Testing on Shopify Dev Stores

If you're testing your coming soon page on a Shopify development store, you may notice some different behavior compared to live stores. This is expected and due to Shopify platform limitations.

Understanding Dev Store Password Protection

Shopify development stores have a mandatory password protection page that cannot be disabled or customized. This is a Shopify platform feature, not a limitation of our app.

What This Means for Testing

When testing on a dev store:

Visitors will first see Shopify's password page — This is the standard dev store login screen
After entering the dev store password, they can access the store
Your coming soon page then works normally — The redirect kicks in after passing the password page

How It Works on Different Store Types

Live/Paid Stores ✅

On a live Shopify store (any paid plan):

Visitor → Your Store → Coming Soon Page (any page) (redirected automatically)

Your coming soon page works perfectly! Visitors are immediately redirected to your beautiful AI-generated page.

Development Stores ⚠️

On a dev store:

Visitor → Shopify Dev Password → Store → Coming Soon Page (cannot bypass) (redirected automatically)

The Shopify password page appears first, then your coming soon page works as expected.

Why Can't I Remove the Dev Store Password?

According to Shopify's official documentation:

"You can't remove the password page, or show a custom password page."

This is a security measure for development stores and applies to all apps, not just ours.

Testing Your Coming Soon Page

To properly test on a dev store:

Visit your store URL (e.g., your-store.myshopify.com)
Enter the dev store password (found in Online Store → Preferences)
After logging in, you'll be redirected to your coming soon page
Test whitelisted paths, password protection, and other features

Everything works the same as a live store — the only difference is the initial Shopify password gate.

What Happens When I Go Live?

When you (or your merchant) upgrades to a paid Shopify plan:

The dev store password page is removed
Your coming soon page becomes the first thing visitors see
All features work exactly as configured

No changes to your app settings are needed!

FAQ

Q: Will this affect my live store?

No. Once you're on a paid Shopify plan, the dev store password page is removed automatically.

Q: Can I see what the coming soon page looks like without the password?

Yes! Visit your coming soon page directly at /apps/coming-soon after logging into your dev store.

Q: Is there any way to bypass the dev store password?

No. This is a Shopify platform restriction that applies to all development stores.