The Professor Commerce Blog

Shopify Winter Editions 2025 — Why the “Boring” Update Actually Matters Shopify’s Winter Editions 2025 just dropped — and it’s being called the most “boring” update yet. But as you’ll see in this breakdown, boring can actually mean *brilliant* when it comes to long-term stability and merchant growth. This edition of Shopify focuses on infrastructure, performance, and real-world usability. It doesn’t shout about new shiny tools — it quietly fixes the foundations. In this post, we’ll go through the biggest updates from the Winter Editions 2025 release and why they matter for your business. Online Store and Flex Sections Shopify continues to refine the drag-and-drop customization experience. The new Flex Sections allow merchants to build layouts with greater freedom and responsive alignment — finally matching the simplicity of Wix and Squarespace without losing Shopify’s backend power. If you’re just starting your store, check out the 30-Day Beginner’s Shopify Program for a...

What Is Shopify Semantic Search? AI Search Explained for 2024 Merchants Shopify’s new Semantic Search feature is one of the most powerful AI updates for merchants in 2024. It uses artificial intelligence to understand what customers actually mean when they search — not just the exact keywords they type. This post breaks down how it works, how to turn it on, and what it means for your Shopify store. In Shopify Summer Editions 2024, a small but significant update introduced Semantic Search to more plans — expanding from Shopify Plus down to Advanced and beyond. The feature first appeared in Winter Editions 2024 as an exclusive Plus-only feature. Now, it’s rolling out to more merchants, signaling Shopify’s growing investment in AI-powered store improvements. So what exactly is semantic search ? The term “semantic” means “relating to meaning in language or logic.” In practical terms, it means Shopify’s AI can now interpret the intent behind what customers type into your s...

What Is a Shopify Chargeback? How to Handle and Prevent Disputes Chargebacks can be one of the most frustrating and confusing parts of running an online store. If you’re new to Shopify, it can feel like the end of the world when a customer disputes an order — but it’s actually a normal part of eCommerce. In this post, I’ll explain what Shopify chargebacks are, why they happen, and how you can handle them confidently using my own real experiences. When a customer buys from your Shopify store and later disputes the charge with their credit card company, this starts a process called a chargeback . The customer’s bank temporarily removes the transaction amount from your account while it investigates. In Shopify, this will appear in the Orders section, where you’ll see the chargeback reason, amount, and deadline to submit evidence. In my own experience running multiple Shopify stores, chargebacks usually happen for three reasons: (1) the customer didn’t receive the product, (2)...

Shopify Blog Posts Moved to Content Menu — New Admin Update Explained Shopify has quietly rolled out another change inside the admin — and this one’s easy to miss if you’re managing your store every day. The Blog posts section has officially been moved from the “Online Store” sales channel into the new Content menu. No email, no changelog, and no announcement. Previously, store owners could manage their blogs under Online Store → Blog posts . That menu is now gone. Instead, you’ll find it under Content → Blog posts in your Shopify admin sidebar. The Content menu now includes Meta objects , Files , Menus , and now Blog posts . This follows last month’s move of the Menus item from Online Store into the same section — suggesting Shopify is reorganizing creative and structure tools under one unified “Content” hub. For beginners, this can be confusing if you’re still learning your way around the Shopify dashboard. Many tutorials and screenshots online will still show “Blog po...

Shopify’s New Trade Theme — B2B or Retail? Full Breakdown Shopify has just introduced its first brand new theme in years — and it’s called Trade . If you’ve been running a Shopify store for a while, this is big news. The Trade theme was released in Shopify Summer Editions 2024 and is designed primarily for B2B (business-to-business) stores. But after exploring it in depth, I found it’s also surprisingly useful for retail merchants . The Trade theme is a free Shopify Online Store 2.0 theme designed for wholesale and bulk-order merchants. Shopify markets it as an “out-of-the-box” theme for repeat and bulk purchasing — meaning it comes preloaded with all B2B features right inside the design. These include quantity selectors, SKU-based quick order lists, and sections to display partner logos. It’s Shopify’s way of giving Plus merchants an immediate B2B setup without needing custom development. However, what’s interesting is that the Trade theme shares a lot of DNA with the ...

How to Create a Shopify “Under Construction” or “Coming Soon” Page (Password Protection Tutorial) If your Shopify store isn’t quite ready for customers or you’re planning a big relaunch, setting up a password-protected “coming soon” page can help protect your brand while keeping visitors engaged. In this guide, we’ll go over how to enable password protection, customize your message, and even collect emails during downtime. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store → Preferences . Scroll down to the section labeled Password Protection . Here, you can enable the password page, create a custom message for visitors, and enter a password that allows staff or select customers early access. Once the password page is enabled, head over to Online Store → Themes → Customize . At the top of the editor, select Other → Password Page . This brings up your default “coming soon” page, where you can fully customize your heading, colors, fonts, and even add a branded background image. Writ...

How to Add Store Policies in Shopify (Refund, Privacy, Terms of Service Setup) Adding store policies like refund, privacy, and terms of service pages is one of those critical steps that makes your Shopify store look professional and trustworthy. In this beginner-friendly guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to set up your policies, connect them to your footer, and make them visible on your live store. When you first launch your Shopify store, you’ll notice there are no refund or privacy policy links visible in your footer by default. That’s because you first need to create those policy pages and then connect them manually through your navigation settings. Let’s go step-by-step. Step 1: Locate Your Shopify Policy Templates Go to your Shopify Admin → Settings → Policies . Here you’ll find blank spaces for your return policy, privacy policy, terms of service, and shipping policy. If you’re eligible, Shopify will offer a Create from Template button that automatically gene...

Shopify’s Geolocation App Is Being Removed — What It Means for Your Store Shopify has officially announced that its popular Geolocation app will be sunset and uninstalled from all stores on December 1st, 2024 . This major update affects thousands of merchants who’ve relied on the app for automatic currency, language, and market detection across international customers. The Geolocation app, developed by Shopify, was designed to give customers a popup to confirm their country, currency, and language when visiting a store. It worked by detecting IP addresses and giving shoppers the choice to continue with recommended settings or switch markets. While this feature was helpful, Shopify’s platform has evolved to provide these localizations automatically — no popups required. According to Shopify’s official changelog, this removal comes as part of ongoing efforts to streamline international selling and reduce reliance on customer consent. The platform now includes built-in tools ...

How to Add Your Logo or Remove Your Store Name on Shopify Packing Slips Want to make your Shopify packing slips look more polished and professional? In this guide, we’ll walk through how to add your logo, adjust its size, or even replace your store name entirely using a few simple lines of Liquid code — all without needing to be a developer. Customizing your Shopify packing slip is a small change that makes a big branding difference. It’s part of how your store looks and feels to every customer, from checkout to delivery. And the best part? You can do it directly in your Shopify admin with zero extra tools. To get started, open your Shopify admin and go to Settings → Shipping and Delivery → Packing Slips → Edit Template . This will show you the Liquid code that controls your printed packing slips. The line {{ shop.name }} is what prints your store name — and this is where we’ll add or replace your logo. Before editing, upload your logo in Content → Files . Once uploaded,...

Why Google Says “Your Shopify Website Needs Improvement” — Full Fix Guide If you’ve ever connected your Shopify store to the Google Sales Channel and received the dreaded notice that your “website needs improvement,” don’t panic — you’re not alone. This is one of the most common issues merchants face when submitting products to Google, and thankfully, it’s very fixable. Google sends this warning when your store doesn’t meet their minimum content or quality guidelines for being displayed across their platforms. This includes missing legal pages, broken links, placeholder images or text, or incomplete product descriptions. Essentially, Google only wants to promote complete and trustworthy stores. 1. Why You’re Seeing This Warning When you apply your Shopify store to Google’s Sales Channel, your website is being reviewed by Google as if it’s part of their own product ecosystem. Since Google wants to ensure customers only interact with high-quality stores, any sign of incompl...

How to Use the Shopify Fraud Filter App to Block Fraudulent Customers If you've ever had to deal with fraudulent orders, chargebacks, or repeat problem customers, you know how frustrating it can be. Fortunately, Shopify offers a simple and free solution: the Shopify Fraud Filter App . In this post, we’ll walk through how it works, why you should use it, and a few expert tips for protecting your store. Shopify’s Fraud Filter app is built and maintained by Shopify, which means it’s fully compatible with your store and doesn’t add any hidden costs or tiered pricing plans. Once installed, the app allows you to create custom filters to block, flag, or cancel orders based on details like email addresses, IP addresses, or order history. To get started, go to your Shopify Admin → Apps → Shopify App Store and search for “Fraud Filter.” You’ll recognize it by its yellow icon. Once installed, open the app, click Create Rule , and enter your conditions — for example, an email add...

Fixing the Shopify Chase Payment Gateway Error — Switch to the JP Morgan Chase App If your Shopify checkout suddenly stopped working with the Chase PaymentTech Orbital gateway, you’re not alone. Many U.S. merchants saw this issue appear overnight — and it caused major stress when customers couldn’t pay. The good news? It’s an easy fix. The Chase PaymentTech Orbital app was officially deprecated in Shopify’s system, meaning it’s no longer supported. When this happens, Shopify automatically disables that gateway, which breaks checkout. Customers will see a warning like “No available payment methods” when trying to complete their purchase. Here’s what to do. Log into your Shopify admin and go to Settings → Payments → Add payment method . Search for JP Morgan Chase — this is the new gateway replacing the old Chase Orbital integration. Install the new app, connect your Chase account, and activate it. Once you do this, your checkout will immediately start working again. If yo...

How Shopify’s New “Buy With Prime” Integration Works Shopify just announced one of the most unexpected and exciting updates in recent memory — Amazon’s Buy With Prime button is officially being added to Shopify checkout. For the first time ever, Shopify merchants will be able to let Prime members purchase through their store using their Amazon credentials, fast shipping, and easy returns — without losing control of customer data. This is a major step forward for merchants who want to give their customers more flexibility at checkout while maintaining 100% ownership of their brand experience and data. Essentially, this integration connects Shopify Payments with Amazon’s fulfillment network , giving sellers the best of both worlds. As explained by Shopify, merchants in the U.S. will soon be able to activate Buy With Prime directly within the Shopify Admin. Once enabled, a button will appear at checkout — just like PayPal or Apple Pay — but this one will say “Buy With Prime....

How to Fix Shopify Product Page Gaps (Enable Sticky Content in Dawn Theme) If your Shopify product page looks awkward with a massive white space beside your product description — don’t panic. This issue happens to a lot of beginners, and the fix is much simpler than it seems. When you write a great product description, only to find it looks broken or stretched on your online store, it can be discouraging. But Shopify’s built-in customization tools inside the Dawn theme make it easy to fix this layout issue. Enable Sticky Content on Desktop To start, go to Online Store → Themes → Customize . Then, open your Default Product Page and click on the Product Information block. In the right-hand panel, toggle the setting labeled “Sticky content on desktop.” Once enabled, this locks your product images in place as visitors scroll down your description. It prevents that massive right-side gap that can make your product page look empty or broken. This layout instantly looks more...

How to Buy a Domain on Shopify — Step-by-Step for Beginners Buying a domain for your Shopify store can feel intimidating when you’re just getting started. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the exact steps to buy a domain directly from Shopify — so you can skip the confusion of DNS records, A records, and CNAME settings. When you first launch your Shopify store, you’ll automatically be given a default domain that looks something like yourstorename.myshopify.com . But for branding and professionalism, you’ll want to connect your own custom domain — like yourbrand.com . Inside your Shopify admin, head to Settings → Domains . Here, you’ll find two key options: Connect Existing Domain and Buy New Domain . The first is used if you’ve already purchased a domain elsewhere (like GoDaddy or IONOS). The second lets you purchase directly from Shopify — which I personally recommend for simplicity and reliability. When you choose “Buy New Domain,” simply type in your preferred name...

How to Create Shopify Collections (Manual & Automated) Shopify collections are one of the most important ways to organize your store and guide customers toward the right products. In this post, we’ll break down how to create both manual and automated collections , how the conditions work, and how to use them to save time as your inventory grows. Collections are the backbone of your Shopify storefront — they make navigation easier and help customers find what they’re looking for faster. To create one, head to your Shopify Admin → Products → Collections . You can then choose between a manual collection or an automated collection . Manual vs. Automated Collections Manual collections are perfect for new stores or small catalogs. You simply choose which products belong in the collection — no conditions required. For example, you can create a “Featured Products” collection and manually add your top sellers. Automated collections use Shopify’s built-in condition system...

Why Your Shopify Products Aren’t Showing on Your Store (Fix Publishing Settings) If your Shopify products aren’t showing up on your online store — even though they’re active, have inventory, and look ready — you’re not alone. This guide explains exactly why this happens and how to fix it fast. When your products don’t appear on your Shopify storefront, it’s almost always related to their publishing settings . Even though your products exist in your admin, they may not be published to the correct sales channels — which means your online store doesn’t know to display them. To fix this, open your Shopify admin and go to Products . Click on any product that’s not showing on your store. On the right-hand side, you’ll see a section called Publishing or Sales Channels and Apps . Click the three-dot menu, then choose Manage Sales Channels . Here’s where the issue usually appears — if “Online Store” isn’t selected, that product won’t display on your live site. Check the box besi...

Shopify’s New Drag and Drop Editor — Flex Sections Explained Shopify is finally introducing a true drag-and-drop store editor, and it’s coming under the name Flex Sections . This feature, announced in Shopify’s Summer Editions 2023, promises to make store design more visual, intuitive, and code-free — a huge win for beginner merchants and experienced store owners alike. Anyone who’s ever built a Shopify store knows how frustrating it can be to customize layout without touching code. While Online Store 2.0 gave merchants more control with “sections everywhere,” Flex Sections take it further — offering real-time, drag-and-drop layout editing inside the Online Store Editor. Think of it like a visual design mode where you can move, resize, and group elements just by dragging them around the screen. This is part of Shopify’s push toward a truly visual builder, similar to what platforms like Wix and Squarespace have offered for years. The big difference is that Shopify still runs...

How to Stop Fraudulent Orders on Shopify — Fraud Filter App Tutorial Running a Shopify store means dealing with both real customers and, unfortunately, suspicious or fake orders. In this post, we’ll cover how to protect your business from fraudulent orders using Shopify’s Fraud Filter app — a free, official app built by Shopify to block or cancel risky orders automatically. If you’ve ever opened your Orders tab and seen a sudden spike of strange, zero-dollar orders or suspicious customer details, you’re not alone. Fraudulent activity is common on ecommerce platforms, and Shopify’s built-in Fraud Filter app can help you stop it fast. Installing the Fraud Filter App To start, go to the Shopify App Store and search for “Fraud Filter.” It’s developed directly by Shopify and completely free to use. Once installed, you’ll see a dashboard that allows you to create custom filters based on order details like email, subtotal, IP address, and more. Each rule can trigger two typ...

Shopify Notifications Not Sending — Fix Sender Email Verification If your Shopify notifications aren’t sending or customers aren’t receiving order confirmations, this guide walks you through the real fix — verifying your sender email address correctly. When you launch a new Shopify store, it’s easy to assume your notifications just work out of the box. But many new merchants quickly notice something’s off — order confirmation emails aren’t arriving, or shipping updates never go out. The good news? There’s a simple fix that takes less than five minutes once you know where to look. Check Your Sender Email in Shopify Settings From your Shopify admin, go to Settings → Notifications . At the top, you’ll see the Sender email field. This is the address Shopify uses to send messages to your customers. It can (and often should) be different from the email you use to log into your store — for example, orders@yourbrand.com instead of your personal address. Once you enter the desi...

How to Turn On the Login Button in Shopify (Step-by-Step for Beginners) Adding a login button to your Shopify store’s header might seem like a small detail, but it’s one that improves trust, functionality, and the overall customer experience. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to enable the login link within your Shopify settings — no coding required. Inside your Shopify admin, go to Settings → Customer Accounts . Under “Accounts in online store and checkout,” click the Edit button. You’ll see an option labeled “Show login link in the header of online store and at checkout.” Check this box, hit Save , and refresh your store. You should now see the familiar login icon appear in your store’s navigation — usually beside the cart and search icons. That’s it — your Shopify store now has a visible login link for customers to access their accounts quickly and easily. This small improvement helps repeat customers check their orders, manage saved addresses, and complete chec...

Shopify Bookkeeping & Accounting Tiers Explained Bookkeeping is one of those things most Shopify store owners ignore until it becomes a problem. Whether you’re tracking orders manually or using full accounting software, understanding where you are in your business journey helps you choose the right system. In this post, we’ll break down four bookkeeping tiers that grow with your Shopify store — from free Excel sheets to one-on-one accounting with Bench. Tier 1 – Just Starting Out (Excel or Google Sheets) When I launched my first Shopify store, I had no sales and no budget for tools. My bookkeeping method? A simple Excel file. Using cash-based accounting (logging income and expenses as they happen) or accrual accounting (tracking inventory and owed money) gives you a basic financial picture. This method is completely free, which is perfect when you’re just getting started. You can even find Shopify Excel bookkeeping templates online for free. Tier 2 – Sales Are Comin...

Shopify One-Page Checkout Update — Everything You Need to Know Shopify has officially launched its long-awaited One-Page Checkout — a major improvement designed to simplify the buying experience and improve conversions for merchants on the Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans. The update began rolling out automatically on October 2nd, 2023, marking one of the most impactful UX updates in recent years. For years, Shopify’s checkout process consisted of three distinct steps — information, shipping, and payment. With the new One-Page Checkout , all of these elements are now combined into a single vertical flow, allowing your customers to complete their order faster and with less friction. This reduces bounce rates, decreases abandoned carts, and helps small business owners maximize every bit of their store traffic. To see if your store has already been updated, navigate to your Shopify Admin → Settings → Checkout . You should see a calm blue banner at the top of the page that s...

How to Remove the “Sold Out” Button on Shopify — Fix Out of Stock Products If your Shopify store keeps showing a “Sold Out” button and you can’t figure out how to bring back your Add to Cart option, don’t worry — this is one of the most common beginner problems in Shopify. In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to fix it and what each setting means. When Shopify shows “Sold Out” instead of “Add to Cart,” it’s almost always because your product inventory is set to zero at all store locations. Shopify automatically disables checkout to prevent customers from ordering unavailable items. Step 1 — Check Your Product Inventory From your Shopify admin, go to Products → (select your product) → Inventory . Here, you’ll see stock levels at each location. If all locations show “0 available,” that’s why the “Sold Out” message appears. Simply click “Adjust quantity,” add the correct number of units, and hit Save. Step 2 — Enable “Continue Selling When Out of Stock” If ...