Managed centrally
Maintain products, content and inventory once - instead of running several country stores in parallel.
Shopify internationalization
New markets. Without a rebuild.
Internationalisation rarely fails on technology - it fails on structure. We set up markets, languages, and domains so they hold up.
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Locally relevant
Deliver the right language, prices, currency and payment methods for each market.
Built to scale
Launch new countries on a robust domain, SEO and translation structure.
- Since 2019
- 150+ Migrations and Relaunches
- Official Shopify Plus Partner
What does a Shopify internationalization involve?
Market & URL structure
Which countries run as subfolders, which on their own domains? The decision drives domain authority, maintenance effort and migration risk - and can only be corrected later through redirects.
Languages & translation
Choosing between Shopify Translate & Adapt and specialized apps, handling theme strings, metafields and app content, plus a process for translating new content later.
Prices, payment & tax
Currencies, rounding rules, local payment methods as well as VAT and customs details per market - including which prices are set manually per market.
Why don't your language versions rank?
Incomplete hreflang
If a language version does not point to all others and to itself, Google ignores the annotation. The most common mistake is the missing self-reference.
Forced redirects by IP
If every visitor is sent to their country version automatically, the crawler also only sees one version. The others stay undiscovered.
Translated URLs without a concept
Handles that differ per language or get translated after the fact break redirects and internal linking - especially after a relaunch.
Thin language copies
Machine-translated pages without local prices, payment methods and delivery times provide no distinct value in any market.
Complete hreflang
Every version points to all others and to itself, plus an x-default for users whose language or country is not covered.
Suggest, don't force
Visitors get a suggestion to switch to their country version but are never redirected automatically.
Stable URL structure
The decision between subfolders and dedicated domains is made before the content work. Handles stay stable afterwards.
Local, not just translated
Prices, payment methods, delivery times, sizing and legal notices are set per market - not just the text translated.
How do you set up Shopify Markets properly?
01
Prioritize markets
First we clarify which countries you actually serve - with shipping, returns, tax obligations and customer service. A market without operations is not a market.
02
Define the URL strategy
Subfolders such as /de-at/ or a dedicated domain per country. Subfolders concentrate domain authority, dedicated domains feel more local but cost more effort.
03
Set up languages
Languages and markets are treated separately: the same language can run in several markets, and one market can have several languages.
04
Produce translations
Theme strings, product copy, metafields and app content are collected and translated. We define what is machine pre-translated and what is reviewed editorially.
05
Prices, payment, tax
Set up currencies, rounding, local payment methods and tax rates per market and verify each country with a test order.
06
Verify the annotations
hreflang, canonicals, sitemaps and country exclusions are checked after launch and evaluated per country in Search Console.
What do you need to watch for in Austria and Switzerland?
Same language, own market
DE, AT and CH share a language but need their own prices, payment methods and legal texts
Switzerland is a third country
Customs, import VAT and delivery times differ considerably from EU shipping
hreflang per country
de-DE, de-AT and de-CH are annotated separately, otherwise the versions cannibalize each other
Local payment methods
Invoice purchase in DE and AT, TWINT in Switzerland - the payment mix affects the abandonment rate
Is internationalisation the right next step?
Then the next market will hold
Your home market is stable
Your main market converts reliably, and you already see orders or enquiries from countries you currently serve with standard shipping only.
Fulfilment is settled
Shipping, returns, customs and customer service are answered for the target country before the first language version goes live.
A relaunch is due anyway
If the URL structure is being touched regardless, the market and domain decision comes without extra breakage. Later it costs redirects and rankings.
DACH runs on one version
Austria and Switzerland are served with the same prices, payment methods and legal texts as Germany, although they are separate markets.
Then something else comes first
Your home market converts poorly
A second market multiplies a purchase flow that already loses orders in the first country. The cause needs settling first.
CRO & optimisationIndexing in the main market is broken
Canonicals, duplicate content and an unclear category structure get harder to repair with every additional language version.
Shopify SEOForeign demand comes from business buyers
If the enquiries from abroad are resellers, you need catalogs, price lists and approvals rather than another language version.
Shopify B2B & wholesaleWorking together
How do we approach an internationalisation with you?
Whether the market strategy is still open, one country is launching or several markets run in parallel - the entry point differs.
Market and hreflang review
Who it is for
For stores that already run several languages and want to know why those versions do not land in search.
What is included
- Check hreflang, x-default and canonicals
- Assess URL structure and handles per language
- Reconcile prices, payment methods and tax rules
How it ends
Ends with a prioritised set of findings your team or another agency can work through directly.
Market launch
Who it is for
For the launch of one specific country: from the domain decision through to a test order with a local payment method.
What is included
- Set up market, languages and URL strategy
- Translate theme strings, metafields and app content
- Test order per country with price and tax
How it ends
Ends with the market live and a real order running through cleanly with a local payment method.
Rollout support
Who it is for
For merchants rolling out country by country who want one consistent structure across every market.
What is included
- Set up new markets on the same pattern
- Manage translation updates for new content
- Evaluate Search Console per country
How it ends
Ends with a documented rollout pattern your team can apply to further countries on its own.
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Frequently asked questions about internationalization
What is Shopify Markets?
Shopify Markets is the feature that lets you serve several countries from one store. Per market you define domain or subfolder, languages, currency, prices, payment methods and tax rules. Products and inventory stay central; only the market-specific settings differ.
Subfolder or a dedicated domain per country?
Subfolders such as /de-at/ concentrate the authority of the main domain and are faster to set up. Dedicated country domains feel more local and allow separate presences, but each builds its own authority and creates more maintenance. For most DACH setups subfolders are the pragmatic route.
What is hreflang and why do you need it?
hreflang tells search engines which language and country version of a page is meant for which users. Every version has to point to all others and to itself. If the self-reference is missing or the references are not mutual, the annotation is ignored.
Translate & Adapt or a translation app?
Translate & Adapt is free, covers products, theme and content and is enough for most stores. Specialized apps pay off with many languages, with translation workflows involving external agencies, or for content from apps and metafields that is not captured natively.
Should visitors be redirected automatically?
No. A forced redirect by IP prevents crawlers from seeing all versions and annoys users who deliberately opened a different version. A notification banner with a switch suggestion is better because it leaves the decision with the visitor.
How do you handle prices and currencies?
Shopify can convert and round prices automatically via exchange rates. For markets with a different competitive situation, different shipping costs or a different tax burden, manually set market prices are better - otherwise you end up with prices that match neither your margin nor local expectations.
What changes tax-wise per market?
VAT rates, registration obligations and thresholds differ per country, and Switzerland is additionally a customs topic as a third country. Tax logic belongs on the table with your tax advisor before launch: Shopify implements rules but does not replace advice.
Which markets are next for you?
We review your URL structure, your hreflang implementation and your market setup and show you what needs settling before the next country.
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