> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.strm.design/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.strm.design/getting-started/setup-checklist.md).

# Set up your store in 12 steps

Twelve steps that take your store from a fresh Stratum install to launch day.

Follow these steps in order. Each one links to a page with every detail. Most stores need an afternoon to get through the list; the home page usually takes longest.

{% hint style="info" %}
Open the theme editor first: **Online Store › Themes**, then **Customize** on Stratum. Keep this manual open in another tab.
{% endhint %}

## 1. Add your logo and favicon

In the theme editor, click the **gear icon (Theme settings)** at the bottom of the left sidebar, then **Logo and favicon**.

* Upload your **Logo**. Any shape works; transparent PNG or SVG looks best.
* Set **Logo width on large screens** and **Logo width on small screens**.
* Upload a **Favicon** (32 × 32 px PNG).

Details: [Logo, colors, fonts and buttons](/store-wide-design/brand.md#logo-and-favicon).

## 2. Set your colors

In **Theme settings › Colors**, adjust the six color schemes to match your brand, and check the three status colors (in stock, low stock, sold out).

Details: [Colors and color schemes](/store-wide-design/brand.md#colors).

## 3. Choose your fonts and buttons

* **Theme settings › Typography**: heading and body fonts, heading weight, size, case and letter spacing.
* **Theme settings › Buttons**: shape, hover effect and text case.
* **Theme settings › Layout**: page width, space between sections and corner roundness.

Details: [Typography](/store-wide-design/brand.md#typography), [Buttons](/store-wide-design/brand.md#buttons).

## 4. Build your menus

In the Shopify admin, go to **Content › Menus** (or **Online Store › Navigation** in older admins).

* **Main menu**: your top-level categories. Add links under each item to create the large dropdown panels on computers and collapsible rows on phones. A third level shows as grouped lists inside the panel.
* **Footer menus**: for example "Shop" and "Help".

Then pick the menus in the **Header** and **Footer** sections. Details: [Header, menus and search](/header-and-footer/header.md).

## 5. Set up the header and announcement bar

Click the **Header** section in the editor and choose a **Layout** (Classic, Global bar, Centered, Floating pill, Search first or Split), how the account and bag look, and how search appears. Add one or more messages to the **Announcement bar**.

Details: [Header](/header-and-footer/header.md), [Announcement bar](/header-and-footer/announcement-bar.md).

## 6. Set up the footer

Click the **Footer** section. Add menu columns, a newsletter signup or social links, and choose what the bottom row shows: copyright, policy links, social links, country and language selectors, and payment methods.

Details: [Footer](/header-and-footer/footer.md).

## 7. Build your home page

The home page comes filled with the sections of your preset. Replace the text and images, pick your own collections and products, and remove sections you don't need.

* Click a section to edit it; drag sections to reorder.
* Click **Add section** to add one of the nearly 50 content sections.

Details: [Sections and blocks explained](/building-pages/sections-and-blocks.md), [Home page and content sections](/building-pages/home-page.md).

## 8. Set up the product page

Choose **Products › Default product** in the page picker at the top of the editor. Check the gallery settings, the blocks in the product information (price, variant picker, buy buttons, specifications, description and more) and the sections below it.

Also set up:

* **Theme settings › Swatches** if your products have colors.
* **Theme settings › Product cards** for how products look in grids.
* **Theme settings › Product compare** if you want shoppers to compare products.

Details: [Product page](/products/product-page.md), [Variants and color swatches](/products/swatches.md), [Product cards](/products/product-cards.md), [Product compare](/products/compare.md).

## 9. Turn on collection filters

Filters come from Shopify's free **Search & Discovery** app.

1. Install **Search & Discovery** from the Shopify App Store if it isn't installed.
2. In the app, open **Filters** and add the filters you want: availability, price, product type, vendor, color, size and so on.
3. In the theme editor, open **Collections › Default collection** and check the **Product grid** section settings.

Details: [Collection pages and filters](/collections-and-search/collection-page.md).

## 10. Choose how the cart works

In **Theme settings › Cart**, choose **Cart type** (Drawer, Popup notification or Page), the cart note and the free delivery progress bar. If you need shoppers to agree to terms, turn on **Ask shoppers to agree to terms**.

Details: [Cart drawer, notification and cart page](/cart/cart.md).

## 11. Policies, cookie consent and newsletter

* Add your store policies in **Settings › Policies**. The footer shows links to them when **Show policy links** is on.
* In the editor's **Overlays** group, set up the **Cookie consent** banner and, if you like, the **Newsletter popup**.

Details: [Cookie consent](/overlays/cookie-consent.md), [Newsletter popup](/overlays/newsletter-popup.md).

## 12. Markets, payments, languages, then test and publish

1. **Settings › Markets**: the countries you sell to. The country/region selector appears when you sell to more than one.
2. **Settings › Payments**: activate a payment provider. The footer's payment icons come from here.
3. **Settings › Languages**: add and publish languages if you sell in more than one.
4. Preview the store on a real phone and a computer. Add something to the bag, try the filters, search and check out with a test order.
5. Publish the theme: **Online Store › Themes › ⋯ › Publish**.

Details: [Markets, languages and currency](/selling-internationally/markets-and-languages.md), [Install Stratum](/getting-started/install.md#publish).

{% hint style="success" %}
Done! After launch, look at [Speed and performance](/help/performance.md) for tips that keep the store fast as you add content and apps.
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