Your agency has asked for access to Shopify. You don't need to share your password for it. Shopify lets you add them with their own login, choose exactly what they can do, and remove them when the project ends. These are the clicks, checked against Shopify's own help pages in October 2026.
Which role to choose
Pick the narrowest role that lets your agency do the work. Collaborator is usually the right one.
| Role | What it allows | For an agency |
|---|---|---|
| Collaborator | For agencies that are Shopify Partners. You approve their request and the permissions it asks for. It works on every plan and uses none of your user seats. | Usually the right one |
| Staff user | A user account with only the roles you assign. It uses one of your plan's user seats, and Basic and Starter stores can't add users. | If the work needs it |
Add your agency to Shopify
Collaborator
For agencies that are Shopify Partners. You approve their request and the permissions it asks for. It works on every plan and uses none of your user seats.
- In your Shopify admin, go to Settings, then Users (Users and permissions on some stores), then Security.
- Under Collaborators, click the 4-digit collaborator request code to copy it. Send it to your agency, with your store's address ending in myshopify.com (Settings, then Domains).
- When the request from your agency arrives, Shopify emails you and shows it on Home. Go to Settings, then Users, and click Requests to find it.
- Open the request, check the permissions it asks for, then click Accept request.
Only the store owner or a user with the Administrator role can see and accept collaborator requests.
Staff user
- In your Shopify admin, go to Settings, then Users (Users and permissions on some stores), and click Add users.
- Keep Admin user selected, enter your agency's email address in Emails and click Add.
- Under Roles, click Assign and choose the role your agency needs, then click Save. Shopify emails the invitation.
Basic and Starter stores can't add users. If that's your plan, ask your agency for a collaborator request instead.
How you both know it worked
With a collaborator request, your agency sees your store as active on their side once you accept it. With a staff user, Shopify emails your agency an invitation from shopify.com. Once they accept it, they show in your Shopify account's list of people with access, where you can see or change their role at any time.
Remove access when the project ends
Collaborator
- In your Shopify admin, go to Settings, then Users (Users and permissions on some stores).
- Click the collaborator account for your agency.
- Click Remove in the Remove collaborator account section (Actions, then Remove, if your stores are in an organization), then confirm.
Staff user
- In your Shopify admin, go to Settings, then Users.
- Click the user for your agency.
- Click Actions, then Remove, and confirm. This removes the account for good.
Do you have to share your password?
No. Every step above uses Shopify's own invite, so your agency signs in with their own account, your two-step verification stays on, and anything they change is recorded under their name. How to give a developer access without sharing your password covers the other accounts agencies usually ask for.
Doing this for every client?
Agencies can send each client one Get Set Keys link instead of a page like this. It walks the client through Shopify and the other platforms the project needs, and checks that each step is done.