The Shopify product page checklist for Australian stores

Open your best selling product page on a phone, then go through each section below. Most stores fail on the same things: too few photos, a clumsy variant picker, no clear delivery information and a returns policy buried in the footer. Fixing those four usually matters more than any button colour test.

If you are building a new store, bring this list to the theme decision. Our guide to choosing a Shopify theme explains which features to check before you buy. If you want someone to audit your pages, that is part of our conversion rate optimisation work.

Shoppers cannot touch the product, so photos do the job of the shop floor. Show the item from several angles, in use, and at scale.

• Lead with a clean main image that shows the whole product, then follow with detail shots, a lifestyle shot and a scale reference such as a hand or a model's height.
• Use the same aspect ratio and background across the range so a collection grid looks tidy. Themes crop images to fit, so check how your ratio looks in the grid.
• Add a short video if the product moves, folds, pours or fits. Keep it compressed, because video is heavy.
• Write alt text that describes what is in each image in plain words. It helps screen reader users and gives search engines context. See our accessibility guide.
• Show colour variants with their own photos. Link each variant to its image so the gallery changes when the shopper picks a colour.
• Compress images before upload and let Shopify serve sized versions. Large hero photos are the usual cause of a slow product page.

Shopify now allows up to 2,048 variants per product, still across a maximum of 3 options such as size, colour and material, according to a Shopify Community announcement. That limit is generous, but a bigger number of variants is not a goal. A picker with 40 choices is harder to use than one with 8.

• Use swatches for colour and buttons for size, not a dropdown, when there are fewer than about eight values. Buttons show everything at once.
• Show out of stock sizes crossed out rather than hiding them, so shoppers know the size exists. Add a back-in-stock notify option.
• Update the price, image and availability when the variant changes. Test every variant, not just the first.
• Preselect nothing if size matters, and show a clear message if someone tries to add to cart without choosing. A preselected wrong size creates returns.
• Keep option names short and consistent across products. A theme filter and your product feed both depend on tidy names.
• Check the add to cart button on a small phone. It should be visible without scrolling past a long description, or fixed to the bottom of the screen.

Show the price in AUD with GST included, since consumer prices in Australia are normally quoted GST inclusive. Our GST guide shows the setting. If a compare-at price is shown, make sure it is a genuine previous price. The ACCC publishes guidance on price displays, and our returns and consumer law guide covers the wider rules.

Buy now pay later messaging reminds shoppers they can split the cost. Afterpay's developer guide says its Shopify on-site messaging app adds a block you place in the theme editor, and recommends putting it immediately below the price on the product page and the cart total. Afterpay must already work at checkout first. If you switch themes, check the block is still there. Our guide to Afterpay and Zip on Shopify covers fees and setup.

• Place the instalment message directly under the price, not far down the page.
• Check the message updates when a variant with a different price is selected.
• Check it shows the right amount in the cart for multi-item orders.
• Remove it from products that fall outside your provider's limits, using a separate product template.

Delivery is the main unanswered question on most product pages. Shoppers want to know the cost and the date before they commit to checkout.

• State your dispatch time and typical delivery window near the add to cart button, such as dispatched within 1 business day. Keep it accurate, and update it before sale periods.
• Show free shipping thresholds in a line near the price, for example free shipping over a set amount, and match it to your real shipping rates in Shopify.
• Offer a postcode or suburb estimator if your rates vary by zone. It removes the surprise at checkout.
• Link your returns policy right on the page, with a one line summary. Do not make people hunt for it. Our returns guide explains the Australian Consumer Law basics, and the shipping guide covers rate setup.
• Mention New Zealand shipping if you offer it, and link to your Markets setup.

Reviews help shoppers who do not know your brand. They only work when they are real.

• Collect reviews after delivery with an automated email. The Klaviyo flows guide includes a post-purchase review request.
• Show the review count and average near the title, with the full list lower down.
• Let shoppers filter reviews by size or fit if you sell clothing or shoes.
• Never show reviews you cannot back up. We do not add rating markup or testimonials that are not genuine.
• Add customer photos only with permission.
• Choose a reviews app that loads without blocking the page. Test the page speed before and after you install it.

A good description answers the questions your support inbox gets. If the same question arrives weekly, put the answer on the page.

• Open with who it is for and what it does, in two or three sentences. Then use bullets for materials, dimensions, care and what is in the box.
• Use metric units, and show the model's height and the size worn.
• Add a size guide for apparel, footwear, jewellery and furniture. Make it a table, not an image of a table, so it works with screen readers and search.
• Give fit notes in plain terms: runs small, true to size, relaxed. Real reviews will confirm or correct them.
• Use expandable sections for long detail so the page stays short, but keep the important points visible.
• Write your own copy. A supplier's description appears on every reseller's page.

• Show accepted payment methods near checkout buttons: cards, Afterpay, Zip, PayPal, Shop Pay if enabled.
• Show your ABN and contact details in the footer, with a real phone or email.
• Link shipping, returns, privacy and terms from the footer and from the product page where relevant.
• Use plain guarantees you can honour, such as a returns window you actually offer. Do not copy a policy from another store.
• For age-restricted goods, follow the rules in our alcohol guide.

Structured data tells Google what the page is. Google's documentation for merchant listings says price and availability are among the details used for product results, and shipping and return information can also be provided. Most Shopify themes output basic Product markup. You need to check it is complete.

1. Step 1

   Test the markup

   Run a product URL through Google's Rich Results Test. Look for Product with an offer showing price, currency (AUD) and availability.

2. Step 2

   Check price and stock match the page

   If the page shows sold out but the markup says in stock, Google may flag it. Use a theme that reads availability from the live variant.

3. Step 3

   Watch Search Console

   Once crawled, the Merchant listings report shows errors and warnings across your products.

4. Step 4

   Write a unique title and meta description

   Edit the search listing on each product so the title and description are specific. See the Shopify SEO checklist for the rest.

5. Step 5

   Connect Google Merchant Center

   Free listings and Shopping ads use your product data. Our Google Shopping guide covers feed quality.

Shopify's help centre lists the Core Web Vitals targets as an LCP within 2.5 seconds, INP under 200 milliseconds and CLS under 0.1, measured at the 75th percentile of visits. The product page is usually the heaviest page because of the gallery, reviews and apps. Our speed guide has the full fix list.

• Load the first product image eagerly and everything below the fold lazily.
• Reserve space for images, reviews and the instalment message so the page does not jump while it loads. That protects CLS.
• Audit apps on the product page. Each script costs time. Remove any you no longer use.
• Test on a mid-range phone on mobile data, not only on your office wifi.
• Keep tap targets large enough to hit with a thumb, and keep the sticky add to cart bar from covering content.