Guides
Guides and free tools for Shopify merchants
Straight answers to the questions behind our apps. Each guide explains how to handle the problem by hand first, then where an app can save you the work.
Docs and reference
Free tools
- Packtally free toolPackaging EPR checker: do I owe EPR reports?Enter your revenue and orders by state to see which packaging EPR programs likely cover your brand.
- Roadcase free toolHoliday shipping cutoff calculator for Christmas 2026Pick your carrier and handling time to get your store's last day to order for Christmas delivery.
- Whittle free toolSearch listing preview and length checkerSee how your title and meta description look on Google and whether they'll be cut off.
Whittle: seo for google and ai search
- How to get your Shopify store recommended by ChatGPT and AI assistantsWhat AI assistants read before they recommend a store, and the six steps to get your products named.
- How to clean up AI-written blog posts on a Shopify storeAudit the blog, sort every post into keep, rewrite, merge or delete, and redirect what you remove.
- Shopify SEO checklist for 2026The twelve checks that matter most for Google and AI search, in the order to do them.
- Product structured data for Shopify, explainedWhich schema types matter for a store, how to check your theme, and how to avoid duplicate markup.
- How to write alt text for Shopify product imagesWhat good alt text says, examples, and where to add it for products and the rest of your files.
- How to find and fix broken links and 404s on ShopifyFind broken links inside your pages and 404s visitors hit, then fix each with the right redirect.
- llms.txt for Shopify stores: what it is and whether you need itWhat llms.txt does, what to put in it, and why it's an extra rather than a ranking factor.
- Shopify SEO apps compared (2026)Smart SEO, SEO King, TinySEO, Avada, SearchPie, Plug in SEO and Whittle, side by side.
Packtally: packaging epr reports
- What is packaging EPR? A plain-English guide for Shopify brandsWhat extended producer responsibility for packaging means, which states have it, and what it asks of an online brand.
- Do I have to report packaging EPR? State thresholds explainedThe revenue and tonnage lines in each state, and the exemptions you have to claim instead of assume.
- Packaging EPR deadlines: the 2026 cycle and what to expect in 2027The shared May 31 reporting date, what was due in 2026, and how to plan for the 2027 cycle.
- California's SB 54 small producer exemption: who qualifies and how to claim itUnder $1 million in California sales? The exemption isn't automatic. Here's how to apply and keep it.
- How to calculate packaging weight by state for EPR reportsThe step-by-step method, from a packaging list to pounds by material and state, plus the 3PL question.
- Oregon packaging EPR: what Shopify brands need to knowOregon's program, the exemption claim window, and how reporting through Circular Action Alliance works.
- California SB 54 packaging EPR: a guide for Shopify brandsWho SB 54 covers, the registration and reports it requires, the exemption and the 2032 recyclability rule.
- Colorado packaging EPR: what Shopify brands need to knowColorado's small producer thresholds, annual reporting through Circular Action Alliance, and dues.
- Washington, Minnesota and Maryland packaging EPR: the simplified reportsWhat the three newer programs ask for now, the small producer lines, and what comes next.
Roadcase: shipping alerts and delivery tracking
- 2026 holiday shipping deadlines for Shopify storesUSPS, UPS and FedEx ship-by dates for Christmas 2026, and how to set your store's last day to order.
- How to reduce "where is my order" emails on ShopifyWhy WISMO emails happen and the five fixes that cut them down, most of which you can do by hand today.
- How to find late and stuck packages in your Shopify storeThe four kinds of problem package, how to spot each one, and what to do the same day.
- Package says delivered but the customer didn't get it: what to doThe steps to take in order, when to file with the carrier, and how to decide between reshipping and refunding.
- How to file a lost or damaged package claim with USPS, UPS and FedExWhat to collect before you file, where each carrier's claim form lives, and how to track claims until they pay.
- Are you losing money on shipping? How to find the leaksCompare label costs with shipping charged, then check the six usual causes of undercharging.
- How to show delivery estimates on Shopify product pagesBase the estimate on real handling and transit times, add a cutoff, skip weekends and holidays.
- Package stuck in transit: what to doHow long to wait, what to tell the customer, and when to contact the carrier or reship.
- Shopify order tracking and shipping alert apps compared (2026)AfterShip, CWILL (ParcelPanel), Track by Loop (Wonderment), Malomo, TrackingMore and Roadcase, side by side.
Keyholder: back office for shopify pos
- How to offer layaway on Shopify POSShopify POS has no built-in layaway. How shops run it today, and the policy decisions to make first.
- Is there a time clock in Shopify POS?Shopify POS tracks who sold what, not who worked when. How shops track hours, and what a good time clock needs.
- How to track sales commissions on Shopify POSShopify POS credits sales to staff but stops short of commissions. A plan design and a monthly method that works.
- How to manage alterations, repairs and work orders on Shopify POSShopify POS has no work orders. A simple ticket system for alterations, repairs and custom jobs that works today.
- How to hold items for customers on Shopify POSA hold policy, how to keep held stock from selling online, and how to follow up before holds expire.