact your domain provider to manage those services separately.
If you’re planning to use a different custom domain in the future, make sure to follow the necessary steps to set it up correctly in the Domain section of your Shopify admin.
Delete all Store Data
Before deleting your Shopify store, it is important to consider what data you want to save or delete. Once a store is deleted, this action cannot be undone and all data associated with the store will be permanently lost.
To delete all store data:
- Login to your Shopify admin dashboard.
- Click on “Settings” in the left-hand menu.
- Select “Privacy and preferences” from the dropdown menu.
- In the “Personal information” section, click on “Data related to your customers and their orders”.
- Under “Data erasure request”, click on “Request data erasure”.
- Confirm that you want to delete all customer and order data associated with your store.
- Repeat this process for any additional data that you want to delete, such as inventory, product information, or marketing analytics.
- Once all necessary data erasure requests have been submitted, contact Shopify support to request the deletion of your store.
- Follow any additional instructions provided by Shopify to complete the deletion process.
Note that it may take some time for all data to be erased from Shopify’s system after your store is deleted.
By following these steps, you can ensure that all data associated with your Shopify store is permanently deleted.
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