Before you start

What to do first

Follow this order: prepare store resources → connect the starting content → adjust the appearance → check everyday features. You do not need to configure every interactive section at the beginning.

These guides use a simple example: add three products you actually sell to a collection called Everyday essentials, then connect the homepage product section and main menu to it. This name is an example; use your own if you prefer.

Understand the three places for settings

Where you work	What it controls	Example
Shopify admin	Your store’s resources and selling rules	Products, collections, menus, pages, shipping, and discounts
Theme editor → Theme settings	Shared display settings	Fonts, colors, mobile navigation, and cart display
Theme editor → Sections	Sections and content blocks on the current template	Header’s Menu and the homepage Featured collection’s Collection

Installing a theme does not copy the demo store’s products, collections, menus, or app configuration to your store. Starting text and content block arrangements are also different from content already saved in the demo store. Existing stores can reuse their resources, but should still check the theme’s selections.

Step 1: Prepare three products

1. In Shopify admin, open Products and click Add product, or click an existing product’s name.
2. Enter its title, description, and actual price, then upload product images in Media. If it needs colors or sizes, set up its options and variants in the product first.
3. Check inventory and selling status. For products intended for your public homepage, set the status to Active and include Online Store in their publishing channels. Saving a draft alone does not make it purchasable.
4. Click Save and repeat for the other two products. Do not change real prices or invent stock for this tutorial.

Checkpoint: All three products appear in Products with the correct main image, price, and availability. If they do not appear on the storefront, check publishing channels and market availability before checking the theme.

Step 2: Create a featured collection

1. Open Products → Collections and click the new-collection action. Depending on your Shopify admin interface, it may be called Add collection or Create collection.
2. Enter Everyday essentials as the title, then add a description and collection image that explain the category.
3. If you see Collection type, choose Manual for this example, save, then browse and add the three products in the Products area.
4. If you see a sources area, click Add products in the Products source, select the three products, and click Add. This example does not need automatic conditions.
5. Make the collection available to Online Store and save. Reopen it and confirm that all three products are included.

Shopify is rolling out an updated collections interface. Follow the branch visible in your admin. Shopify’s collections guide covers the available interfaces.

Checkpoint: The collection contains products, and those products are available to the online store. Choosing a theme layout does not fill an empty collection or publish its products.

Step 3: Prepare an information page and main menu

1. In Online Store → Pages, click Add page, enter an About us title and body, set Visibility to visible, and save. You can reuse an existing valid page.
2. Open Content → Menus, click Create menu, and name it Store main menu.
3. Click Add menu item, enter Shop as the label, and select Collections → Everyday essentials in the link resource picker. Finish adding the item.
4. Add About us and select Pages → your new information page as its destination. Entering a label alone does not create a destination.
5. Keep both items at the same level, order them Shop → About us, and click Save or Save menu.

Checkpoint: Store main menu appears in the menu list with two items pointing to the correct resources. You still need to select it in Header; the next guide covers that step.

Step 4: Prepare images and real policies

Prepare a clear logo, homepage banner, and collection images. Upload them in Content → Files or through a theme Image picker. Follow the size advice next to the relevant setting. Put important wording in theme text fields instead of only inside images.

Before launching, also complete your store’s payment, shipping, tax, and policy settings in Shopify admin. Free-shipping text, countdowns, and purchase wording in the theme do not create selling rules. Keep the cart’s Goal type = Off until a real offer exists.

Next step

Continue to First-time setup: menus and homepage content to connect these resources. To adjust an existing store, go straight to Common settings.

Platform instructions: products, pages, and menu links.