The best Shopify launches happen when the store has an audience ready to buy before the doors open. A pre-launch email list of 500 genuinely interested subscribers produces a better launch day than a perfectly polished store with no one to tell about it.
Using Shopify's password protection
Shopify's built-in password protection (Online Store - Preferences - Password protection) is the simplest coming soon setup. Enable it, enter a password, and your store shows a simple password page to all visitors.
Shopify allows you to customise this password page within your theme - you can add your branding, a brief description of what's coming, and an email signup form. The customisation options are limited but sufficient for a basic pre-launch page.
The password page does accept email signups natively when connected to Shopify's email list - customers who enter their email on the password page are added to your subscriber list for marketing emails.
Building a custom pre-launch landing page
For more control over the pre-launch experience, build a custom page rather than relying on the default password page. A dedicated landing page lets you:
- Show your brand photography and product teaser images
- Include a countdown timer to the launch date
- Connect to your email marketing platform (Klaviyo, Omnisend) directly
- Create multiple opt-in incentives ("Sign up for early access" vs "Sign up for 15% off at launch")
- Set up a custom domain before the main store is live
Tools like Shogun, PageFly, or a simple custom Liquid template can build this. For a simple pre-launch page without custom development, a standalone landing page builder (Leadpages, Unbounce) pointed at your domain while the Shopify store is in development is a fast option.
What your coming soon page needs
A pre-launch page that converts visitors into email subscribers needs:
A clear value proposition. What are you launching? Who is it for? What problem does it solve? "A premium skincare line formulated for sensitive skin - launching September 2026" is more compelling than "Something exciting is coming."
A compelling reason to sign up. "Be the first to know" is weak. "Sign up for early access and 20% off your first order" is much stronger. "Join the waitlist to receive [free guide / exclusive first access / founder pricing]" gives the visitor a concrete incentive to share their email today rather than waiting until launch.
A single, prominent email capture. One field (email address), one CTA ("Get early access"), no distractions. Every additional element on a pre-launch page reduces the focus on the single action you want visitors to take.
Social proof if you have it. If you've been selling at markets, pop-ups, or online elsewhere, include a testimonial or two. If you have press coverage or a brand partnership, show the logos. Early social proof reassures visitors that the brand is real before they hand over their email.
Driving traffic to your coming soon page
Building the page is the easy part. Getting people to it is the work. Pre-launch traffic sources that cost nothing:
- Your personal and professional network. Share it on LinkedIn, Instagram, WhatsApp. Your first 100 subscribers are usually people who know you.
- Relevant online communities. Reddit, Facebook Groups, Discord servers in your product category. Contribute genuinely before posting about your launch.
- Local press and blogs. A new local business launching is often news for local media and community blogs. A brief press release to 5 relevant local outlets costs an hour of writing.
- Your existing customer base (if you're launching a new brand or product line from an existing business).
What to send the list before launch
Building a pre-launch list is only valuable if you use it. Send 2-3 emails in the weeks before launch:
- A welcome email immediately on signup (automated) - thanks for signing up, here's what's coming, here's why you should care
- A "behind the scenes" email 2-3 weeks before launch - the story behind the product, who makes it, why you created it
- A launch day email with a link, the early access offer, and a clear deadline for the offer
A list that receives relevant content before launch converts better at launch than one that receives only a single launch announcement email on the day.
