Shopify Store Audit Checklist: 40 Checks to Find Lost Sales

Key takeaways

• Start with data: analytics and Search Console show where visitors drop off before you change anything.
• Speed problems usually come from apps, images and leftover scripts, not from Shopify itself.
• Product pages and checkout are where small fixes earn the most.
• Every app should earn its place; many stores pay for apps they no longer use.
• Fix in order of impact: revenue at risk first, nice-to-haves last.

Stores rarely break all at once. They slow down one app at a time, lose rankings one redirect at a time and leak conversions one confusing page at a time. An audit finds those leaks. Work through the checks below, note each issue with the pages it affects, then fix the ones costing the most first.

1. Analytics and tracking

• GA4 records page views, add-to-carts, checkouts and purchases correctly.
• Purchase revenue in analytics roughly matches Shopify's own reports.
• Ad pixels fire once per order, not twice and not never.
• Search Console is verified and shows no rising coverage errors.
• Your funnel report shows where visitors drop off: product page, cart or checkout.

2. Speed and Core Web Vitals

• Search Console's Core Web Vitals report shows mobile URLs as good.
• The hero image is sized correctly and not lazy-loaded.
• No scripts remain from apps you have uninstalled.
• Fonts are limited to the weights you use.
• Third-party chat, review and pop-up widgets load after the page, not before.
• Product and collection pages load quickly on a mid-range phone on mobile data.

3. SEO

• Every product and collection has a unique, descriptive title and meta description.
• Collection pages have useful introductory copy, not just a product grid.
• Internal links use the canonical /products/ URLs rather than collection-scoped ones.
• Old URLs from previous platforms or deleted products redirect to the closest match.
• Products have structured data, and Search Console shows no product markup errors.
• Images have meaningful alt text.

4. Product pages

• Photos show scale, detail and the product in use, with zoom on mobile.
• Price, delivery cost and delivery time are clear before the add-to-cart button.
• Variant selectors are easy to use and show what is out of stock.
• Reviews are visible near the top of the page.
• Size guides, materials and care information answer common questions.
• The add-to-cart button stays reachable on mobile.

5. Cart and checkout

• Shop Pay and other express checkouts are switched on.
• The cart shows the total, delivery threshold and any discount clearly.
• Discount codes work and their errors explain what went wrong.
• Shipping rates at checkout match what product pages promise.
• Test orders succeed with every payment method you offer.

6. Apps and theme

• Every installed app is used, and you know what each one costs.
• No two apps do the same job.
• The theme is on a supported version with Online Store 2.0 sections.
• Custom code is documented and does not break when the theme updates.

7. Trust, accessibility and content

• Delivery, returns and contact information are easy to find.
• Text contrast and button sizes are comfortable on a phone.
• The store works with a keyboard and a screen reader. See our accessibility checklist.
• Pop-ups don't cover content on mobile as soon as the page loads.
• Legal pages — privacy, terms and refunds — are current.

8. Email and retention

• Welcome, abandoned cart and post-purchase flows are live and sending.
• Your sending domain is authenticated with SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
• Repeat purchase rate is tracked month by month.

Prioritise the fixes

Frequently asked questions

How often should I audit my Shopify store?

A full audit once or twice a year, plus quick checks before big campaigns and after major theme or app changes.

Are free Shopify audit tools enough?

They are a useful start for speed and SEO basics, but they can't judge product pages, checkout friction or tracking accuracy. Those need a person who knows ecommerce.

What should I fix first after an audit?

Anything that loses revenue now: broken tracking, checkout errors and slow mobile product pages. Cosmetic changes can wait.

Score each issue by revenue impact and effort. Broken tracking, checkout errors and slow mobile product pages almost always come first; copy polish and minor design tweaks last. If you would rather have an expert do it, our conversion rate optimisation team runs full Shopify audits and fixes what they find.