Do you use Shopify to host your ecommerce store? Do you want to add staff members to your store so they can manage your inventory? Or maybe you work with freelancers who manage the marketing for your store?

If you have anyone who needs access to your Shopify store, this article is for you!

There are two types of access in Shopify: Staff permissions and collaborator permissions. 

This guide breaks down everything you need to know:

• For store owners: How to set up staff permissions for your in-house team and grant collaborator access to freelancers, agencies, or developers without affecting your staff limit.
• For freelancers and agencies: A step-by-step guide on requesting collaborator access to your client’s Shopify store.

Store owners, jump to Part 1 to learn how to grant access.
Freelancers and agencies, skip to Part 2 for tips on requesting access.

Ready? Let’s get started! 😊

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Types of admin roles in Shopify

Depending on their role in your business, others may need admin access to your Shopify store to help you manage it. We will explain the two types of admin roles: staff and collaborator permissions.

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What are ‘Staff permissions’ or staff access?

Staff permissions are for your in-house team—employees or contractors who work on your Shopify store regularly. 

‍If you grant someone staff permissions, they will be able to:

• Manage orders: View, edit, delete, and export orders.
• Update products: Add, edit, and manage your inventory.
• Access customers: Export customer profiles and manage customer details.
• Run campaigns: Create and manage marketing campaigns.
• Create discounts: Manage discount codes and gift cards.
• View analytics: Access reports and store data.

Staff accounts count toward your store’s staff limit.

Tip: Customize permissions to suit each team member’s role. For example, your marketing manager doesn’t need access to order fulfillment, and your customer support agent doesn’t need to edit your product catalog.

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What are Shopify collaborators?

Collaborators are Shopify Partners; usually freelance developers, marketers, ad specialists, or agencies working on your store.

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What's the difference between Shopify collaborators and staff access? 

Collaborators log in via the Shopify Partner Dashboard or the Shopify mobile app—these accounts do not count toward your staff member limit. 

On the other hand, staff members will work in the same dashboard as you (using individual logins).

You can decide what each collaborator has access to and edit or remove their permissions anytime via your account dashboard.

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Part 1: Giving access to your Shopify store

Now that you’ve decided what access your team needs, we will go through all the steps for giving staff and collaborator permission separately.

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A. How to give staff permissions to your Shopify store

Follow these steps to give someone staff permissions in your Shopify store: 

Step 1: Log in to your Shopify store admin page.

Step 2: Click on Settings at the bottom of the menu on the left.

Step 3: Select Users and permissions.

Step 4: Click Add Staff to add a new person.

Step 5: Enter the staff member’s name and email address.

Step 6: Choose the permissions you want to grant:

• For full access, click Select All.
• (Optional) You can also grant access to linked apps and channels, like social media accounts or your POS system.

Step 7: Click Send Invite once you’ve set the right permissions.

Your staff member will get an email invitation. They must follow the steps to create a staff account or log in with their Shopify ID.

Once they accept the invite, you will get an email notification: 

Important Notes:

• Invitations expire after 7 days, so follow up if they don’t accept it in time.
• The number of staff members you can add depends on your Shopify plan, so double-check your limit.

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B. How to give collaborator access in Shopify

If you work with an agency or freelancer, you may want to give them collaborator permissions in your store without making them a staff member (remember, the number of staff members is limited depending on your plan). 

This is the full list of permissions you can grant to a collaborator:  

Here’s how it works:

1. Your collaborator needs to send you a request for access from their Shopify Partner account.
2. If you have enabled collaborator request access codes, you must share the code with your collaborator so they can include it while requesting access to your store. 

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For store owners: How to set up a Shopify collaborator access code

For added security, you can set up a collaborator request code. This way, you will only receive genuine access requests from people you know and want to work with.

Here’s how to set up a request access code: 

Step 1: Head to Users and permissions.

Step 2: Go to the Collaborators section.

Step 3: Select Only people with a collaborator request code can send a collaborator request.  

Step 4: Click Generate new code.

Your agency or freelancer will need to ask you for this code before they can send you a Shopify collaborator request.

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Part 2: How to request collaborator access in Shopify

Are you an agency or freelancer who needs access to your client’s Shopify store? We’ll share the two methods (hint: one is easier than the other!) you can use.

You will need a Shopify Partner account to get collaborator access to a client’s store. You can easily set up a Partner account here if you don't have one yet.

Follow these steps to request access: 

Option 1: The manual method 

Step 1: Create a Shopify Partners Account.

Step 2: Log in to your Partner Dashboard.

Step 3: Go to the Stores tab and click Add Store > Request Access to Store.

Step 4: Enter the URL of your client’s store.

Step 5: If your client has set up a 4-digit collaborator code, ask them for it and enter it here.

Step 6: Select the permissions you need (or click Select All for full access).

Step 7: Add a personalized message and hit Request Access to Store.

Step 8:  Once your client approves the request, you’ll have access through your Partner Dashboard.

If you manage assets for more than one Shopify store, you can see them all in the Stores tab of your Partner Dashboard. Here is where you can modify your requests.

‍Pro Tip: This process works but can be time-consuming—especially if your client isn’t familiar with collaborator codes or permissions.

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Option 2: The hassle-free way with Leadsie

Leadsie’s Shopify integration makes requesting collaborator access seamless and secure. No more back-and-forth emails, no manual setup—just one simple link!

How Leadsie works:

1. Generate your Leadsie link: Log in to your Leadsie account and create a link for Shopify access.
2. Send the link to your client: Share the link with your client via email or chat. 
3. Client approves access: The client logs in using your Leadsie link, selects the Shopify store, and chooses which permissions to grant (like themes, apps, or analytics).
4. That’s all! Leadsie handles all the backend setup, so you don’t have to deal with collaborator codes or manual steps.

Why choose Leadsie?

• It’s fast: No waiting for request approvals or dealing with codes.
• It’s simple: Clients don’t need to navigate complicated Shopify settings.
• It’s secure: The client has full control because they choose exactly which permissions to grant.

If you’re not already using Leadsie, try the easiest way to get Shopify collaborator access for free here!

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[Optional] How to remove a client’s Shopify store from your Shopify Partners dashboard

If you are no longer working with a client and they didn’t remove you as a collaborator account, you can remove yourself from their store. 

Step 1: Click the Stores tab in your Partner Dashboard.

Step 2: Find the store you want to leave.

Step 3: Click Actions > Remove access.

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Simplify access requests with Leadsie! 😀

Do you manage other marketing assets like Facebook Pages, Facebook Ads, TikTok, Google Ads, or Instagram accounts?

Wave goodbye to the headache of onboarding clients. We created Leadsie to make it simple, quick, and hassle-free to get access so you can start work on client accounts in less time.

You send your client a Leadsie link, they log in securely, select the permissions to give, and just like that—access is granted! 🙌

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‍Leadsie does all the work adding you as a user in the backend so your client doesn’t have to! The testimonials from agencies that work with us speak for themselves.

Ready to see it in action? We’ll give you a 14-day free trial because we’re nice like that 😉 (and we know you’ll love us!). Simply enter your email in the box below!👇