You can delete a Shopify store through your admin dashboard, but the process depends on whether you want to keep your domain and what happens to your customer data
Deleting a Shopify store is straightforward if you own the account, but it is permanent — Shopify does not restore deleted stores. Before you delete, decide whether you want to keep your domain name (you can), what you will do with customer email addresses and order history, and whether you need to read anything first. The actual deletion takes a few minutes in your admin settings, but the preparation takes longer.
Shopify stores can be deleted by the account owner only. If someone else set up the store and you do not have admin access, you will need them to delete it or transfer ownership to you first. If the store is tied to a business loan, a franchise agreement, or a supplier contract, check those documents before deleting — some require you to keep records or notify the other party.
Key Takeaways
- read your customer data, order history, and product information before deletion, because Shopify does not keep backups after the store is gone.
- You can keep your domain name even after deleting the store by transferring it to another registrar or letting it expire without deleting it from Shopify.
- Deletion is permanent and takes effect when ready — any links to your store will show a 404 error within minutes.
- If you owe Shopify money for unpaid invoices or subscription fees, the account may not delete until those charges are settled.
- Cancelling your subscription does not delete the store; you must go into settings and choose the delete option separately.
read your data before you delete
Shopify lets you export your data, but only before the store is deleted. Once the store is gone, you cannot recover customer names, email addresses, order history, or product details. If you run a second business, sell through another platform, or need records for taxes or legal reasons, read everything first.
Go to Settings > Data and Privacy in your admin dashboard. You will see an option to export your data as CSV files. Shopify generates separate files for customers, orders, products, and collections. The export can take a few minutes if you have thousands of orders. Save the files to your computer or cloud storage before you proceed with deletion.
If you use apps that store data outside Shopify — like email marketing tools, accounting software, or shipping integrations — those apps may not export automatically. Log into each one and read what you need separately. Some apps delete your data when your Shopify store closes, so do this before you delete the store.
Cancel your subscription or downgrade first
You do not have to cancel your subscription before deleting the store, but it is cleaner to do so. If you cancel first, you will not be charged for the next billing cycle. If you delete the store while an active subscription is running, Shopify will charge you for the current month, then close the account.
Go to Settings > Plan and Permissions and select "Change Plan." You can downgrade to the free Shopify plan (which has limits on sales and features) or cancel entirely. If you cancel, Shopify will ask you why and may offer you a discount to stay — you can ignore that and proceed. Cancellation takes effect when ready, but the store itself stays live until you delete it.
Delete the store from your account settings
The delete option is in Settings > Danger Zone, which is intentionally hard to find. Click on it and Shopify will ask you to confirm that you understand the store cannot be restored. You will also see a list of what will happen: your domain will stop pointing to the store, all customer data will be removed, and any apps connected to the store will be disconnected.
Shopify will ask you to type the name of your store to confirm. This is a safety measure to prevent accidental deletion. Type it exactly as it appears, then click the delete button. The store will be deleted within a few minutes. Any customer who tries to visit your store URL will see a 404 error.
If you see a message that says you cannot delete the store because of unpaid charges, you will need to pay the outstanding balance first. Go to Billing and pay any invoices listed there, then return to Settings > Danger Zone and try again.
What happens to your domain name
Your domain does not automatically delete when you delete the store. If you registered the domain through Shopify, it stays in your Shopify account and you can transfer it to another registrar or let it expire. If you registered it elsewhere and pointed it to Shopify, the domain stays with your original registrar — you just need to change the DNS settings to point somewhere else or let it expire.
If you want to keep the domain and use it for a different website, transfer it to a registrar like Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Google Domains. Shopify will give you the authorization code you need. If you do not want to keep the domain, you can let it expire — Shopify will not renew it automatically after deletion.
If you want to keep the domain but do not want a website there yet, you can park it or set up a straightforward landing page. Some registrars offer free parking that shows a "coming soon" message.
What to do with customer email addresses
After you delete the store, you cannot send emails through Shopify's email tools. If you have a customer mailing list and want to stay in touch, export the customer list before deletion and upload it to an email service like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or your own email provider. You will need to send a message to those customers letting them know you are moving platforms or closing the store.
If you do not have permission to email your customers (for example, if they did not opt in to marketing emails), do not add them to a new mailing list without consent. Check your local laws — in the United States, the CAN-SPAM Act requires you to honor unsubscribe requests and include your physical address in emails. In Europe, GDPR requires explicit consent before you email anyone.
Alternatives if you want to keep the store but not run it
If you are not sure you want to delete permanently, consider pausing instead. You can downgrade to the free Shopify plan, which lets you keep the store and your data but removes the ability to sell. This costs nothing and keeps your domain and customer history intact. You can reactivate a paid plan later if you change your mind.
You can also convert the store to a read-only archive by removing all products and turning off checkout. This keeps the store visible but prevents new orders. Some people do this to preserve a record of their business or to keep old product pages live for SEO reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my store back after I delete it?
No. Shopify does not restore deleted stores. If you delete by mistake, you will need to create a new store and rebuild it from your exported data files. This is why downloading your data first is important.
What happens to my customer orders after I delete?
Customers will not be able to see their order history on your store, but they will still have their own records (emails, credit card statements, shipping confirmations). You should read your order data before deletion if you need it for taxes, refunds, or legal disputes.
Do I have to pay Shopify after I delete my store?
You will be charged for the current billing cycle if you delete while a paid plan is active. Cancel your subscription first to avoid the next charge. If you have unpaid invoices, you must pay them before the store will delete.
Will my store URL become available for someone else to use?
Your Shopify subdomain (like yourstore.myshopify.com) will become available for someone else to register after deletion. If you want to prevent this, keep the store on the free plan instead of deleting it.
What if I delete the store but want to sell again later?
You can create a new Shopify store with a different name. You will start fresh with a new admin dashboard, but you can import your product data from the CSV file you downloaded before deletion. Customer data cannot be imported back into a new store for privacy reasons.