A Shopify store audit checks what a first-time shopper sees, from the outside and without admin access. Start with 8 marketing basics: Meta pixel, Google tag, email/SMS capture, reviews app, homepage meta description, theme, load time and social links. In 6,744 new US stores we audited, the average store was missing 5.78 of them. Then work through the full 48-point checklist below.
Check the 8 basics automatically. Enter any Shopify store and see in about 10 seconds which marketing basics it is missing.
Free store check →The checklist
| # | Check | How to check it yourself | Missing in new US stores |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta pixel installed | View the page source and search for "fbq(" or "connect.facebook.net", or use the Meta Pixel Helper extension. | 84.2% |
| 2 | Google Analytics / Google Ads tag | Search the source for "googletagmanager.com", "gtag(" or a "G-" measurement ID. | 88% |
| 3 | Email or SMS capture tool | Look for a signup popup or a known tool (Klaviyo, Omnisend, Privy, Shopify Forms) in the source. | 92.5% |
| 4 | Product reviews app | Open a product page: are there reviews? Search the source for Judge.me, Loox, Yotpo, Okendo or Stamped. | 85.6% |
| 5 | Homepage meta description | Search the source for <meta name="description">. Missing or empty is a gap. | 71.3% |
| 6 | Custom vs free theme | The theme name appears in the source (Shopify.theme). Dawn, Horizon, Refresh and other free themes with few changes suggest design work ahead. | 63.7% |
| 7 | Homepage load time | Load the homepage on mobile data or run PageSpeed Insights. Over 3 seconds is a gap. | 10.8% |
| 8 | Social profile links | Check the header and footer for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or Pinterest links. | 82.4% |
The full 48-point Shopify store audit checklist
This is the checklist we use for written store audits: 8 areas, 6 checks each. Every point can be checked from the outside, without admin access. Go through it once on a desktop screen and once on a phone, note what fails, then fix the high-impact, low-effort items first.
A. Homepage
| # | Check | Typical fix | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Clear value proposition above the fold | Rewrite the hero headline to say what you sell and for whom; add one supporting line with the main benefit | High | Low |
| A2 | Primary call to action visible | Add one high-contrast "Shop [category]" button in the hero, linking to the best-selling collection | High | Low |
| A3 | Hero image relevant and not generic | Replace with a product-in-use image; set a separate mobile crop | Medium | Medium |
| A4 | Offer / incentive communicated | Use the announcement bar for one concrete offer (e.g. free-shipping threshold) | Medium | Low |
| A5 | Theme customised, not left on demo defaults | Replace leftover demo sections; customise fonts/colours to the brand | Medium | Medium |
| A6 | Social proof visible on the homepage | Add a reviews/testimonials section fed by a reviews app (free plans exist) | High | Medium |
B. Navigation & collection
| # | Check | Typical fix | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | Menu reflects how shoppers browse | Replace default menu with 3–6 category links named in shoppers' words | High | Low |
| B2 | Search available and working | Enable predictive search in the theme header | Medium | Low |
| B3 | Collections are curated, not one long list | Create 3–6 collections by use case or category | Medium | Medium |
| B4 | Collection page: filters and sorting | Turn on Search & Discovery filters (free Shopify app) | Medium | Low |
| B5 | Product cards show price, image and hover/second image | Use consistent image ratio; show compare-at price only when real | Medium | Medium |
| B6 | Mobile menu usable | Keep top categories in the first level of the mobile drawer | Medium | Low |
C. Product page
| # | Check | Typical fix | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | Product description is specific, not supplier text | Rewrite as benefit-led intro + 4–6 bullets (materials, size, care, shipping) | High | Medium |
| C2 | Enough product images, incl. in-use and detail | Add 4–6 images: front, detail, scale/in-use, packaging | High | Medium |
| C3 | Reviews / ratings on the product page | Install a free reviews app and request reviews from first buyers (never fake reviews) | High | Medium |
| C4 | Price, variants and stock clear | Use swatches/buttons instead of dropdowns; label sold-out variants | Medium | Low |
| C5 | Add to cart visible on mobile without hunting | Move ATC higher / enable sticky add-to-cart | High | Medium |
| C6 | Shipping, returns and delivery time near the buy button | Add a short shipping & returns block (collapsible) under the ATC button | High | Low |
D. Trust & policies
| # | Check | Typical fix | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | Refund policy published | Publish a refund policy (Settings > Policies) and link it in the footer | High | Low |
| D2 | Shipping policy published | Publish shipping times and costs; link in footer and product page | High | Low |
| D3 | Contact information easy to find | Add a contact page with a business email and expected reply time | Medium | Low |
| D4 | About / brand story page | Add a short "About us" page: who you are, why the brand exists | Medium | Low |
| D5 | Payment and security signals | Show payment icons in the footer; enable Shop Pay / express checkout | Medium | Low |
| D6 | Social profiles linked and active | Link active social profiles in the footer; remove dead ones | Low | Low |
E. Purchase path
| # | Check | Typical fix | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | Buy box is clear: price, options, one prominent Add to cart | Make Add to cart the most prominent button; keep price and options directly above it | High | Low |
| E2 | Shipping cost / free-shipping threshold visible before checkout | Show the rate or free-shipping threshold in the announcement bar and under the buy button | High | Low |
| E3 | Express checkout options | Enable dynamic checkout buttons in theme settings | Medium | Low |
| E4 | No pop-ups blocking the product page or cart | Delay pop-ups and keep them off product and cart pages on mobile | Medium | Low |
| E5 | Reassurance next to the buy button (returns, secure checkout) | Add a one-line returns / secure-checkout note under the buy buttons | Medium | Low |
| E6 | Cart page works on mobile, incl. empty state | Add a "Continue shopping" link and product suggestions to the empty cart | Low | Low |
F. Speed & mobile
| # | Check | Typical fix | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Mobile performance score | Address the top Lighthouse opportunities listed in the report | High | Medium |
| F2 | Largest Contentful Paint (mobile) | Compress/resize the hero image; avoid a slideshow as the first section | High | Medium |
| F3 | Layout stability (CLS) | Set image dimensions; avoid late-loading banners that push content | Medium | Low |
| F4 | Heavy third-party apps / scripts | Remove unused apps and their leftover code | Medium | Medium |
| F5 | Images optimised | Upload images at max ~2000 px; let Shopify serve WebP | Medium | Low |
| F6 | Mobile usability (viewport, tap targets, font size) | Increase tap target size and base font size on mobile | Medium | Low |
G. Marketing basics
| # | Check | Typical fix | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Meta pixel installed | Connect the Facebook & Instagram app (free) to install the pixel + Conversions API | High | Low |
| G2 | Google tag / Analytics installed | Install the Google & YouTube app (free) and link GA4 | High | Low |
| G3 | Email / SMS capture | Add a welcome-offer pop-up (Shopify Forms is free) and a welcome email | High | Low |
| G4 | Reviews app | Install a reviews app with a free plan; send review requests after delivery | High | Medium |
| G5 | TikTok pixel (if selling to under-35s) | Install the TikTok app if you plan to advertise there | Low | Low |
| G6 | Newsletter signup in footer | Keep a footer signup with a clear reason to subscribe | Medium | Low |
H. SEO basics
| # | Check | Typical fix | Impact | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H1 | Homepage title tag descriptive (≤70 chars) | Write "Brand – main product category for audience" within 70 characters | Medium | Low |
| H2 | Homepage meta description present (≤160 ideal) | Add a 140–160 character description with the main keyword | Medium | Low |
| H3 | One H1 per page | Make the product title the only H1; logo should not be an H1 on inner pages | Low | Low |
| H4 | Image alt text | Add descriptive alt text to product images (also helps accessibility) | Medium | Low |
| H5 | Product structured data (schema) | Most themes add it; if missing, re-enable in theme or add via a free app | Medium | Low |
| H6 | Social share image (og:image) | Set a social sharing image in Online Store > Preferences | Low | Low |
How to run the audit in three steps
- Run the free store check for the 8 marketing basics.
- Open the homepage, one collection, two product pages and the cart on desktop and on a 390 px wide phone screen. Mark each of the 48 points as pass or fail and take a screenshot of every fail.
- Sort the fails by impact and effort. High impact with low effort goes to the top of your list.
Prefer a written audit? We check all 48 points on your store and send a PDF fix plan with screenshots, every issue ranked. No calls, no admin access. From $15 on Fiverr.
See the audit packages ↗How agencies use it
Each missing item is a natural opening line. An email agency leads with the missing popup, an ads freelancer with the missing pixel, a designer with the default theme. Mentioning one specific, checkable gap is more credible than a generic pitch.
Doing this at scale
Checking stores by hand takes a few minutes each. We run the same 8 checks automatically on every new US Shopify store each week; see the methodology and the latest numbers.
FAQ
How long does a Shopify store audit take?
The 8 marketing basics take about 10 seconds with the free store check. Working through all 48 points by hand on desktop and mobile usually takes a few hours for a small store.
Do I need to give admin access for an audit?
No. Every point on this checklist can be checked from the outside, the way a first-time shopper sees the store: public pages, page source and a speed test.
What should I fix first?
Start with items that have high impact and low effort, such as a clear hero headline with one button, shipping and returns near the buy button, and installing free tracking and reviews apps. Leave redesigns for later.
Written by Ecommerce Store Leads. Numbers come from our own research engine, data as of 5 Nov 2026.