How to Pause a Shopify Store (Without Losing It)

Pause a Shopify store under Settings then Plan by choosing the Pause and Build plan, which keeps your admin accessible for a small monthly fee while checkout is disabled. For a full stop, deactivate the store entirely from the same page, which ends billing but eventually deletes store data, so export first.

The Pause and Build option

Pause and Build keeps your products, orders, and admin fully accessible while the storefront shows a coming-soon style page and checkout is off. It costs a fraction of a full plan and suits seasonal sellers and anyone taking a break who intends to return. Find it under Settings then Plan then Deactivate or pause.

What pausing does and does not do

Customers cannot buy, but your data stays intact and apps may still bill (pause or uninstall paid apps separately). Your domain stays connected. When you return, pick a plan and the store reactivates with everything where you left it.

Full deactivation

Deactivating ends billing and closes the store. Shopify retains data for a limited window, after which it is gone. Before deactivating, export products, customers, and orders to CSV, and download your theme. If there is any chance you will return, Pause and Build is the safer choice.

Alternatives to pausing

If the store just needs to stop selling temporarily, you can also password-protect it or disable checkout-related sales channels. These keep the full plan billing but avoid any plan changes, and they suit breaks shorter than a month.

Frequently asked questions

Can you pause for free?

No. Pause and Build has a reduced monthly fee; only full deactivation stops billing, and that eventually deletes your data.

Do apps keep charging while paused?

Many do. Review app subscriptions separately and cancel the ones tied to selling.

How long can a store stay paused?

Indefinitely, as long as the Pause and Build fee is paid.