How to Pause a Shopify Store in 2026 (Step-by-Step Guide)

Last Updated on January 22, 2026 by Himanshu Rawat

Running an online store doesn’t always mean you have to keep it active 24/7. Sometimes you may need a break due to inventory issues, personal reasons, seasonal business changes, or technical upgrades. Shopify understands this and offers simple ways to pause your store without losing your data.

In this guide, we’ll explain what it means to pause a Shopify store, how to pause it step by step.

What Does “Pause a Shopify Store” Mean?

Pausing your Shopify store means your website remains live, but customers cannot place new orders. Your products are still visible, your admin panel stays fully accessible, and all your store data remains safe and unchanged. It’s a smart option when you want to take a short break without completely shutting down your business.

This option is especially helpful if you:

• Want to temporarily stop selling
  If you’re dealing with personal commitments, seasonal slowdowns, or operational issues, pausing allows you to halt sales without losing your store setup or online presence.
• Need time to restock inventory
  When products are out of stock or suppliers are delayed, you can pause sales while still letting customers browse your catalog and prepare for future purchases.
• Are redesigning your store
  It’s perfect for working on a new theme, improving layouts, updating content, or optimizing product pages without customers placing orders during changes.
• Are you taking a short business break
  Whether it’s for holidays, maintenance, or internal planning, you can step away while keeping your brand visible and your store ready to relaunch.

Shopify provides a special plan for this called the Pause and Build plan. It costs much less than regular plans (only $9/month) and allows you to:

• Keep your storefront visible
• Disable checkout so no orders are placed
• Access your admin to edit products, pages, and settings
• Prepare your store for a smooth restart anytime

Things to Know Before Pausing Your Shopify Store

Before you pause your store, it’s important to understand how it will affect your business and ongoing costs:

• Customers cannot check out or place orders
  Your checkout will be completely disabled. Visitors can browse products and pages, but they won’t be able to make purchases until you reactivate your store on a full plan.
• Your store remains visible to visitors
  Your website stays live and accessible. This helps maintain your online presence, brand awareness, and SEO while you take a break or work on improvements.
• Your admin dashboard remains accessible
  You still have full access to your Shopify admin. You can update products, edit content, change themes, manage inventory, and prepare everything for when your store goes live again.
• Apps may still charge you unless canceled separately
  Pausing your store does not automatically pause your app subscriptions. Some apps will continue billing, so it’s important to review and cancel or pause any apps you don’t need during this time.
• Custom domains still need to be paid for
  If you’re using a custom domain (like yourstore.com), you’ll still need to pay your domain provider to keep it active. Pausing your Shopify plan doesn’t stop domain renewal charges.
• You can reactivate anytime by choosing a new plan
  Whenever you’re ready to start selling again, you can easily reactivate your store by selecting a new Shopify plan. Your products, settings, and data will be exactly as you left them.

Pausing your store is a flexible option that lets you take a break without losing your progress or your online presence.

How to Pause a Shopify Store (Step-by-Step)

Here is a simple guide to pause your Shopify store, switch to the Pause and Build plan, and keep your store safe while saving on monthly costs.

Step 1. Use a Desktop Browser Only 

Shopify does not allow plan changes from the mobile app. Open Shopify Admin on a desktop or laptop browser and sign in using the store owner account. 

Only the owner has permission to change plans; staff accounts cannot access this option.

Step 2. Sign in as the Store Owner

Go to your admin link (for example: yourstore.myshopify.com/admin).

Enter your owner email and password. If two-step verification is enabled, complete it to continue. This confirms you have full administrative access.

Step 3. Go to Settings → Plan

In the left sidebar, scroll to the bottom and click the Settings icon.

From the menu, choose Plan to see your current subscription, billing information, and plan management options.

Step 4. Choose “Deactivate Store”

On the Plan page, scroll down to find Deactivate store.

Clicking this does not delete your store. It simply opens a window showing different options, including pausing or closing the store. Read the options carefully before moving forward.

Step 5. Select “Pause and Build”

From the available choices, select Pause and Build.

This option keeps your store live for viewing while disabling checkout. Your products, theme, and apps remain intact, making it different from fully closing your store.

Step 6. Review and Confirm the Change

Check the plan details shown, including the reduced monthly charge (usually $9 USD or its equivalent in your local currency) and the limitations that apply.

If asked, re-enter your password, then click Switch to Pause and Build.
Shopify will apply the change immediately and send a confirmation email.

Note: Once your store is paused, customers can still view your products, but they will NOT be able to place orders or complete checkout.

What Customers See When Your Store Is Paused

You may wonder how your store will look when it’s paused. Customers can still browse your site, but checkout is disabled, and a temporary message is shown to keep them informed.

1. Storefront Visibility

The online store remains fully accessible and live to visitors, allowing them to browse the homepage, product pages, collections, and other content without interruption.

2. Product Browsing

Customers can view detailed product listings, images, descriptions, reviews, and inventory details as normal, helping maintain SEO rankings and brand familiarity.

3. Checkout Block

Adding items to the cart or clicking “Buy Now” displays a prominent pause notification, such as “This store is currently paused” or “Unable to complete purchase, store on hold,” preventing any transactions.

4. Custom Messages

Owners can proactively add theme banners, pop-ups, or dedicated pause pages beforehand to inform visitors about the reason (e.g., maintenance, vacation), expected reopening date, email signup for updates, or alternative contact methods.

5. Disabled Features

Point-of-sale (POS), gift cards, discounts, abandoned cart recovery, and third-party sales channels (like Facebook or Google Shopping) show as unavailable, reinforcing the temporary sales halt.

How to Fully Deactivate Your Shopify Store

If you no longer plan to use your store and want to permanently close it, you can fully deactivate it by following these steps:

First, log in to your Shopify admin using the store owner account. From your dashboard, go to Settings at the bottom of the sidebar, then click on Plan to access your subscription details.

Scroll down and select Deactivate store. This will open a window showing different options for closing or pausing your store. Choose the Close store to proceed with permanent deactivation.

Next, Shopify will ask you to enter your password to confirm your identity and prevent accidental closures. After entering your password, confirm your decision to close the store.

Important: Closing your store is permanent. Once completed, you will lose access to your admin, and your store cannot be restored. Only select this option if you are completely sure you will not need the store, its data, or its setup in the future.

Pause Store vs Close Store – Know the Difference Before You Decide

Feature	Pause Store	Close Store
Monthly cost	Low-cost plan (Pause & Build)	No monthly cost
Store data saved	Yes, all data stays active and editable	Yes, but everything is locked
Can reopen easily	Yes, choose a new plan and go live instantly	No, once closed, it cannot be reopened
Customers can browse	Yes, the store remains visible	No, the store is completely offline
Checkout available	No, selling is temporarily disabled	No, selling is permanently stopped

In simple words:

Pause Store is for a temporary break. Your store stays visible, your work is safe, and you can resume selling anytime.

Close Store is for a permanent shutdown. Your store goes offline and cannot be restored again.

How to Reactivate Your Paused Store

Step 1. Log in to Shopify Admin:

Sign in using your store owner credentials to access full plan management options.

Step 2. Go to Settings → Plan:

Open Settings from the sidebar and select Plan to view and change your subscription.

Step 3. Select a new Shopify plan:

Choose the plan that best suits your business needs and selling goals.

Step 4. Add your payment details:

Enter or confirm your billing information to activate the selected plan.

Step 5. Store goes live instantly:

As soon as payment is confirmed, your store becomes active, and customers can place orders again.

Step 6. No data is lost:

All your products, designs, settings, and content remain unchanged, just as you left them.

Best Practices Before Pausing Your Shopify Store

Before you pause your store, taking a few small steps can help you avoid confusion, save money, and keep your brand professional.

• Inform customers: Inform customers in advance by adding a banner on your store or sending a short email explaining that the store is temporarily paused.
• Pause apps: Pause or cancel unused apps so you don’t get charged while your store is not active.
• Backup data: Back up important store data like products, orders, and customer information for safety.
• Set a date: Set an expected reopening date to stay organized and to inform your customers when you plan to return.
• Update message: Update your store message clearly so visitors know your store is temporarily closed and will be back soon.

Final Thought

Pausing your Shopify store is a smart and flexible way to take a break without losing your hard work. Whether you need time to restock, redesign, or handle personal or business matters, the Pause and Build plan lets you keep your store visible, protect your data, and prepare for a smooth comeback. 

It’s ideal for short-term pauses where you still want your brand to stay online and ready for future sales. When you’re ready, reactivating is quick, simple, and your store goes live instantly with everything exactly as you left it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will I lose my products or data if I pause my Shopify store?

No. All your products, customer data, themes, pages, and settings remain completely safe. Nothing is deleted or changed while your store is paused.

2. Can customers still see my store when it is paused?

Yes. Your store remains live and visible. Customers can browse products and pages, but they cannot place orders or complete checkout.

3. Do I still have to pay while my store is paused?

Yes, but at a much lower cost. The Pause and Build plan usually costs around $9/month, which is cheaper than regular Shopify plans.

4. Will my apps continue charging me during the pause?

Some apps may continue billing unless you cancel or pause them separately. It’s best to review your installed apps and disable any you don’t need.

5. How long can I keep my store paused?

There is no fixed time limit. You can keep your store on the Pause and Build plan for as long as you need and reactivate it anytime by choosing a new Shopify plan.