How to Fix "Missing Shipping Policy" on Shopify
Fix the "Missing shipping policy" error on Shopify by creating a complete shipping policy page, linking it from the footer, and ensuring it's accessible without login.
What this means
Google requires a publicly accessible shipping policy that includes rates, regions, and delivery timing. The error fires when the page is missing entirely, password-protected, behind a login, or unlinked from the footer (which means Google's crawler can't find it).
How to fix it
- 1
Create a shipping policy at /policies/shipping
Shopify Admin → Settings → Policies → Shipping policy → "Create from template." Customize with your actual rates and timing, don't leave placeholders.
- 2
Include rates, regions, and timing explicitly
Vague language ("we ship most orders quickly") fails. Specify timeframes ("orders ship within 1-2 business days"), costs ("$5.99 flat US shipping, free over $50"), and regions served.
- 3
Link from the footer on every page
Most Shopify themes auto-link policies in the footer. Verify by viewing your live site in incognito and checking the footer. If missing, edit theme settings or `footer.liquid`.
- 4
Verify accessible without login
Open `https://yourstore.com/policies/shipping-policy` in incognito (signed out). The page must load with full content, not redirect to login or homepage.
Related fixes
Related reading
FAQ
What must my shipping policy include?+
Delivery timing in days, shipping costs (or how they're calculated), and regions served. "Free shipping over $50" with a costs table beats "low shipping rates."
Where should the policy live?+
At `/policies/shipping-policy` (Shopify's standard URL). Linked from the footer on every page.
Can my shipping policy be password-protected?+
No. The policy must be reachable to Google's crawler without login or password.
Is Shopify's template policy enough?+
Only if you customize it. The default template has placeholder text that fails Google's review. Replace placeholders with your actual rates and timing.
Does my shipping policy need to match what's at checkout?+
Yes. Discrepancies between the policy and actual checkout behavior trigger misrepresentation. Free shipping in the policy must be free at checkout.
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