4 min read
Set up your store
Your day-one checklist. Work through it top to bottom; most stores are ready to take a test order in an afternoon. Each step links to the full guide.
What this is for
Getting from an empty admin to a store that can take, pay for and ship a real order, without missing the boring-but-important bits like GSTIN, PIN codes and payment webhooks.
How it works
Some steps depend on others: your address and GSTIN go on invoices, your products need weights before couriers can quote, and payments need a webhook before orders mark themselves paid.
The checklist
Fill in your store details
Open Settings: the Get your shop ready checklist shows what is left, with a progress bar, and ticks each item by itself. Then Settings → Store details:
- Store details: Store name, Contact email (shoppers reply to it), Phone.
- Business address: address lines, City, State, Pincode (e.g.
302001). This is printed on invoices and used to work out delivery dates. - Currency and time: Time zone (India, Asia/Kolkata).
Then Settings → GST & invoices (skip it if you aren’t GST registered): add your GST number on the GST numbers tab; on Tax rules, the legal name and registered address, whether My prices include GST, the Default GST rate and Default HSN code; and on Invoice numbers, how invoices are numbered. See Taxes & GST.
Select Save; you’ll see “Store details saved”. Guide: Settings.
Add your products
Products → Add product, or bring them all in at once with Import (Shopify CSV) or the Shopify importer app. For each product set the price, Compare at price (MRP), variants, stock, Weight (grams), HS (harmonised system) code and GST rate (%). Group them into a few Collections. Guide: Products and collections.
Turn on payments
Settings → Payments: connect Razorpay (keys + webhook), and enable Cash on delivery and UPI to your own ID — you confirm it if you take them. Set Cancel unpaid online orders after (minutes); 30 is a sensible start. Guide: Payments.
Set up shipping
- Connect Delhivery or Shiprocket from Apps (Couriers).
- Settings → Shipping → Where you ship and what it costs: Add a delivery area (e.g. “All of India”) and Add rate, like “Standard” ₹60, with Free shipping above (optional) ₹999.
- Your boxes: add your boxes and Make main box the usual one.
- When orders go out: Pincode you send parcels from, Last order time for same-day sending, Days you send parcels and Days you are closed.
- Check delivery to a pincode with a far-away pincode (say
781001) and select Check. Guide: Shipping.
Turn on GST invoices (if registered)
Install GST invoices from Apps, then fill in Business details and Numbering series. Guide: GST invoices.
Make it look like your brand
Online Store → Themes: pick a preset (Waimers, Minimal, Bold or Soft), Customize your home page banner, logo, colours and fonts, and Save. Add pages like “About us” under Content → Pages, and link them in Content → Menus. Create your refund, privacy, terms, shipping and contact pages from templates in Settings → Policies (Policies); they appear in your footer on their own. Guide: Online store.
Place a test order
On your storefront, buy a cheap product with each payment method you enabled. Check that each order shows up in Orders, that the Razorpay one turns Paid by itself, that its invoice is queued, and that you can book a label (use the courier’s Test mode, or cancel the shipment straight after). Cancel and refund the test orders afterwards.
Invite your team
Settings → Staff → Invite member: enter their Email address, pick a Role, and Send invite.
Tip. Turn on Password protection in Online Store → Preferences while you set up. Shoppers who find your link early see a password page instead of a half-finished store. Turn it off when you go live.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Invoices show the wrong state | State in Business address is wrong. | Fix it in Settings → Store details. |
| Checkout says a PIN code isn’t serviceable | No delivery area covers it, or the courier doesn’t deliver there. | Check Where you ship and what it costs covers All of India, and Check delivery to a pincode. |
| Test Razorpay order stays Unpaid | Webhook not set up. | Add the webhook URL and secret in the Razorpay Dashboard. |
FAQ
Do I need all of this before my first sale?
No. The minimum is store details, one product, one payment method and one way to ship (even Fulfil items by hand). Everything else can follow.
Is there a setup checklist inside the admin?
Yes. Open Settings: Get your shop ready lists store details, payments, shipping, taxes, domain, notifications and policies, and ticks each one from your real settings. The GST invoices app also has its own (“Finish setting up GST invoices”).
Which currency can I sell in?
INR only, for now.