How to Clone a Shopify Store: A Step-by-Step Process

Cloning a Shopify store provides a powerful shortcut for expanding your e-commerce business. Merchants using duplicate stores see 37% faster launch times and reduce development costs by an average of $3,200. 

With 89% of successful multi-brand retailers utilizing store cloning for consistent customer experiences, this approach has become standard practice among growing Shopify businesses. 

While manual recreation takes 40+ hours on average, cloning reduces this to just 2-3 hours, allowing entrepreneurs to quickly capitalize on new market opportunities without sacrificing the proven elements of their existing stores.

A Detailed Step-by-Step Process to Clone a Shopify Store

The process of cloning a Shopify store varies depending on your specific needs. Here are the primary methods to replicate your store efficiently:

Step 1: Using Shopify's Built-in Export and Import Features

Shopify provides native functionality to export certain store elements and import them into another store. While this doesn't create a perfect clone, it transfers key components:

Export Products:

• Navigate to Products > All Products in your Shopify admin
• Click "Export" at the top right
• Select products to export (all or selected)
• Choose CSV file format for products
• Download the export file

Export Customers (if needed):

• Go to Customers > All Customers
• Click "Export" button
• Choose CSV format
• Download the file

Import to New Store:

• Set up a new Shopify store
• Go to Products > All Products
• Click "Import" button
• Upload your previously exported CSV
• Map the columns if prompted

Transfer Theme:

• From the original store, go to Online Store > Themes
• Find your active theme, click the dropdown, and select "Export theme"
•  In your new store, go to Online Store > Themes
• Click "Upload theme" and select your downloaded theme file

This method works well for basic stores but doesn’t transfer everything. You’ll still need to manually configure apps, page content, and certain settings - especially if you’re planning to sell private-label products on Shopify and want your store to feel polished and fully functional.

Step 2: Using a Dedicated Shopify Clone App

For a more comprehensive clone, specialized Shopify apps offer fuller functionality:

Install a Clone App:

• Search the Shopify App Store for terms like "clone" or "duplicate store"
• Popular options include Store Importer, Rewind Copy, or Excelify
• Install the chosen app on both your source and destination stores

Initiate Clone Process:

• Follow the app's specific instructions for connecting both stores
• Select elements to clone (products, collections, pages, theme, etc.)
• Start the cloning process

Review and Verify:

• Once complete, thoroughly check your new store
• Test functionality, verify images loaded correctly
• Update any store-specific information like domain and payment settings

The app-based approach typically transfers more store elements but may incur additional costs depending on the app's pricing model.

Step 3: Manual Recreation for Customized Cloning

For situations requiring selective cloning or extensive customization:

Document Current Store Structure:

• Create a detailed inventory of products, collections, pages
• Screenshot key layouts and design elements
• Note the apps and integrations used

Set Up Core Elements:

• Build a new store structure according to your documentation
• Manually recreate collections and navigation
• Import products via CSV, as described in Method 1

Install Required Apps:

• Add the same apps from your original store
• Configure app settings to match the original store

This approach takes more time but gives you complete control over what elements transfer and allows customization during the process.

What Elements Get Cloned (And What Doesn't) on the Shopify Store

Understanding what transfers during cloning helps manage expectations and plan post-clone tasks:

Elements That Transfer Well:

• Product data (titles, descriptions, variants, images)
• Collections and organization structure
• Theme design and customizations
• Blog posts and page content
• Navigation menus
• Metafields (depending on the method used)

Elements That Usually Don't Transfer:

• Store-specific settings (payment gateways, shipping, taxes)
• Order history and customer accounts
• Custom domain settings
• App data and configurations (varies by app)
• API integrations and webhooks
• Analytics and tracking codes

Pro Tip: Before initiating a clone, create a dedicated "transfer checklist" documenting all third-party integrations, custom code snippets, and app configurations from your original store. This becomes invaluable for efficiently configuring your cloned store, especially for elements that don't automatically transfer.

Post-Cloning Configuration Steps for a Shopify Store

After cloning your Shopify store, these critical steps ensure proper functionality:

1. Update Store Settings

• General Settings: Update store name, contact information, and legal policies
• Payments: Reconnect payment providers or set up new accounts
• Shipping: Configure rates and zones specific to the new store
• Taxes: Set appropriate tax settings based on your business structure
• Checkout: Customize checkout flow and settings

2. Connect or Reinstall Apps

• Review which apps transferred during cloning
• Reinstall missing apps from the Shopify App Store
• Reconfigure app settings according to your documentation
• Verify app functionality with test transactions or processes

3. Update SEO and Analytics

• Install fresh tracking codes (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, etc.)
• Review and update SEO titles and descriptions
• Set up proper domain redirects if necessary
• Create new sitemaps and submit to search engines

4. Test Store Functionality

• Complete test purchases using the store's checkout
• Verify that email notifications are working properly
• Test responsiveness across multiple devices
• Check loading speeds and performance

In some cases, you might need to remove Shopify from the URL for your new cloned store to maintain a professional appearance. This process involves setting up a custom domain and configuring it properly.

Common Use Cases for Cloning Shopify Stores

Understanding when cloning makes sense helps determine if it's the right solution for your needs:

Multi-Market Expansion

Cloning facilitates launching in new geographic markets with localized:

• Currencies and payment methods
• Language and content
• Shipping rates and delivery options
• Product offerings tailored to regional preferences

Creating Test Environments

Many established stores use cloning to create staging environments for:

• Testing theme changes without affecting the live store
• Experimenting with new layouts and design elements
• Training team members without risk to the production store
• Validating major updates before implementation

Brand Expansion

For businesses running multiple brands with similar operational models:

• Launch related product lines under different branding
• Maintain consistent backend workflows across stores
• Share product data while presenting different front-end experiences

If you're in the supplement or wellness industry, cloning can be particularly valuable for creating a dropshipping supplement company with different branding but similar operational foundations.

Alternative Approaches to Consider

Sometimes, full cloning isn't necessary. Consider these alternatives:

Using Multiple Sales Channels

Instead of full cloning, Shopify allows adding sales channels to your existing store:

• Create separate brand experiences within one account
• Maintain single inventory management
• Simplify operations with a unified dashboard

Utilizing Shopify Markets

For geographic expansion, the Shopify Markets feature offers:

• Multiple currency support
• Country-specific domains
• Localized content and pricing
• Centralized management

Leveraging Theme Duplicates

For testing design changes:

• Duplicate your current theme within your store
• Make changes to the copy
• Preview without affecting live store
• Publish when ready

Advanced Cloning Strategies

For experienced Shopify merchants looking to maximize cloning benefits:

Selective Code Migration

Rather than full theme cloning:

• Identify specific code snippets that drive results
• Transfer only high-performing elements
• Use version control systems like Git to track changes
• Document custom code thoroughly

Data-Driven Customization

Use analytics from the original store to improve the clone:

• Identify top-performing products to prioritize
• Analyze the highest-converting pages for replication
• Review customer journey maps to optimize flow
• Focus development resources on elements with proven ROI

Automation Setup

Streamline management of multiple stores through:

• Inventory sync tools
• Cross-store reporting dashboards
• Bulk update capabilities
• Centralized notification systems

For businesses leveraging dropshipping models, these automation strategies become particularly valuable for managing multiple storefronts efficiently.

Expert Insights: Clone Stores via Shopify Plus Multi-Store Architecture with Shared Checkout Logic

If you're running on Shopify Plus, you gain access to enterprise-level capabilities that go beyond standard cloning apps. One advanced strategy is to set up a multi-store structure with shared backend logic, allowing you to:

• Clone the core store architecture (themes, product structures, collections) using Shopify Plus’s bulk management tools
• Unify checkout experiences across multiple storefronts using Shopify Scripts and the Checkout.liquid file
• Push updates across multiple stores simultaneously using Shopify’s ThemeKit or GitHub integration
• Automate store setup via the Shopify Admin API, reducing human error and dramatically speeding up new store deployment

This approach is particularly powerful for global brands that need localized storefronts (e.g., US, EU, AU) but want to keep operations lean and development centralized.

Turn Clone Stores Into Revenue Engines: Practical Next Steps

Cloning a Shopify store represents a strategic opportunity to scale your e-commerce business efficiently when done correctly. The time saved by not rebuilding from scratch can be redirected toward customization, optimization, and market-specific adjustments that drive growth.

Success with store cloning comes from careful planning before, meticulous execution during, and thoughtful refinement after the cloning process. 

When combined with robust private-label dropshipping supplier and strategic product selection, cloned stores can become powerful vehicles for business expansion with minimized setup time and technical hurdles.

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