How to Remove the Shopify Store Password Page, Fix It When It Will Not Go Away, and Launch Safely

On this page

1. How to remove the Shopify password page, step by step
2. Shopify store password page will not go away
3. Before you remove the password: a launch checklist
4. After removing the password: getting found on Google
5. Using the password page on purpose
6. Should you put the password back during redesigns?
7. Common mistakes on launch day
8. Setting up a new store properly
9. Quick check: after you remove the password
10. When to get help
11. FAQs

To remove the password page from a Shopify store, go to Online Store, then Preferences, scroll to Password protection, untick Restrict access to visitors with the password, and save. If the option is greyed out or the store still asks for a password, you are almost certainly on a trial or have not picked a paid plan yet: Shopify keeps the password page on until a plan is selected.

This guide covers both cases, what to check before you open the store, and the problems people hit after removing the password, such as the store still showing the password page, Google not finding it, or orders failing.

How to remove the Shopify password page, step by step

1. Log in to your Shopify admin.
2. Go to Online Store, then Preferences. In newer admin layouts the same setting may also be reached from Settings or the Online Store section; search for "password" in the admin search bar if you cannot find it.
3. Find the Password protection section.
4. Untick the box that restricts access to visitors with the password.
5. Click Save.
6. Open the store in a private browser window to confirm the home page loads without a password.

That is all if your plan is already active. If the box will not untick, read the next section.

Shopify store password page will not go away

The most common reason is the plan. During the free trial, and on some starter or trial offers, Shopify keeps the online store behind a password. You must choose a paid plan before the password can be removed.

1. Go to Settings, then Plan (or click Select a plan in the banner at the top of the admin).
2. Choose a plan that fits the store. Compare features on Shopify's own pricing page, because plans and prices change and differ by country.
3. Add a billing method and confirm.
4. Return to the Preferences page and untick the password option.

Other reasons the password page keeps appearing:

• Browser or CDN cache. Your own browser may show the old page. Use a private window or another device.
• A coming soon or maintenance app. Some apps add their own lock screen on top of the theme. Disable the app or its app embed.
• A theme section that looks like a password page. A custom landing template can be set as the home page. Check the home page template in the theme editor.
• The store is paused or frozen. If billing failed or the store was paused, the storefront can close. Check the banner in the admin and the billing section.
• The domain points somewhere else. If your custom domain still points to an old host or holding page, you will not see the Shopify store at all. See Shopify domain not connecting.

Before you remove the password: a launch checklist

Removing the password makes the store public and lets Google and customers in. Check these first, because problems are harder to fix with real orders coming in.

Payments and checkout

• Your payment gateway (Razorpay, PayU, Cashfree, CCAvenue or another) is activated for live payments, not test mode.
• Cash on delivery is added if you plan to offer it, with any COD limits set.
• You have placed a full test order and refunded it.

If anything fails at this stage, check the gateway set-up in payment gateways on Shopify in India before going live.

Shipping, taxes and invoices

• Every state you deliver to is inside a shipping zone with a rate.
• GST settings are agreed with your CA and invoices show the details they need. Our Shopify GST invoices guide explains the settings.
• Product weights are filled in if your rates depend on weight.

Domain, email and legal pages

• Your custom domain is connected and set as the primary domain, with SSL active.
• Order notification emails come from your own domain and have been tested. If they land in spam, see Shopify emails going to spam.
• Refund, privacy, shipping and terms pages are written for your business and linked in the footer. Payment gateways often check these before approving an account.
• Contact details, including a phone or WhatsApp number and an email address, are visible.

Content and SEO

• Placeholder products, demo text and sample images from the theme are removed.
• Each product and collection has a clear title, description and meta description.
• The home page title and description in Preferences are set.
• Analytics and any pixels you use are installed and recording.

The Shopify SEO checklist goes deeper on titles, URLs and structured data.

After removing the password: getting found on Google

While the password page is on, search engines cannot see your products. After removing it:

1. Verify your domain in Google Search Console.
2. Submit the sitemap Shopify generates at your domain followed by /sitemap.xml.
3. Use URL inspection to request indexing of the home page and your main collections.
4. Check that no app or theme setting adds a noindex tag to pages you want found.

Indexing takes time. New stores often see pages appear over days or weeks, not hours. Keep adding useful product detail and collection text in the meantime.

Using the password page on purpose

The password page is useful, not only a barrier. Store owners use it to:

• Run a pre-launch page that collects email sign-ups. The password page template can be edited in the theme editor to show your logo, a message and a newsletter form.
• Share a private preview with a few customers, a partner or a reviewer by giving them the password.
• Close the store briefly during a major change, though for short maintenance it is usually better to keep selling and make changes on an unpublished theme copy.

To change the message customers see, edit the password page in the theme editor and set the message under Preferences. Keep it short, say when the store opens, and give a way to contact you.

Should you put the password back during redesigns?

Usually not. Putting a live store behind a password stops orders and can affect how search engines treat your pages if it lasts long. Instead, duplicate your theme, make the changes on the copy, preview it, and publish when ready. If you are changing themes on an established store, read how to change a Shopify theme without losing SEO.

Common mistakes on launch day

• Opening with a gateway still in test mode. Customers see a payment page that fails or never loads. Confirm the gateway dashboard says the account is live.
• Forgetting the myshopify address. Set your custom domain as primary so every visitor and every link ends up on the same address.
• Leaving demo content. Sample reviews, placeholder prices and theme demo images look careless and can mislead customers. Remove them all.
• No stock entered. If inventory is tracked and quantities are zero, products show as sold out the moment the password comes off.
• Announcing before testing on a phone. Most Indian shoppers will arrive on mobile. Walk through the home page, a collection, a product and checkout on your own phone before you share the link.

If the store feels slow once it is public, see how to fix a slow Shopify store.

Setting up a new store properly

If you are still setting up, the password page is your safety net: leave it on until payments, shipping, GST and the domain are all tested. Our step-by-step guide to setting up a Shopify store in India covers the order to do things in.

Quick check: after you remove the password

1. In Shopify admin, open Online Store > Preferences and check password protection is off.
2. Open the store in a private window on a phone.
3. Place a test order.

When to get help

Most store owners can remove the password themselves. Get help if the store is ready but checkout, the domain or the gateway is not, or if you want the launch done in one go without missing steps. A Shopify developer can run the full pre-launch check, fix what fails and take the store live, and you can work with a Shopify developer in India remotely from any city. You can also send the details through the contact form.

FAQs

How do I remove the password page on Shopify?

Go to Online Store, then Preferences, untick the option that restricts access to visitors with the password, and save. You need an active paid plan for this to work.

Why can I not remove my Shopify store password?

Usually because the store is still on a free trial or no plan has been selected. Pick a paid plan under Settings, then Plan, and the option becomes available.

Why does my Shopify store still show the password page after I removed it?

Your browser may be showing a cached page, a coming soon app may be adding its own lock screen, or the domain may still point elsewhere. Check in a private window and disable lock screen apps.

Can Google index my Shopify store while the password page is on?

No. Products and collections are hidden behind the password. Remove it, then submit your sitemap in Search Console.

How do I edit the Shopify password page message?

Set the message under Online Store, then Preferences, and edit the password page layout in the theme editor to add your logo or an email sign-up form.

Should I put my live Shopify store behind a password while redesigning?

Generally no. Work on a duplicate theme, preview it, and publish when it is ready, so the store keeps taking orders.