Online Store Launch Checklist for Indian Sellers

An online store launch checklist for Indian sellers should cover twelve areas: business and legal basics, store setup, catalogue, pricing and GST, payments, shipping and returns, policy pages, customer communication, testing, search and analytics, marketing readiness, and launch-week monitoring. Missing even one item, such as a return policy, a pincode check or a test payment, is how most first-week problems begin.

This checklist is built to be used, not just read. Each section lists the items to verify, with a short note on why it matters or how to check it. Work through the sections in order, and do not announce your store until every item is either done or consciously accepted. If you want the reasoning behind each step, our guide on how to start an online store in India explains the full process, and our 7-day launch plan shows how to schedule it.

Quick answer: Before you launch, confirm that your registrations are in place, your products have complete pages and accurate stock, prices and GST are correct, UPI, card and (if offered) COD payments work in live mode, shipping covers your target pincodes, your legal and policy pages are published, you have placed real test orders, and your analytics and search tools are connected.

How to use this checklist

Print it, copy it into a spreadsheet, or work through it on screen. For each item, mark it as done, not applicable or open. Anything open at the end needs an owner and a date. Treat the testing section as non-negotiable, because many of the other items only reveal problems when a real order moves through the store. The items marked as "if applicable" depend on your category, turnover or state, so confirm them with a chartered accountant where the law is involved.

1. Business and legal basics

• PAN available for the person or business that will receive settlements. Payment gateways and tax filings depend on it.
• Business bank account open in the same name as your gateway account and tax records, so verification does not fail on a name mismatch.
• GST registration decided. Registration is required once aggregate turnover crosses the threshold, and many sellers register earlier. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs sets thresholds of ₹40 lakh for suppliers of goods and ₹20 lakh for suppliers of services, with lower limits in some special category states (CBIC, GST: An Update). Confirm the current position on the official GST portal.
• Udyam registration (optional). It is free according to the official Udyam portal and can help with loans and schemes.
• FSSAI licence (if you sell food). It is needed before you start selling; see the FSSAI licensing FAQs.
• Other category licences (if applicable). Check whether your products need certifications, such as electronics, cosmetics or toys.
• Shop and establishment licence (if applicable) for the premises you operate from.
• Brand name checked. Confirm that no similar business already uses it, and consider a trademark once the brand gains traction.
• Accountant identified. Someone should review your first GST invoice and your month-end reports.

2. Store setup and branding

• Custom domain connected and loading over HTTPS with no browser warnings. ShopMate provides a custom domain for up to ₹1,000, subject to availability, and renewal after the first year is the merchant's responsibility (ShopMate FAQ).
• Logo uploaded in the right sizes for the header, favicon and emails.
• Brand colours and fonts set consistently across the storefront.
• Store name, address and contact details entered exactly as they appear on your registrations.
• Order emails branded with your logo and a reply-to address you actually monitor.
• Navigation checked. Five to eight clear categories, and any product reachable in three taps on a phone.
• Home page reviewed for a clear message about what you sell, a visible search, and links to shipping and returns information.
• Staff accounts created with only the permissions each person needs.

3. Catalogue and product pages

• 20 to 30 products live at launch. A focused range is easier to photograph, ship and learn from.
• At least four images per product: front, back or side, a detail close-up and one that shows scale.
• Consistent image size and background across the catalogue so the store looks professional.
• Titles written for search. Product type, key feature, colour and size, for example "Women's Cotton Block Print Kurta, Blue".
• Descriptions written in your own words, covering material, dimensions, care, what is in the box and known limitations.
• Variants set up correctly. Sizes and colours are variants of one product, each with its own stock count.
• Accurate stock quantities for every variant, to prevent overselling in week one.
• Weight and dimensions entered for every product, with packaging included. Couriers charge on the higher of actual and volumetric weight.
• Mandatory declarations included (if applicable). For pre-packaged goods, the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 require declarations such as the maximum retail price, net quantity, manufacturer, packer or importer details and country of origin, and online sellers must make these available to consumers (Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011).
• Categories assigned to every product, with no product left uncategorised.

4. Pricing, offers and GST

• Margin calculated per product after product cost, packaging, shipping, payment charges, platform fees, returns and marketing.
• Price display rule decided. Show one final price, and apply the same GST treatment to every product.
• GST rate set correctly for each product, with HSN codes where applicable.
• Sample tax invoice reviewed. It should show your GSTIN, the customer's details, the taxable value and the correct CGST and SGST split for in-state sales or IGST for sales to other states.
• Shipping charges defined. For example a flat fee, or free shipping above a set order value.
• Launch coupon created and tested, including its minimum order value and expiry.
• Discount and GST interaction tested. Confirm that tax is calculated on the discounted amount.
• Cost of the platform understood. Know exactly what you pay and when. On ShopMate that is a flat 5% commission plus 18% GST on every order, with no setup fee or yearly maintenance charge (ShopMate pricing).

5. Payments

• Payment gateway KYC approved and the account active. The documents required depend on your business type, as listed in Razorpay's document checklist.
• Live mode switched on. Razorpay's test mode only simulates payments, and payments made in test mode are not captured or settled (Razorpay, Test and Live Modes).
• UPI works from at least two different UPI apps.
• Cards work, including the authentication step.
• Net banking, EMI and wallets enabled if you want them.
• Cash on delivery rules decided. Offer it only where you can handle refusals, perhaps limited by pincode or order value, and consider a small prepaid discount.
• Failed payment flow tested. The customer sees a clear message, stock is not wrongly deducted and they can retry.
• Settlement bank account verified, and you know the settlement schedule.

6. Shipping and returns

• Courier partners connected, with pickup address and contact person confirmed.
• Serviceability confirmed for your target pincodes, and a pincode check visible on product pages.
• Rate comparison working so you can choose the best courier per order. ShopMate connects you to 40+ shipping partners covering all India pincodes, with rate comparison, one-click labels, tracking, COD, returns and reverse pickup (ShopMate).
• Test label printed with the correct address, weight and courier.
• Packaging bought and tested. Boxes or mailers of the right size, plus protective material and an invoice slip.
• Dispatch process written down. Who packs, who books the courier, and by what time orders ship.
• Delivery timelines stated on the product page and at checkout, based on real courier performance.
• Returns process defined. Return window, conditions, who pays return shipping and how refunds are issued.
• Reverse pickup tested if you offer it.
• Return-to-origin plan in place for refused COD parcels, including how the stock is checked back in.

7. Policy pages and legal disclosures

• Contact page published with your registered business name, address, email, phone number and the details of your grievance officer. The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 require e-commerce entities to display their legal name, office address, website details and customer care and grievance officer contact details (see Trilegal's analysis of the Rules).
• Shipping policy published with delivery times, charges and serviceable areas.
• Returns and refunds policy published, consistent with your legal obligation to refund or take back goods that are defective, not as described or not delivered on time.
• Terms and conditions published and linked from the footer and checkout.
• Privacy policy published. India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 requires notice, consent and reasonable security safeguards for personal data (DPDP Act, 2023, MeitY), and the Rules were notified in 2025 with phased implementation (PIB press release). Have a lawyer review your policy.
• Policy links in the footer on every page.
• Policies match what you actually do. A promise of seven-day returns on the page and a refusal in practice is how disputes start.

8. Customer communication

• Order confirmation email arrives promptly and shows the right items, address and total.
• Shipping and tracking updates are sent with a working tracking link.
• Support email and phone monitored, with a target response time of hours rather than days. ShopMate's own support is available 24/7 (About ShopMate).
• WhatsApp number ready for customer questions, with a short set of saved replies.
• Frequently asked questions drafted for sizing, delivery, payment and returns.
• Review request planned for a few days after delivery.

9. Testing: place real orders

Testing is the part of the checklist that most often gets skipped, and the part that most often prevents embarrassment. Ask two or three people who did not build the store to place orders on their own phones.

• UPI order placed end to end, from product page to confirmation email.
• Card order placed and the invoice checked.
• Failed payment tried and recovered.
• COD order placed (if offered) and flagged correctly for collection.
• Coupon code applied and totals checked.
• Serviceable and unserviceable pincodes entered and both behave correctly.
• Order cancelled before dispatch and stock restored.
• Return and refund processed from request to money back.
• Every page opened on a mid-range Android phone, checking speed, tap targets and checkout.
• Two browsers tried, for example Chrome and Safari.
• Emails checked in more than one inbox, including spam folders.
• Last-piece stock tested. Buy the last unit and confirm the product shows as sold out.

10. Search and analytics

Search visibility takes time, but the foundations should be in place on day one. Google's SEO Starter Guide recommends unique, descriptive page titles, short meta descriptions that are unique to each page, descriptive URLs and image alt text.

• Unique title for every page, clear and concise, naming what the page contains.
• Unique meta description for the home page, category pages and key products.
• Descriptive URLs that use readable words rather than codes.
• Image alt text written for every product image.
• Google Search Console set up so you can monitor how the store performs in search; see Google Search Console.
• Sitemap submitted. A sitemap lists the URLs you care about; see Google's sitemap overview.
• Analytics connected so you can see visitors, sources and conversions. Google Analytics is among the integrations shown on ShopMate's site (ShopMate).
• Page speed checked on mobile. Google's Core Web Vitals describe loading, interactivity and visual stability; see web.dev, Web Vitals.

11. Marketing readiness

• Launch audience identified: your followers, contacts and existing customers.
• Launch offer decided, such as a coupon or a short flash sale, with start and end dates.
• Social profiles updated with the store link and a consistent name and logo.
• Announcement drafted for Instagram, WhatsApp and email.
• Product photos and short videos ready for posting during the first week.
• Email and phone collection switched on so every first customer becomes a contact you can reach again.

12. Launch day and the first week

• Someone assigned to watch every order on launch day.
• Same-day dispatch for early orders wherever possible.
• Payment and settlement checked for the first few orders.
• Customer questions answered within hours.
• Daily review of four numbers: orders, conversion rate, average order value and the share of orders returned or cancelled. ShopMate's dashboard shows revenue, orders, top products and online versus offline performance in one place, with low-stock alerts (ShopMate).
• Stock alerts set so best sellers do not run out unnoticed.
• Issues log kept for anything customers report, and fixed in order of impact.
• First reviews and photos requested from early buyers.

If you also run a physical shop

• Online and offline stock tracked in one place, so the same last piece cannot be sold twice.
• POS billing tested for cash, UPI and card, with receipts and GST invoices.
• Barcodes or product search ready at the counter.
• Staff roles set so counter staff cannot change prices or settings.
• Daily sales summary reviewed across both channels.

ShopMate's POS module covers walk-in billing, barcode scanning, cash, UPI and card payments, staff roles, receipts and GST invoices, with inventory automatically synced between online and offline channels (ShopMate). Our guide to retail POS and ecommerce integration explains how to set it up.

The five most commonly missed items

How ShopMate helps with the checklist

Many of these items are handled for you on ShopMate. Each merchant gets a branded storefront and admin panel on their own domain, Razorpay payments, 40+ shipping partners, GST-compliant invoices, an offline POS and an analytics dashboard in a single plan. After your 7-day free trial and a demo call, we send a digital agreement, and once it is signed it takes 5 to 7 business days to set up your store, custom domain, email service, payment gateway and shipping, with our team guiding you through adding products (ShopMate). Pricing is a flat 5% commission plus 18% GST on every order, with no setup fee, no yearly maintenance and the freedom to cancel at any time (ShopMate pricing). You still own the business decisions, such as products, prices, policies and photographs, which is why this checklist matters on any platform.

Frequently asked questions

What should be on an online store launch checklist in India?

Registrations, store setup, catalogue, pricing and GST, payments, shipping and returns, policy pages, customer communication, testing, search and analytics, marketing and launch-week monitoring. The most important items are live-mode payments, GST-correct invoices, pincode serviceability and published legal pages.

How long does it take to complete an online store launch checklist?

For a focused catalogue of 20 to 30 products, a prepared seller can complete it in about a week. A first-time seller who still needs registrations and photographs should plan for three to five weeks. Third-party approvals, such as payment gateway verification, often set the pace.

Which legal pages does an Indian online store need?

At a minimum: contact details with a grievance officer, a shipping policy, a returns and refunds policy, terms and conditions, and a privacy policy. Requirements depend on your category, so have a legal professional review them before you launch.

Do I need GST registration before I launch?

It depends on your turnover, what you sell, your state and whether you sell through marketplaces. Many sellers register early so they can issue proper tax invoices. Confirm the current rules with a chartered accountant.

How do I test my online store before launching?

Place real orders using UPI, card and cash on delivery, test a failed payment, a coupon, a cancellation and a return, and try serviceable and unserviceable pincodes. Ask people who did not build the store to repeat the tests on their own phones.

What is the most common mistake when launching an online store?

Launching without testing the full order flow. Sellers often discover problems such as a payment gateway left in test mode, wrong shipping weights or incorrect GST on invoices only after real customers have been affected.

Sources and further reading

Statutory, regulatory and technical references in this checklist come from the sources below. Sources were last checked on 3 October 2026.

1. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, GST: An Update, for registration threshold limits.
2. Goods and Services Tax Network, official GST portal.
3. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Udyam Registration portal.
4. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FoSCoS licensing and registration FAQs.
5. Government of India, The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.
6. Trilegal, Analysis: Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.
7. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and Press Information Bureau, Government notifies DPDP Rules.
8. Razorpay, Documents required for a payment gateway in India, and Test and Live Modes.
9. Google Search Central, SEO Starter Guide, and Sitemaps overview; Google Search Console; web.dev, Web Vitals.
10. ShopMate, home, about and pricing pages, for ShopMate onboarding, features and pricing.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Tax rules, thresholds and licence requirements change, and your situation may differ. Consult a qualified chartered accountant or legal professional before making decisions.

Ready to launch with fewer surprises?

A checklist helps you avoid mistakes, and the right platform removes many of the steps altogether. ShopMate gives you a branded online store, Razorpay payments, 40+ shipping partners, GST invoicing, an offline POS and analytics for a flat 5% commission plus 18% GST, with no setup fee. Book a free demo to walk through this checklist with our team, review the pricing details, or read more about ShopMate.