“Is Shopify Down?” should be the least searched query by any Shopify business owner like you. But when it actually happens, what are the reasons for it? And should you be worried about it?
By the time you land on this article, you’ve probably hit that refresh button a hundred times, checked your internet connection, and whatnot. But here’s what you should actually be doing – relax and not worry because I’ve got your back!
The most recent Shopify outage was on 2 March 2024, the day I started working on this article. What are the odds? Sadly, this means I’ve faced this error more than once.
Follow this guide to learn how Shopify merchants face errors, reasons, and how to fix them.
What Are Some Common Shopify Errors?
Whenever Shopify goes down, it affects one of the below service areas:
- Admin
- Checkout
- Reports or Dashboard
- API and Mobile
- Support
- Storefront
- Third-party services
- Point of sale
Let’s check next how you can know if your Shopify store is actually down. Remember, Shopify powers 4.80 million websites, so the solution for such a large customer base generally comes quickly.
How Do You Know If Shopify Is Down?
I faced this issue when I was comfortable with Shopify and my venture. I remember I was in the middle of working on adding a collection of products, and out of the blue, the message hit – “We’ll be back soon. “
You will know if Shopify is down when you see the below image upon logging in:
1. Visit Shopify Shopify Status Page
To learn more about the error in your Shopify store, visit the Shopify Status website. Here, you’ll know the root cause of the Shopify Outage.
If you click on the ongoing issue, you get an explanation of the same status, the area getting affected, and the time that the error occurred.
This page pinpoints the issue your Shopify store is facing and also grades the criticality of the issue. You can see the status in the below form under each of the service areas related to your store.
That’s the first way for you to know if Shopify is down.
2. Check Social Media
The next best thing to ensure is that Shopify is down for everyone or that the error is specific to your store. I recommend you use “X” to know if there’s a quick outage.
You can either look for the posts of others or share your own tagging @Shopify Support on X. The solution you receive is quick. Someone from the support team will contact you immediately, or at least a fellow Shopify merchant will confirm the issue.
3. Use A Downdetector
To confirm if your Shopify store is not reachable further, you should use any of the popular down detectors. These tools can help you understand the impact of the current Shopify outage.
Here’s the down report on the recent outage in March 2024. This was
These are some of the most popular and effective ways to confirm a Shopify outage. Let’s go further to know what steps to take next.
What To Do If Shopify Is Down? How To Fix The Shopify Error? – Steps To Follow
Regardless of the origin of the problems at Shopify’s end or your end, you cannot just sit and do nothing. Once you confirm that your Shopify store is unreachable, here is what you need to do.
1. Inform Your Customers
This step should ideally be the very first step you should be taking. However unpopular this may sound, you should be informing your customers about the unavailability of your store.
Using this step, you can prevent panic and confusion in your customers. Not attending to your customers immediately may hamper the sales and the image of your Shopify store.
So, using the official mediums of your brand, you should inform your customers about the Shopify outage and ensure a quick resolution.
Repeat this step and inform them when your store goes back live!
2. Use Shopify Resources
Since Shopify is down, you won’t be able to access customer support from the store. Instead, you can head toward the Shopify Help Center or Shopify Community Discussions and search for the error you’re facing.
These sources are rich with resources that can help you get out of the sticky situation.
3. Use Social Media
Another way to get a solution to your error is the old-famous post on social media, tagging the official Shopify handles. However, this might not be as effective of a solution as the above.
I used “X” when Shopify was down in March 2024, and I received a reply within 15 minutes of posting the query.
A Shopify representative will contact your post and address your query accordingly. Don’t worry, but ensure you are correctly explaining your query for a solution.
Here’s Shopify’s social media handles clubbed:
4. Write An Email
Send an email if you’re not finding your issue anywhere on the community platforms, help centers, or social media handles or if it’s a concern that cannot be shared publicly and requires proper official communication.
Gather all your screenshots from the Shopify status checker, down detector, and your website. Explain your concern in detail and send an email to –support@shopify.com
5. Connect Over The Phone
If you are a Shopify Plus user, you have the option to get phone support. Use this to your advantage. Skip the above steps and call the phone support team. Explain the issues you’re facing clearly, and they shall guide you through.
6. Quick Troubleshooting Guide
If you can’t find your query anywhere on the Shopify platforms or social media and can’t wait for a reply, you may try troubleshooting.
Here’s what you can try:
- Try logging in from another device. Cookies and Cache storage can affect usability at times.
- Check if your ISP is blocking Shopify.
- Get rid of untrusted third-party apps or themes.
These hacks may or may not work. To be absolutely sure of a solution, wait for the Shopify support to reach you.
Common Reasons For Shopify To Face An Outage
Every type of outage issue is a headache for an entrepreneur. Here’s a list of the reasons why Shopify must be down.
- Server Issues
Shopify stores all over a particular region can go out if Shopify is experiencing a traffic load and server issues.
- Third-party Themes or App Usage
If you use Shopify themes or apps from a not-so-renowned source, chances are that your Shopify store will get bugged. Always check for the reviews and ratings of any unofficial Shopify software before using it on your store.
- Scheduled Maintenance
Though Shopify has a good uptime of 99.99%, there are rare chances that the site will go off for scheduled maintenance periods.
- Custom Domain Issues
You can also face an outage if you have not verified or optimized your domain correctly. Again, a third-party service provider can create this issue for you.
- Failed CSV Upload
Uploading CSV files in bulk, errors in files in terms of columns or corrupt CSV files can also raise red signals for you.
Bonus Tips To Follow If Shopify Is Down
As an entrepreneur, the main focus should be on the customer’s experience, even during the whole period of ambiguity. Follow these steps while facing a Shopify outage, and keep these handy for future instances.
- Do not run new advertisement campaigns.
Depending on the outage period, you should consider halting your advertisement plans if under discussion.
- Pause existing text or email campaigns.
When an issue this large goes public, it is not advisable to bombard a user with SMS and emails when they cannot even reach your store.
- Have more than one payment gateway.
If your customers are having trouble paying for the products, having a backup helps retain business during an outage.
- Backup your store regularly.
Have a backup of your store done frequently to reinstate any lost elements in an outage quickly.
- Stay Calm and invest time to improve your store.
Last but not least, you should remain calm in the entire process. Outages can happen, and solutions can be found, too.
If you’ve identified your issues and have already notified Shopify about them while waiting for a solution, you can spend time assessing your store and performance.
DemandSage Bonus – Shopify is a reliable e-commerce platform, and an outage doesn’t define its credibility. Here’s a separate post on Shopify where I share my Shopify review.
Now that you know the possible reasons for a Shopify outage and the steps to take, you should be prepared if, god forbid, you or someone from your Shopify community faces the same issue.
Monitor all the channels mentioned above, take the necessary precautions, stay vigilant of third-party solutions, and again, stay strong and don’t lose your calm!
But also, be quick and don’t sit idle. Let me know in the comments section below if you face an issue finding a solution to the Shopify outage.
