How to Enable Maintenance Mode on Your Shopify Website?
An e-commerce Shopify site requires constant updates about bugs, design enhancement, or adding new features. This is when Shopify Site Maintenance is required so that the customers would not be able to access broken parts of your site. Shopify has a built-in maintenance mode that is quick and easy to turn on. This post will guide you on how to enable Shopify Site Maintenance using built-in features. Why Activate Shopify Site Maintenance Mode? Hate half-done updates? With the activation of Shopify Site Maintenance mode, you enjoy numerous benefits, including: 1. Defend the user experience: Visitors will not find half-done updates. 2. Secure your SEO ranking: Incomplete pages will not get indexed. 3. Enhanced security: Only authorized users can access your store when in Shopify Site Maintenance mode, hence securely keeping sensitive information. Let’s begin with steps on how to activate Shopify Site Maintenance mode for your Shopify store. Step 1: Access Your Shopify Admin for Shopify Site Maintenance The first step in setting up Shopify Site Maintenance mode is accessing your Shopify admin panel. 1. Go to [Shopify] and sign into your account. 2. Then, logged in, the setup for Shopify Site Maintenance starts in your admin dashboard. This admin dashboard gives you access to all features of your store, including Shopify Site Maintenance mode. Step 2: Enable Password Protection for Shopify Site Maintenance Shopify has an in-built password protection feature that functions as a Shopify Site Maintenance mode. This Shopify Site Maintenance mode locks out all visitors from your site, while only those with the password can gain entry into the store. To enable password protection for Shopify Site Maintenance: 1. In your Shopify admin dashboard, go to Online Store > Preferences. 2. Scroll down to the Password Protection section. 3. Check the Enable password box to turn on Shopify Site Maintenance. After doing these, your store will be under Shopify Site Maintenance mode, such that no customers will be able to open up the website until the maintenance is done. Step 3: Setting a Password for Shopify Site Maintenance Mode And if you have turned on Shopify Site Maintenance by password, do not forget to configure the password for users who will require access; developers, managers, etc. 1. To display the Password field, enter a password. Only users with this password will bypass Shopify Site Maintenance mode. 2. Add a custom message for visitors, because Shopify Site Maintenance period is probably too long. [We are currently under Shopify Site Maintenance. Check back later for further information.”] This notification informs customers why your store is in Shopify Site Maintenance. 3. Save your configuration and now your Shopify Site Maintenance mode is live with password protection. Step 4: Customize Your Shopify Site Maintenance Page While your store is in Shopify Site Maintenance, don’t let visitors grow stale. To customize your Shopify Site Maintenance page: 1. In the section of Password Protection, write a note detailing why your store is under Shopify Site Maintenance 2. You can also update the theme settings, which will make your Shopify Site Maintenance page appear much more consistent with the rest of your store and branding as far as logos or fonts and color schemes go. For more engagement in the process during Shopify Site Maintenance: Have an email signup form that you will update when the Shopify Site Maintenance is done. Have social media links so that customers can reach out to you even while you are doing the process of Shopify Site Maintenance . Step 5: Test Your Shopify Site Maintenance Mode While walking away and leaving your store in a state of Shopify Site Maintenance, you ought to test that everything is working just right. 1. Open the incognito/private browser window, so the visitor is opening it for the first time. 2. Enter your store URL and make sure that you see the Shopify Site Maintenance password page. 3. From here, you can verify that the custom message explaining the Shopify Site Maintenance is visible. If everything is alright, your Shopify Site Maintenance mode is enabled and public access is denied. Step 6: Inform Your Customers about the Shopify Site Maintenance Even though your store is placed in maintenance mode within Shopify Site Maintenance, consider letting your customers know ahead of time to avoid any confusion from their side. Here are some of the ways you can communicate to your customers that your site is in Shopify Site Maintenance: 1. Email Notification: You should inform them via email that the store has been placed in Shopify Site Maintenance, and it will come live after some time 2. Social Media Updates: Let your followers know by posting about Shopify Site Maintenance. 3. In Site Notification: Before enabling your Shopify Site Maintenance, include a notification banner on your site to let visitors know in advance about the planned downtime. This is transparent communication that prevents frustration about Shopify Site Maintenance. Step 7: Deactivating Shopify Site Maintenance Mode Once you are done with your updates, and the Shopify Site Maintenance is complete, you can have your store back online instantly. 1. Navigate to Online Store > Preferences”. 2. Scroll down to the section labeled Password Protection 3. Unselect the Enable password check box to turn off Shopify Site Maintenance mode 4. Save your changes, and once again, your store will be live for customers using Shopify Site Maintenance turned off. Step 8: Best Practices using Shopify Site Maintenance It’s good to know that there are a few best practices you should adhere to when enabling Shopify Site Maintenance mode: 1. Set up Shopify Site Maintenance at times when there is very little to no traffic to the store. 2. Make the Shopify Site Maintenance concise and efficient so that there is a reduced chance of unnecessary site downtime. 3. Informs your customers advance, ahead of the time of Shopify Site Maintenance, using different forms of media like email and social media. By doing this and more of such acts, you will have a smooth