What documents should I provide to create a Shopify store?
Well-organized documents allow the service provider to evaluate the work, build a coherent structure and avoid blockages during creation.
Quick response: prepare a brief, your visual identity, the product catalog, images, page contents, payment and delivery rules, legal texts, functionalities and necessary access. Not everything needs to be finalized before the first meeting.
The ten categories of documents to provide
Indicate for each element whether it is validated, in progress or to be produced. The service provider will thus be able to distinguish the integration, creation and decisions still necessary.
Company presentation
Activity, customers, geographic areas, positioning, competitors and official contact details.
To prepare: A presentation of 1 to 2 pages is sufficient.
Brief and project objectives
Creation or overhaul, current difficulties, priority objectives, budget, timetable and decision-makers.
To prepare: Classify requests as essential, important and future.
Visual identity
Vector logo, variations, colors, typographies, brand rules and visual references.
To prepare: Provide SVG, transparent PNG and color coding.
Product catalog
Titles, descriptions, prices, compared prices, SKU, stocks, weights, variants, suppliers, types, collections and tags.
To prepare: Use a consistent tabular file.
Photographs and videos
Product images, variations, details, uses, videos and alternative texts available.
To prepare: Name files with SKU or ID.
Page contents
Home, About, contact, FAQ, services, arguments, testimonials and reinsurance information.
To prepare: Separate validated texts from drafts.
Payment, delivery and taxes
Countries, currencies, carriers, zones, tariffs, thresholds, deadlines, withdrawals and trade rules.
To prepare: Describe several control scenarios.
Legal documents
Legal notices, confidentiality, conditions of sale, delivery, returns and refunds.
To prepare: Texts must be validated by the company.
Features and integrations
Reviews, subscription, booking, B2B, multilingual, filters, ERP, billing, email and business tools.
To prepare: Describe the need before choosing the application.
Access and existing data
Domain, Shopify, analytics, applications, catalog, old site and necessary tools.
To prepare: Use nominative invitations, never a shared password.
In what format should the files be transmitted?
| Content | Recommended format | To avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Catalog | CSV or Excel with consistent columns. | Information scattered throughout emails. |
| Logo | SVG or vector, plus transparent PNG. | Screenshot or small compressed image. |
| Photographs | JPG, PNG or WebP in high definition. | Randomly renamed images and duplicates. |
| Texts | Document shared with titles and statuses. | Multiple versions without indication. |
| Videos | Stable source files or hosting links. | Very compressed attachments. |
| Access | Nominative employee invitation. | Password written in a spreadsheet. |
How to organize the shared folder?
01 - Piloting
Brief, planning, budget, reports, decisions and list of managers.
02 - Brand
Logo, charter, typographies, references, institutional photos and graphic elements.
03 - Catalog
Product spreadsheet, images classified by SKU, collections, stocks and supplier documents.
04 - Contents
Page texts, FAQs, testimonials, translations and editorial validation.
05 - Sale
Delivery, payment, taxes, returns, promotions and order scenarios.
06 - Technical
Domain, tools, applications, integrations and inventory of access to create.
Additional documents for a Shopify redesign
To keep
- Useful catalog and customer accounts
- Order history according to the project
- Important URLs and redirects
- High-performance content
- Essential features
To analyze
- Applications and recurring costs
- Performance and conversion data
- Mobile and navigation issues
- Known technical errors
- Customer and team feedback
Essential before the quote or before production?
To get an estimate
Brief, catalog volume, objectives, features, available content, budget and schedule are generally sufficient.
To begin creation
You then need the brand files, a standard sheet, commercial rules, the necessary access and a validation process.
Shopify Project Documents FAQ
Do I have to provide all documents before the first appointment?
No. For the first exchange, a presentation of the activity, the number of products, the objectives, the budget and the desired date are sufficient. The rest can be organized after framing.
In what format should I send the product catalog?
A CSV or Excel spreadsheet is generally the most convenient. Use one row per product or variant and consistent columns for titles, prices, SKUs, stocks, collections, images, and other attributes.
Do product descriptions need to be completed?
Not necessarily, but you have to indicate who will write them. Provide at least a few representative sheets in order to evaluate the structure and the necessary editorial work.
What files should I provide for the logo?
Ideally an SVG or vector file, accompanied by a transparent PNG version and light or dark variants. Avoid a small image retrieved from a site or screenshot.
How to transmit product images?
Classify them in folders or name them with the SKU or product ID. Indicate the display order and separate the main visuals, details, variants and lifestyle uses.
What documents do you need for a Shopify redesign?
Add the current URL, a catalog export, the list of applications, access when necessary, available performance data, redirects to keep and problems encountered.
Do I have to provide the legal texts to the service provider?
Yes. The merchant remains responsible for legal and commercial information. The service provider can integrate the texts, but their validation must be carried out by the company and, if necessary, a legal professional.
How to share documents securely?
Use a shared folder with limited rights and personal access. Do not place passwords in documents: use collaborator invitations and a suitable password manager.
You don't need a perfect folder
SiteQuiVend can help you organize available information and identify missing content before production.
