Give a Shopify developer the right collaborator access Print

Quick answer

A collaborator account gives an approved Shopify Partner individual access to your store with selected permissions. It is preferable to sharing the store owner’s password, and it can be reviewed or removed from Shopify administration.

Applies to

For the owner or authorized staff of the selected Shopify store, with the permissions needed for this task. Shopify hosts the store separately from a cPanel hosting account. Features and workflows depend on the current Shopify plan, theme and apps.

Before you begin

Confirm the requesting business and the exact store. Decide which tasks are authorized, such as theme development, product setup, or integration review, before approving access.

What to do

1. Ask the developer to send a collaborator request for the correct store. Use your normal Shopify administration session to review it rather than signing in through an unexpected email link.
2. Compare requested permissions with the agreed work. Theme editing does not automatically require customer exports, payouts, billing, or every available setting.
3. Approve only the access needed and record who owns the engagement. Ask about any additional permission request before expanding the role.
4. Keep production publication separate from development access. Agree whether the developer can publish changes or should prepare an unpublished theme for review.
5. Review access after completion and remove obsolete permissions or the collaborator account when no longer required.

How to check the result

Confirm the developer can reach the intended store and perform the approved task without broader access. Check that project instructions identify the current live theme and any excluded apps or settings.

If you need help

If a task is blocked, request the exact missing permission and its purpose instead of granting all access. Shopify requires collaborators to use two-step authentication. Never send your owner password or recovery codes as a workaround.

Related help

• Review who has access to your website and connected services
• Review a Shopify theme change before publishing it
• Understand what a Shopify theme copy does and does not back up

Official references

• Shopify collaborator accounts

Reviewed October 31, 2026. Interfaces, vendor availability, and account features can change. Check your current account before making changes.