Stores
Access to store management depends on your role and permissions in your organization. Learn about user permissions →
Access to store management depends on your role and permissions in your organization. Learn about user permissions →
You work with the following store types in your organization:
- Dev stores that you own and test against.
- Client transfer stores that you build and hand over to a merchant.
- Collaborations on stores a merchant already owns.
Anchor to Where to manage storesWhere to manage stores
In the Dev Dashboard, the Stores tab lists every store connected to your organization. Learn how to create dev stores and client transfer stores, or request access to a merchant's store.
Anchor to Store typesStore types
There are three store types: dev stores, client transfer stores, and collaborations. The Dev Dashboard gives each one its own sub-tab.
Anchor to Dev storesDev stores
Dev stores are testing environments that you own and control. They're the right choice when you're building or testing an app, experimenting with a theme, or need a Shopify store that behaves like a real merchant store without the risk of affecting live data.
Dev stores can be created on any Shopify plan, and you can enable a feature preview at creation to test capabilities that aren't available to all stores yet.
Learn more about dev stores →
Anchor to Client transfer storesClient transfer stores
Client transfer stores are stores you build on behalf of a client. You own and configure the store during the build phase, then transfer ownership to the client when it's ready.
Use a client transfer store when a merchant has hired you to build their store. The store is created under your organization, giving you full access to configure and customize it, and a clean handoff when the work is done.
Learn more about client transfer stores →
Anchor to CollaborationsCollaborations
Collaborations are access relationships with merchant-owned stores. When a merchant grants your organization collaborator access, that store appears in your Collaborations tab. You're working inside a live merchant store; you don't own it, and it isn't transferred to you.
Use collaborations when an existing merchant needs ongoing support, customization, or app development on their store.
Learn more about collaborations →
Anchor to Choosing the right store typeChoosing the right store type
| Dev store | Client transfer store | Collaboration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who owns the store | You (your organization) | You during build; merchant after transfer | The merchant |
| Primary use | App and theme development and testing | Build a store to hand off to a client | Work on a merchant's live store |
| Transferable to a merchant | No | Yes | N/A — merchant already owns it |
| How to create | Dev Dashboard | Dev Dashboard | Neither — the merchant initiates, or you request access using Stores → Request store access |
| Real transactions | No | No | Yes |
| Install custom or draft apps | Yes | No | Depends on merchant permissions |