Shopify Just Launched “Launch Check” + Removed a Key Setting — September Updates!

Shopify October 2025 Updates — Launch Check App, Sidekick Voice Mode & Key Removal

October 2025 brought a surprisingly calm batch of Shopify updates — but hidden inside are some powerful new tools and a rare feature removal that every store owner should know about.

Shopify continues to evolve month by month, and this October’s changelog focuses on smarter automation, AI-driven store readiness, and better customer experience tools. Here’s what’s new, what’s gone, and what it all means for you as a Shopify entrepreneur.

1. Launch Check App — Scan Your Store with AI

The brand-new Shopify Launch Check app is designed to help beginners know when their store is truly ready to go live. In under two minutes, it scans your setup and provides AI-powered recommendations, checking items like domain setup, refund policies, products, and shipping rates.

It’s powered by Shopify’s AI assistant, Sidekick — the same system that already helps merchants analyze data and answer admin questions. This addition is a major win for new sellers who often struggle to know when their store is “done.”

If you’re still in the early stages of building your store, I highly recommend starting with the 30-Day Beginner’s Shopify Program — it walks you through every essential step before you even hit the Launch Check button.

2. Sidekick Updates — Voice Mode & Full-Screen

Shopify’s AI assistant Sidekick continues to grow. You can now talk directly to it in voice mode and receive spoken responses. There’s also a new full-screen mode for a cleaner workspace. These updates make Sidekick feel more like a real teammate — especially useful if you’re managing your Shopify business hands-free.

3. Shopify Email — Dynamic Product Sections

Shopify Email now includes dynamic product sections, which automatically update to show your current bestsellers or newest products. This makes it easy to keep campaigns fresh without redesigning your emails each week. It’s an efficient automation that saves time while keeping your audience engaged.

4. Removal — Shipping Zones Simplified

One of the most significant changes this month is a feature removal. The “Sell from all locations to all shipping zones” option has been officially deprecated and will disappear by September 30, 2025. All stores must now sell only within configured zones.

This change prevents overselling and ensures accurate shipping and stock management. If customers ever saw the message “we can’t ship to your location,” it was likely caused by this exact issue. Shopify’s fix makes store management cleaner and more predictable.

5. Smaller Updates Worth Noting

  • Facebook Exchanges: You can now process exchanges natively for Facebook orders — no manual recreation needed.
  • Customer Segmentation: Create customer segments based on product categories, not just products.
  • POS Custom Receipts: Add your logo and branding to return and exchange receipts.
  • Multi-Store Analytics: Available for Shopify Plus organizations with multiple stores under one account.
  • Quick Sale Feature: Instantly accept payments with tap-to-pay directly from your mobile device.

All these small improvements reflect Shopify’s focus on making store management smoother and smarter. While some features seem minor, they stack up quickly when you’re running your business full-time.

Final Thoughts

While October wasn’t the most groundbreaking update month, the new Launch Check app and Sidekick improvements are clear indicators that Shopify is pushing toward an AI-first future for store setup and support. If you’re just getting started, explore ProfessorCommerce.com for more free tutorials and breakdowns of every major Shopify update.

And if you’d like to support the channel and have your own Shopify brand featured, you can do so at Patreon. Every bit helps me continue these monthly changelog breakdowns for the Shopify community.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How Shopify’s New “Buy With Prime” Feature Works (Amazon + Shopify Integration Explained)

Image
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....
Read more

Adding Store Policies in Shopify — Refunds, Privacy, and Terms (Beginner Guide)

Image
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...
Read more

Shopify’s New AI Search Just Got Better — Here’s How Semantic Search Works

Image
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...
Read more