How to remove the password from your Shopify store

To remove the password from your Shopify store, go to Online Store in your admin, click the Private label, select Public, then click Update. The first time, the button reads Launch store. You need a paid Shopify plan and the required setup steps done before your store can go public.

The four steps

Shopify calls the password private mode. New stores start in this mode. These are the desktop steps from Shopify’s password page guide, as checked in November 2026.

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store.
2. Click the Private label in the access setting menu.
3. Select Public.
4. Click Update, or Launch store if this is the first time.

Older tutorials mention a checkbox under Preferences or a button on the Themes page. Shopify’s current guide uses the access setting menu above, so start there.

What happens when the password comes off?

Anyone with your address can now see your store, and it can be found by search engines. Before you click, check that:

• the theme you want shoppers to see is the published one;
• your prices, shipping and policies are final;
• your payment provider can take orders.

Our launch checklist covers the full list. Going public does not put you on Google straight away: Google says it can take a few weeks to notice a new site.

Why can’t I remove the password?

Not sure which plan to pick? Our guide on which Shopify plan to choose gives a simple rule.

Keeping the password for now?

You do not need to remove the password until you are ready to sell. While it is on, visitors see a landing page instead of your store. You can still manage it in two places.

• Change the password. Go to Online Store > Preferences. In the Store access section, enter a new password in the Password field and click Save.
• Edit the landing page. On the Online Store page, the access setting menu shows a preview of the password page. Click Edit to open it in the theme editor.

Removing the password with Forgefont

Forgefont delivers your store in an unpublished theme, and nothing is published until you decide. You still need a paid Shopify plan to sell, and we ask you to remove the password before launch so we can check the pages the way your customers will see them. Your current theme stays online until you switch. Configure your store to see what is included.