Before you make a WooCommerce store public, configure its products, checkout, store presentation, applicable tax and shipping, then place a test order and verify the full workflow. WooCommerce’s setup checklist is a guide to launch decisions—not a requirement to accept every optional recommendation. This checklist follows its current sequence and adds the backup, compatibility, and testing checks that help prevent avoidable launch problems.
1. Add and verify at least one product
Start with a product buyers can actually find and purchase. WooCommerce supports a simple first product as well as physical, variable, grouped, and other product types; CSV import is available for catalogs. Set the product up according to what you sell rather than adding complexity you do not need.
- Enter the intended product name, description, and price.
- Set inventory and stock behavior so the storefront reflects what you can sell.
- Check catalog visibility and confirm the product appears where buyers should find it.
- Review product images for clarity and make sure the page communicates the next step to the buyer.
WooCommerce’s current setup checklist starts with adding products and recommends getting core catalog and inventory fields right. Its older 2019 pre-launch checklist also calls out branding consistency, clear calls to action, and image quality; use these as practical review prompts, not as a replacement for the current setup flow.
2. Set up payments and verify the buyer experience
Choose a payment method available for your store’s country and suitable for your buyers. Available providers can depend on the store country and information entered during setup; some providers require a separate account or additional authentication. Compare options by geographic availability, account setup, checkout experience, and the provider’s security requirements instead of assuming one gateway is best for every store.
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| Checkout model | Where the payment portion happens | Security consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted or offsite | On the payment provider’s site and servers. | The payment portion stays with the provider, but you still need to follow the gateway’s requirements and secure the WordPress site. |
| Integrated | Within the store’s checkout experience. | The store has a greater security burden. WooCommerce says integrated gateways require at least rudimentary PCI compliance, including valid HTTPS/SSL; check the specific gateway’s requirements. |
WooCommerce explains these differences in its site and data security FAQ. Its broader security guidance is also worth reviewing when selecting and configuring payment extensions.
- Complete any provider account connection or authentication steps.
- Confirm checkout presents the intended payment options and buyer-facing instructions.
- Run a test payment using the gateway’s supported test process, then check the resulting order status and any payment confirmation shown to the buyer.
3. Customize the storefront and check its key pages
Make sure the theme and store presentation reflect the experience you intend to offer. Review the homepage, navigation, product pages, cart, and checkout. Check that buyers can locate the cart and move toward checkout without confusion, and that essential store information is visible where it is needed.
- Preview the storefront and check that the branding, layout, and calls to action are consistent.
- Navigate from a product page to the cart and checkout as a buyer would.
- Review the wording, images, and page behavior on the devices and screen sizes your customers are likely to use.
- Check coupon behavior if you plan to offer coupons.
These are practical usability checks, not a substitute for testing a complete order. The order test later in this checklist verifies the commerce workflow end to end.
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4. Choose and configure your tax approach
Decide how your business will handle tax before setting the corresponding store options. WooCommerce supports choosing an automated tax partner when available, entering rates manually, or indicating that the store does not charge sales tax. Configure the option that matches your business’s tax approach.
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5. Configure shipping if you sell goods that need delivery
If shipping applies, work from your actual store location and the places you intend to serve. Set up destinations and shipping zones, add the appropriate methods, and inspect the rates buyers will see. A method can be configured correctly in the dashboard but still produce an unexpected price or no available option for a particular destination, so include shipping in checkout tests.
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- Confirm the store location is correct.
- Define the destinations and zones you intend to serve.
- Configure the relevant shipping methods and customer-facing rates.
- Test checkout addresses in the zones you plan to support.
6. Back up the database and site files
A usable WooCommerce backup must cover both the site files and the database. WooCommerce identifies wp-content as the location for themes, extensions, and uploaded media; the database holds products, orders, posts, pages, and settings. Keeping only one side does not provide a complete store backup.
| Approach | What to check |
|---|---|
| Automated backup service | Confirm its schedule covers both database and files, and understand how restoration works. |
| Manual backup | Export or copy both the database and site files, including wp-content, and know how you would restore them. |
WooCommerce describes backup options in its WordPress backup guidance. Before making changes that could affect the live store, make a current backup rather than relying on an older copy.
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Verify the current WordPress, WooCommerce, PHP, and database requirements for the exact versions you plan to deploy. Requirements change over time, so static version recommendations can become stale; consult WooCommerce’s server requirements before launch and when planning updates.
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Keep WordPress, WooCommerce, themes, plugins, and payment gateways maintained. Choose extensions from reputable sources and remove software that is abandoned or vulnerable. WooCommerce recommends backing up first and using a staging site to test updates where possible.
- Make a current backup of the database and files.
- Apply the planned software updates on a staging copy when available.
- Check product pages, cart, checkout, payment, shipping, taxes, and order emails on staging.
- Test extension-specific features affected by the updates.
- After deploying the update set, repeat the relevant checks on the live store.
See WooCommerce’s update guidance for its recommended update workflow.
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A finished homepage is not proof that the store is ready. Run through checkout as a buyer and verify each part of the order path that applies to your business.
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- Open a product page and confirm the product details, price, and availability.
- Add the product to the cart and check that the cart contents and totals are correct.
- Continue to checkout and enter an address in a supported destination.
- Check that the expected payment option, tax treatment, and shipping method and rate appear.
- Complete a test payment using the payment provider’s supported test process.
- Check the order in WooCommerce, including its status after payment.
- Verify that the expected order emails arrive and contain the correct information.
Test other important paths too, such as a different shipping zone, a variable product, or a coupon, if your store uses them. WooCommerce’s update checks also highlight product pages, cart, checkout, payment, shipping, taxes, and order emails as areas to test.
9. Review visibility and launch
WooCommerce’s current setup sequence ends with launching the store. Before changing visibility, preview the storefront and confirm the product, payment, tax, and shipping decisions that apply to your store are represented correctly. Then decide whether to turn off Coming soon mode so customers can access the storefront.
WooCommerce describes its checklist as “a guide to the decisions your store needs before launch.” That is useful framing: complete the decisions that apply to your business, test the actual buyer workflow, and defer optional recommendations that do not fit your store.
Quick Recap
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