Shopify collaborator access: an agency handover without shared logins
Plan Shopify collaborator access for an agency: roles, request approval, user limits, two-step authentication and handover.
In this guide
A collaborator is an authorised Shopify Partner
Shopify’s collaborator guidance describes Partner access that the merchant approves and manages. Collaborators do not count toward the store’s user limit and must use two-step authentication. This is a distinct arrangement from handing an agency the store owner’s login.
Begin with the work: theme changes, product preparation, settings review or a specific app. Record the deliverable and the information needed to complete it. A request for access should follow an agreed project, not arrive as an unexplained invitation to administer the entire business.
Translate the project into permissions
Imagine a fictional retailer commissioning a mobile product-page improvement. The agency needs a clear theme brief, representative products and a place to demonstrate the change. It may not need customer exports, financial reporting or broad user administration simply to complete that job.
Ask the agency to explain each requested permission in terms of the task. Check app and channel requirements separately. If the scope expands later, update the brief and review the additional need before broadening access. Avoid treating “make the website better” as a permanent administrative role.
Separate the request code from approval
Shopify documents a collaborator request code used when a Partner submits an access request. Supplying that code lets the request be made; the merchant still reviews the request and its role. The documentation also says collaborators cannot take ownership of the store and do not have Shopify POS access through the collaborator role.
Confirm the expected Partner identity and project before accepting. Record the approved role and review owner. A familiar agency name is useful context, but the permission set is the part that determines what the person can actually do.
Use a project-specific access brief
| Item | Agreement to record | Completion check |
|---|---|---|
| Project scope | Mobile product-page changes | Approved pages and devices reviewed |
| Access | Required role and relevant apps | Agency can do the task without unrelated access |
| Release | Who approves publishing | Merchant accepts the preview |
| Handover | Files, settings and access review | Owner receives the finished work and runbook |
The table is a proposal, not a completed Shopify access change. Keep the owner’s approval and the agreed release step explicit, especially when the work could affect a live checkout or customer communications.
Close access with the deliverables
At handover, check the accepted design, remaining bugs, dependencies on installed apps and who can maintain the work. Review whether ongoing access is necessary and assign a removal or renewal decision. Shopify describes automatic expiry after 90 days without a collaborator login, but an explicit project-end review is clearer than waiting for inactivity.
Use the Shopify profile for the broader platform requirements and the website handover checklist if the work includes a migration. This guide plans access; it does not invite a Partner or change any live store.
Frequently asked questions
Do Shopify collaborators count toward the store’s user limit?
Shopify says collaborator accounts do not count toward that user limit. They are Partner accounts with merchant-approved access.
Does a Shopify collaborator need two-step authentication?
Yes. Shopify requires Partners to activate two-step authentication to use collaborator access.
Does giving a collaborator request code automatically approve access?
No. The code is used to submit a request. An eligible merchant user still reviews and accepts the requested access.
Put the guide into practice
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