How to Give Collaborator Access in Shopify (Bonus: How to Request Shopify Collaborator Access)

TL;DR: Give Shopify collaborator access by approving a collaborator request sent from a Shopify Partner account. Agencies and freelancers can request collaborator access manually through the Shopify Partner Dashboard or simplify the process using a client onboarding tool like Leadsie.

Working with a team, freelancer, or agency on your Shopify store?

Shopify lets you grant either staff access or collaborator access depending on the type of user. We’ll walk you through how both options work, how to request access as an agency or freelancer, and how to avoid common collaborator access issues. 👇

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Quick summary

Not sure where to start? Jump to the option that matches what you’re trying to do:

• Option 1: Give staff permissions to your Shopify store — Add employees or internal team members as staff users.
• Option 2: Give collaborator access in Shopify — Approve access for freelancers, developers, or agencies without affecting your staff limit.
• Option 3: Request collaborator access manually through Shopify Partner Dashboard — Send a collaborator request directly through Shopify.‍
• Option 4: Request Shopify collaborator access with Leadsie — Simplify the process with a single access link instead of manually going through the Shopify Partner Dashboard and collaborator request steps.

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Types of admin roles in Shopify

Shopify has two main types of admin roles: staff permissions and collaborator permissions. The right option depends on whether you’re giving access to an internal team member, freelancer, or agency.

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1. 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 Shopify store’s staff limit, which varies depending on your Shopify plan.

💡 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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2. What are "Shopify collaborators"?

Shopify collaborators are Shopify Partners, usually freelance developers, marketers, or agencies, who can access and work on your Shopify store without being added as regular staff users.

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 work directly inside your Shopify admin dashboard using individual staff accounts.

You can decide what each collaborator has access to and edit or remove their permissions anytime through your Shopify admin dashboard.

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Giving access to your Shopify store

You can give access to your Shopify store by adding someone as either a staff member or a collaborator, depending on their role in your business.

Below, we’ll walk through the steps for setting up both staff permissions and collaborator access separately.

🎥 Video walkthrough:

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Option 1: Give staff permissions to your Shopify store

You can give staff permissions in Shopify by adding a new staff member through the Users and permissions section of your Shopify admin dashboard. From there, you can choose exactly what they can access, including orders, products, customers, and reports.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

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.

🔎 Note: If you need to find your Shopify Store ID, you can usually find it in your browser URL after logging in to Shopify. It appears after /store/ in URLs.

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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Option 2: Give collaborator access in Shopify

You can give collaborator access in Shopify by approving a collaborator request sent from a Shopify Partner account. If you have enabled collaborator request access codes, you’ll need to share the code with your collaborator so they can include it in their access request.

Once approved, you can choose exactly which permissions the collaborator has access to without adding them as a staff member.

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

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

You can set up a Shopify collaborator access code from the Users and permissions section of your Shopify admin. Once enabled, only people with your unique collaborator code can send access requests to your store.

Collaborator request codes help ensure you only receive genuine access requests from people you know and want to work with.

Here’s how to set up a request 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."

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

Requesting collaborator access in Shopify

You can request collaborator access to a client’s Shopify store either manually through the Shopify Partner Dashboard or by using a client onboarding tool like Leadsie to simplify the process.

Note: You’ll need a Shopify Partner account before requesting access to a client’s store. You can easily create one here if you don’t already have one.

🎥 Video walkthrough:

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Option 3: Request collaborator access manually through Shopify Partner Dashboard

To request collaborator access manually, you’ll need to submit an access request through the Shopify Partner Dashboard using your client’s Shopify store URL.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

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.

💡 Tip: 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.

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Option 4: Request Shopify collaborator access with Leadsie

You can request Shopify collaborator access with Leadsie by sending your client a secure access link instead of manually submitting requests through the Shopify Partner Dashboard.

Once your client opens the link, they can select their Shopify store and approve the permissions you need in just a few clicks.

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

You can remove a client’s Shopify store from your Shopify Partner Dashboard by going to the Stores section of your Partner Dashboard and removing your collaborator access to that store.

Here’s how:

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.

Common Shopify collaborator access errors

Even when following the correct steps, Shopify collaborator access requests can sometimes fail because of old permissions, declined requests, or account conflicts.

Here are some of the most common Shopify collaborator access errors and how to solve them.

“An account’s email on the store is the same as your partner business email.”

This error usually happens when the email connected to your Shopify Partner account already exists as a staff account on the Shopify store.

How to fix it

The store owner will need to remove the existing staff account tied to that email address before a new collaborator request can be sent.

Here’s what to do:

1. Ask the store owner to go to Settings > Users and permissions
2. Remove the existing staff account associated with your email
3. Once removed, resend the collaborator access request from your Shopify Partner Dashboard

Alternatively, you can update the email address used for the existing store account before requesting collaborator access again.
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“Your account doesn’t have permission to view this page.”

Sometimes a collaborator or staff account is removed, but Shopify still keeps a connection between the email and the store. This can stop new collaborator requests from going through.

How to fix it

This usually means your email is still linked to the store as a staff account somewhere in Shopify’s system.

To resolve it:

1. Ask the store owner to double-check Settings > Users and permissions
2. Make sure every reference to your email address has been completely removed
3. Wait a few minutes and resend the collaborator request

If the issue still persists after removing all references, you may need to contact Shopify Support so they can manually clear the old association from their system.
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“Your collaborator request was declined by the merchant."

If a client accidentally declined your collaborator request, Shopify may block new requests from being sent.

You might see an error where Shopify asks for a collaborator code, but no field appears to enter it.

How to fix it

Unfortunately, this is something Shopify Support usually needs to reset manually.

The fastest solution is to:

1. Contact Shopify Partner Support
2. Explain that the collaborator request was previously declined
3. Ask them to remove the “declined” state on the store so you can submit a new request

Once Shopify clears the restriction, you should be able to request collaborator access again normally.

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