How to Give a Developer Access to Your Shopify Store Without Sharing Your Password

Your Shopify account controls your products, orders, customer data and payments. Sharing your login with a developer gives them all of that. Shopify offers safer options built for exactly this situation. Menu names change from time to time, so follow the current options in your admin.

Option 1: a staff account

In your Shopify admin, open Settings and look for Users and permissions. You can add a staff member with their own email address and choose which areas they can access, such as products, orders or themes. The number of staff accounts you can create depends on your plan.

Option 2: a collaborator account

If you work with an agency or freelancer, they can ask for collaborator access using your store address. You review and approve the request, usually with a request code that Shopify shows you. Collaborators do not use up a staff seat, and you can set which permissions they get.

Choose the smallest set of permissions

• Themes and apps for design and development work
• Products and collections for catalogue work
• Orders and customers only when truly necessary

Keep settings such as payments, billing, plan and ownership under your own control.

Protect the account

• Turn on two-factor authentication for yourself and for staff.
• Never share one-time codes sent to you by text or an authenticator app.
• Do not share your payment provider or bank login with anyone.

Remove access when finished

When the job ends, remove the staff or collaborator account and review who else has access.

Related reading

See our guide on giving a developer safe access to your website and our Shopify store launch checklist. For help with your store, visit our website development service.