Localization · 6 min read
Shopify localization checklist
The checklist to run before you launch a new market on Shopify: pricing, shipping, content, legal pages, notifications and search visibility.
Use this checklist before opening a new market on Shopify. It covers the commercial, content and technical work that has to be in place for a launch to convert rather than just exist.
Commercial setup
Get the money and logistics right before the copy.
- Market created in Shopify with the correct countries
- Local currency and rounding rules configured
- Duties and import taxes decided and communicated
- Shipping rates and delivery times per region
- Local payment methods enabled where they matter
Content
Everything a shopper reads should be in their language, including the parts after checkout.
- Products, collections and pages translated
- Theme strings and navigation translated
- Notification emails translated
- Policies translated and locally accurate
- Size, measurement and date formats localized
Search visibility
A translated store that search engines cannot interpret will not earn organic traffic.
- hreflang tags correct for each language and region
- Translated meta titles and descriptions
- Localized URL handles where supported
- Sitemap includes localized URLs
Operations
Decide who answers a support email in the new language, and how translations stay current after the launch week.
- Support coverage for the language
- Auto-sync enabled so new products are translated
- Owner assigned for reviewing flagged content
Takeaway
Launch a market when commerce, content, search and support are all ready — not when the product descriptions are done.