Key takeaways
- Black Friday is 27 November 2026 and Cyber Monday is 30 November — start preparing at least six weeks ahead.
- Freeze theme and app changes about two weeks before; test everything on a duplicate theme first.
- Grow your email and SMS lists in October, then warm them up so your big sends reach the inbox.
- Schedule sales, price changes and theme switches ahead of time instead of editing live on the day.
- Plan stock, shipping cut-offs and support cover as carefully as the marketing.
Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is the busiest weekend of the year for most online stores. In 2026, Black Friday is on 27 November and Cyber Monday on 30 November. Shopify's infrastructure handles the traffic; whether your store converts it depends on the preparation you do now.
Six to eight weeks before: plan and fix
- Decide the offer: Choose discounts, bundles or gifts with purchase based on margin, not habit. Check which products have stock to carry the promotion.
- Audit speed: Test product and collection pages on a phone. Remove unused apps and leftover scripts — every one slows the pages your ads point to. See how to speed up a Shopify store.
- Review the checkout: Make sure your payment methods, Shop Pay and express checkouts are switched on, and test discount codes end to end.
- Build landing pages: Create the BFCM collection and landing sections now, on a duplicate theme, so they are ready to publish.
Four to six weeks before: grow your audience
- Run early-access sign-ups to grow your email and SMS lists.
- Warm up your sending domain with regular, engaging emails so big sends reach the inbox.
- Build Klaviyo segments: VIPs, recent buyers, engaged subscribers and lapsed customers. Our Klaviyo flows guide covers the flows to have running.
- Prepare ad creative and audiences, and raise budgets gradually so campaigns exit their learning phase before prices rise.
Two weeks before: freeze and test
- Freeze changes: No new apps or theme edits from here, except fixes. Most BFCM incidents start with a last-minute change.
- Test on real phones: Place test orders on iPhone and Android, with each payment method and discount type.
- Schedule everything: Use Shopify's scheduled discounts, product publishing and, on Plus, Launchpad, so nothing depends on someone editing live at midnight.
- Check tracking: Confirm analytics, ad pixels and conversion tracking record orders correctly. See our GA4 setup guide for Shopify.
Stock, shipping and support
- Set realistic stock levels and turn off overselling for promoted products.
- Publish shipping cut-off dates for Christmas delivery and display them on product pages.
- Prepare saved replies for the questions you always get: delivery, returns, discount codes.
- Plan support cover for the whole weekend, including Cyber Monday.
On the day
- Check the homepage, BFCM collection and checkout first thing, then every few hours.
- Watch for out-of-stock promoted products and swap them out of ads and emails.
- Monitor ad spend against sales, and shift budget to what is converting.
- Keep an eye on site speed and app errors, and have someone ready to roll back a change.
After the weekend
Frequently asked questions
When should I start preparing for Black Friday?
At least six weeks ahead — by mid-October for Black Friday on 27 November 2026 — so there is time to fix speed issues, grow your lists and test before the freeze.
Can Shopify handle Black Friday traffic?
Yes. Shopify's infrastructure is built for peak sales events. Slow pages usually come from apps, scripts and heavy themes, which you control.
Should I change my theme before Black Friday?
Only if it is ready well before your freeze date. Launching a new theme in the final two weeks is one of the riskiest changes you can make.
Send post-purchase flows to turn new customers into repeat buyers, review what sold and what didn't, and note every issue while it is fresh. The best time to plan next year's BFCM is the week after this one. If you want a second pair of eyes before the freeze, our Shopify store audit checklist is a good place to start.
Filed under
Jay Patel