Shopify General Settings: A Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up Your Store

The General page in Shopify settings is where your store gets its basic identity: its name, contact details, currency, time zone and how order numbers look. These are small fields, but they appear on customer emails and invoices and affect how your reports are dated, so it is worth getting them right before you launch. This guide walks through each section of the Shopify general settings in the order you will see them.

How to Open Shopify General Settings

1. Log in to your Shopify admin.
2. Click Settings in the bottom-left corner of the menu.
3. Select General.

According to Shopify’s documentation, this page contains these sections: Business details, Store contact details, Store defaults, Order ID, Order processing, Store assets, Resources and Transfer store. Your admin may show them slightly differently as Shopify updates its interface, but the settings below are the ones beginners need.

Business Details

This section is where you review and manage your legal business entity, including the country, business type, phone number and email. Use accurate information. It should match your business registration, because it can matter for payments, taxes and account verification.

Store Contact Details

Here you manage your store name, phone number, email address and business address.

• Store name: the name customers will see, and one your theme may also use in page titles. Choose the name you want people to recognize.
• Email and phone: use an address and number you check regularly, since customers and Shopify may contact you there.
• Business address: enter the address you want on record for the store.

Your store name also influences how your pages look in Google. To control your homepage search title and description, go to Online Store > Preferences, as explained in our Shopify SEO settings guide.

Store Defaults

Store defaults cover currency, currency formatting, measurement and weight units, and time zone. Set them before you add products.

• Currency: the currency your prices are set in. Confirm this before creating products so prices are not entered in the wrong currency.
• Currency formatting: how prices display in your store and emails.
• Units: choose the measurement system and weight unit that match how you ship, because product weights feed into shipping rates.
• Time zone: this decides how dates and times appear in your orders and reports. Pick the zone you actually operate in.

Order ID

The Order ID section lets you format your order numbers. Keep it simple and readable, since customers will see it in confirmation emails and may quote it to support.

Order Processing

This section holds your order processing settings. Review it once before launch and after you add a new fulfillment method. If you sell print-on-demand products, read your print provider’s guidance on how orders should be handled, and check our print-on-demand Shopify guide for the wider setup.

Store Assets

Store assets is where you manage branding. Upload the logo and brand images you want available across the store. Many themes also let you set the logo directly in the theme editor, so check what your theme expects before uploading, especially right after you install a new theme.

Resources and Transfer Store

Resources links to additional Shopify resources and activity logs. Transfer store is used to change ownership of the store. Beginners can leave both alone until they need them.

General Settings Checklist Before Launch

• Business details match your registration.
• Store name, email, phone and address are correct.
• Currency, units and time zone are set before you add products.
• Order ID format is readable.
• Branding and logo are uploaded.
• Homepage title and description are written under Online Store > Preferences.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Adding products before choosing the right currency and units.
• Using a personal email that you rarely check as the store contact.
• Leaving the time zone on the wrong region, which makes reports and order times confusing.
• Expecting general settings to control SEO. Search titles and descriptions are edited elsewhere.

Shopify General Settings FAQ

Where are the general settings in Shopify?

Click Settings in the bottom-left of your admin, then select General.

Can I change my store name later?

Yes. You can edit the store name under Store contact details in Settings > General at any time. Check your theme and emails afterward to confirm the new name appears where you expect it.

Where do I set my currency and time zone?

Both are in the Store defaults section of Settings > General.

Do general settings affect my SEO?

Only indirectly, for example through your store name. Search titles and descriptions are managed separately, as covered in our Shopify SEO settings guide.

Related Guides

• Shopify Theme Speed and Performance Guide
• How to Import a Shopify Theme (.zip File)
• ThemeForest vs Shopify Theme Store

Once your settings are in place, the next step is a theme that fits your brand. Explore the Shopify themes at vithemes.com and pick a design ready for your first sale.