Requesting access to a client's store

You can use collaborator accounts to access your clients' stores directly through your own Partner Dashboard or using the Shopify app. Collaborator accounts give you access to only the sections of a store that your client wants you to see, and do not count towards a store's staff limit. Any stores that you have access to by using a collaborator account are labeled as Managed stores in your Partner Dashboard.

Limitations of collaborator accounts

You need to log in to the store through the Stores section of your Partner Dashboard instead of logging in directly to the store.

Caution

Use of Shopify Partners collaborator accounts requires users to activate two-step authentication to help ensure the security of merchant stores. Two-step authentication helps prevent security breaches that can lead to unauthorized store access. Without two-step authentication activated, your account, and those of your clients, will be less secure.

Request collaborator access to a client's store

If you want a collaborator account for a client's store, then you need to send a request to the store owner through your Partner Dashboard. You can also send your client this article to explain how collaborator accounts work.

If you already have a staff account for the client's store or have been invited by the store owner to activate a staff account, then you can log in with your staff account to work on the store. If you want to request collaborator access and log in as a collaborator instead, then you should contact the store owner and ask them to remove the staff account that's associated with your Partner email address.

If you already have collaborator access to a store through your Partner account, then you can't be added to the store as a staff member. If you want to log in as a staff member, then you should contact the store owner and ask them to remove collaborator access for the Partner organization.

As an additional layer of security, merchants have a 4-digit collaborator request code for their Shopify store. You need to enter the code when you request access as a collaborator. If you enter an incorrect code, then you see an error in the Partner Dashboard and your request isn't sent to the merchant.

Steps:

1. From your Partner Dashboard, go to Stores.

2. Click Add store > Request access to store.

3. Enter the URL of the Shopify store that you want to access.

4. If the Shopify store requires a collaborator request code, then enter the code.

5. In the Permissions section, select the sections of the store that you want to access. The account owner can change these permissions after your account is created.

6. If you want to include a message to the store owner in your request, then enter a message in the Add a message section.

7. Click Request access to store.

After you submit a request, the store owner receives an email about the request, and a notification on their Shopify Home.

Cancel a pending collaborator access request

If you requested collaborator access to a store but need to cancel the request, then you can do so through the Partner Dashboard.

Steps:

1. From your Partner Dashboard, go to Stores.

2. Beside the store with the access request you want to cancel, click Cancel request.

3. Click Cancel access request.

View your managed stores

You can view the stores that you've requested access to on the Stores page in your Partner Dashboard. There's no limit to the number of managed stores that you can have, but you can have only up to 10 pending requests open at a time.

If your access to a store is removed, then you can remove the store from your Stores list by clicking Remove from list.

Remove your collaborator access to a store

If you no longer need to work on a client's store, then you can remove your collaborator access to the store. Removing your access deletes your collaborator account from the store.

If you need to do more work on the store after you remove access, you'll need to request access to the client's store again.

After your access to a store is removed, you can remove the store from your Stores list by clicking Remove from list.

Steps:

1. From your Partner Dashboard, go to Stores.

2. Find the store you want to remove your access from in the list.

3. Click Remove access, and then click Remove store.

Expired access

Collaborator access to a Shopify store is granted on a rolling 90-day basis. To retain collaborator access, you must log in to the store within 90 days from the most recent time that you logged in, otherwise your access expires. If more than 90 days has passed from when you last logged in to the store and you need collaborator access, then you can request access again through your Partner Dashboard.