This is an installment in our Basics of Shopify series. Check out our other blog posts

Basics of Shopify: All About Menus

Shopify B2B: Beyond the Basics

Basics of Shopify: Creating and Editing Blog Posts

Basics of Shopify: Product Detail Pages

The Shopify Admin is the heart of your Shopify store. It doesn’t matter what tier you’re on, if you’re selling B2B or D2C, or what you sell: to be successful on Shopify, you need to know how to navigate your Shopify Admin.

In this installment of our Basics of Shopify Series, Fyresite will be reviewing the basics of what you need to know to navigate your Shopify Admin to get the best out of it.

Sections of the Shopify Admin

Every Shopify Admin has essential sections that can be accessed from the left-side side bar.

Home

This is the main page of the admin. Here, you’ll see important alerts and updates, daily tasks, an overview of sales performance, and metrics. You can edit the time range for the metrics, as well as edit what analytics you see.

Orders

Here, you’ll see your orders. This includes orders that have come through your Shopify store, draft orders that you manually add, and returns. You can also see abandoned checkouts, and use marketing automations to encourage customers to come and checkout.

Products

This is where you can monitor and edit your entire catalog. In this section, you can edit the products you sell, organize products into collections, track purchase orders, move inventory between locations, and even sell gift cards.

While a product in Shopify technically needs a minimum of 2 things (product name and price), it’s best to create a product detail page for each product.

Customers

Customers are an important part of every business. In this tab, you can see customers, where they’re from, how many orders they’re made and how much they’ve spent. You can also view customer segments, and (if you’re selling B2B) companies.

Growth

This tab used to be known as the marketing tab. Here, you can view your attribution and campaigns to see how your marketing efforts are driving growth.

Discounts

In this section, you can manage any discounts and promotions that your store is running.

Content

This is the hub of all the media files for your store. This is where you’ll find metaobjects, files, menus, and blog posts.

Markets

Shopify Markets allows you to customize the customer experience based on location, group, retail location, or sales channel. In this tab, you can manage these details and customize.

Finance

This is where you can manage your business finances, both store income and business expenses. You can also apply for/manage your Shopify Credit here.

Analytics

If you want to see how your store is performing, this is where you’ll want to go. This section provides detailed information about your store performance, sales performance, store traffic, and more.

Check out our blog on Shopify Analytics for a more in-depth look.

Shopify Admin FAQs

There’s more to the Shopify Admin than the sections you can immediately see. Here are answers to some of the most common questions merchants have about navigating and managing the Shopify Admin.

Q: What Staff Permission Do I Need to Access the Shopify Admin?

Your access to the Shopify Admin depends on the role and permissions assigned to your user account. Store owners and administrators can give users access to specific areas, such as orders, products, customers, analytics, apps, or theme settings.

Shopify manages permissions through roles, which are collections of permissions designed around different responsibilities. For example, a customer service employee may need access to customers and orders but not finances or store settings. A developer may need access to themes and apps without needing access to customer data.

A user can have multiple roles, and their permissions are combined. If you cannot find or use a feature, ask the store owner or administrator to review your role under Settings > Users. The ability to add Shopify Admin users and create certain types of roles depends on the store’s plan and organization setup.

Q: How Do I Access the Shopify Admin?

On a desktop computer, visit shopify.com/admin and sign in using the email address connected to your Shopify account. You can also manage your store through the Shopify mobile app for iOS or Android.

The mobile app provides access to common tasks such as managing orders, updating products, and checking analytics. However, some advanced settings and administrative features may require the desktop version of Shopify.

Q: What Can I Manage From the Shopify Admin?

The Shopify Admin is the central hub for managing your store. Depending on your permissions, you can use it to:

  • Add and update products
  • Manage inventory
  • Review, fulfill, refund, and cancel orders
  • Manage customer information
  • Create discounts
  • Review reports and analytics
  • Manage marketing campaigns
  • Customize your online store
  • Install and manage apps
  • Configure payments, shipping, taxes, notifications, and other settings

The features available may also depend on your Shopify plan, installed apps, and sales channels.

Q: How Do I Search the Shopify Admin?

Use the search bar at the top of the Shopify Admin to find products, orders, customers, apps, settings, and other resources. You can open the search tool quickly by pressing Command + K on a Mac or Control + K on Windows.

Search results can be filtered by category to help you find the right information faster. If a traditional search does not answer your question, Shopify may also give you the option to ask Sidekick for help.

Q: Why Can’t I See a Section of the Shopify Admin?

If a menu item, report, app, or setting is missing, your account may not have permission to access it. The feature could also be unavailable on your current Shopify plan or restricted to the store owner.

Ask the store owner or an administrator to review your assigned roles and permissions. If the missing feature belongs to an app, make sure your role also includes permission to access that specific app.

Q: How Do I Add a New User to the Shopify Admin?

Eligible store owners and administrators can manage access by going to Settings > Users. From there, they can invite a new user and assign the appropriate role and store access.

The ability to add Admin users depends on the store’s Shopify plan. Shopify currently limits this feature on Starter and Basic plans. Each team member should use their own account instead of sharing login credentials.

Q: Can I Change a User’s Permissions?

Yes, if you have permission to manage users and roles. Go to Settings > Users, select the user, and update their assigned roles or store access.

When a user’s responsibilities change, review their access to ensure they have the permissions they need without providing unnecessary access to sensitive store information.

Q: Can I Use the Same Login for Multiple Shopify Stores?

Yes. If the same email address has access to multiple Shopify stores, you can move between them using the store switcher in the top bar of the Admin. Select the store’s name and choose another store from the list.

Always check which store you are viewing before updating products, processing orders, or changing settings.

Q: Where Can I Find Shopify Apps and Sales Channels?

Installed apps and active sales channels appear in the sidebar of the Shopify Admin. You can pin frequently used apps and channels to keep them visible and drag pinned items into your preferred order.

To review, configure, or uninstall them, go to Settings > Apps and sales channels.

Q: Can I Customize the Shopify Admin Navigation?

You cannot completely redesign the Shopify Admin, but you can pin frequently used apps and sales channels to the sidebar. This makes important tools easier to access and reduces the need to search for them each time.

The main sections displayed in the Admin will also vary according to your permissions, installed apps, and active sales channels.

Q: Where Do I Find My Store Settings?

Click Settings at the bottom of the Shopify Admin sidebar. This area contains settings for payments, checkout, shipping and delivery, taxes, locations, markets, domains, notifications, customer accounts, users, and other store functions.

Some settings are restricted to the store owner or users with administrative permissions.

Q: Can I See Who Made a Change in the Shopify Admin?

Shopify provides activity logs that record certain actions performed by the store owner, users, and apps. These logs can help you determine when a change occurred and who or what made it.

Activity tracking does not cover every action or provide a complete backup of your store. For important theme or data changes, use a backup process and document major updates.

Q: How Do I Make My Shopify Admin More Secure?

Every user should have a separate account and enable two-step authentication. Avoid sharing passwords, regularly review user access, and suspend or remove users who no longer need access.

Only give each person the permissions required for their role. If a device is lost or compromised, an eligible administrator can revoke its access under Settings > Users.

Q: What Should I Do if the Shopify Admin Is Not Loading?

First, refresh the page and confirm that your internet connection is working. You can also clear your browser cache, disable conflicting extensions, or try another supported browser.

Check Shopify Status to see whether Shopify is experiencing a known service disruption. If Shopify is operational but the problem continues, contact Shopify Support or your Shopify development partner.

Work With Fyresite, a Shopify Premier Partner

Fyresite is a trusted Shopify Premier Partner. We can help improve your Shopify store, whether you’re creating a new store, migrating from another platform, or looking to improve what you have. Contact us today for a free consultation.