Create Your Hosted Store
Learn how to create your hosted store using our AI-powered setup wizard
Creating a hosted store takes just minutes with our 4-step guided setup. Our AI assistant, Roasty, helps you configure your brand settings through a conversational chat experience.
Prerequisites
Before creating a hosted store, make sure you have:
- Pro Plan subscription - Hosted stores are included with Pro
- Products (optional) - You can add products during or after setup
- Brand assets ready - Logo and images (optional but recommended)
If you're on the Base Plan or Free Trial, upgrade to Pro first at Settings > Plans.
The 4-Step Store Creation Process
Overview
The store creation wizard guides you through:
- Basic Information - Name and domain setup
- Brand Setup with AI - Chat with Roasty to configure your brand
- Add Images - Upload logo and photos (optional)
- Select Products - Choose which products to include (optional)
Steps 3 and 4 are optional. You can skip them and add images/products later in the store editor.
Step-by-Step Guide
Navigate to Stores
Click Stores in the main navigation. If you don't have a store yet, you'll see a welcome screen with the "Create Your Store" button.
Start the Wizard
Click Create Your Store to open the setup wizard.
Step 1: Basic Information
Enter Store Name
Choose a name for your store. This will:
- Appear in your store's header
- Be shown to customers
- Help generate your default subdomain
Example: "Eagle Coffee Roasters"
Choose Domain Type
Select how you want to access your store:
Free Subdomain (Recommended for beginners)
- Get a free subdomain like
eagle.coffeestore.app - Available instantly
- No DNS configuration needed
Custom Domain (For established businesses)
- Use your own domain like
shop.myroastery.com - Requires DNS configuration after setup
- More professional appearance
Configure Subdomain
If using a free subdomain:
- Enter your desired subdomain (minimum 3 characters)
- We'll check availability in real-time
- Only use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
Example: eagle → eagle.coffeestore.app
Or Enter Custom Domain
If using your own domain:
- Enter the full domain:
shop.myroastery.com - You'll receive DNS instructions after store creation
- DNS propagation takes 1-48 hours
Click Next
Once your name and domain are set, proceed to brand setup.
Step 2: Brand Setup with Roasty (AI Assistant)
This is where the magic happens! Roasty, our AI assistant, will chat with you to understand your brand and automatically configure your store's appearance.
This step uses AI to personalize your store. Learn more about Roasty and the AI onboarding experience in our dedicated guide.
Meet Roasty
Roasty will greet you with a welcome message and ask about your coffee business.
Have a Conversation
Answer Roasty's questions naturally. You'll discuss:
- Your brand personality and style
- Target customers
- Color preferences
- Your story and values
- Contact information
- Social media links
AI Generates Your Settings
Based on your answers, Roasty automatically configures:
- Store tagline
- Accent/brand colors
- Theme (light or dark)
- Hero section headline
- About section text
- Contact information
- Social media links
Configuration Saved
When Roasty finishes, you'll see a success message: "Brand settings saved! Click Next to continue."
Don't worry about getting everything perfect. You can edit all these settings later in the store editor.
Step 3: Add Images (Optional)
Personalize your store with custom images:
Upload Logo
Add your brand logo:
- Click the upload area or paste an image URL
- Recommended: PNG with transparent background
- Optimal size: 200-400px wide
Upload Hero Background
Add a background image for your store's hero section:
- High-quality coffee-related photo
- Recommended: 1920x1080px or larger
- Will be displayed prominently on homepage
Upload About/Story Image
Add an image for your "About" section:
- Photo of your roastery, team, or process
- Recommended: 1200x800px or larger
- Helps tell your brand story
Skip or Continue
You can skip this step entirely and add images later. Click Next to proceed.
All images are optional. You can add them later from the store editor.
Step 4: Select Products (Optional)
Choose which products to include in your store:
View Available Products
The wizard shows all products in your Roastify account that aren't already assigned to another store.
Select Products
Click on products to add them to your store:
- Check individual products
- Or click "Select All" to add everything
- See product images, names, and types
No Products Yet?
If you haven't created products:
- Don't worry! Continue with store setup
- You can add products later
- The wizard will let you know this is fine
Create Store
Click Create Store to finalize setup with your selected products.
Products can be added, removed, or reordered anytime from the store editor.
After Creation
Once you click "Create Store", several things happen automatically:
- Store is created with your chosen name and domain
- AI-generated settings are applied to your store config
- Images are set if you uploaded them
- Products are added if you selected any
- Store editor opens so you can continue customizing
Success! You'll see a confirmation message and be redirected to your new store's editor.
Editing Your Store After Creation
Once created, you can continue customizing your store through the visual editor:
Using the Store Editor
The store editor has three main tabs:
Editor Tab
- Visual customization interface
- Live preview of your store
- Adjust colors, text, images, and layout
- Changes are saved manually with the "Save Changes" button
Billing Tab
- Connect Stripe for payments
- View payment and payout history
- Manage your Stripe account
- Access tax documents
Settings Tab
- Store activation/deactivation
- Custom domain configuration
- Email notification preferences
- Delete store option
The editor shows different pages: Home, Catalog, About, and Contact. Switch between them using the dropdown to customize each page.
Making Changes
Open Your Store
From Stores page, click on your store to open the editor.
Select Editor Tab
Click the "Editor" tab to access customization tools.
Choose Page to Edit
Use the page selector dropdown to choose: Home, Catalog, About, or Contact.
Customize with Side Panel
The left panel shows editable sections:
- Click any section to edit its content
- Adjust colors, text, and images
- See live preview on the right
Save Your Changes
Click the "Save Changes" button in the top-right when done.
Setting Up Custom Domain (If You Chose Custom)
If you selected a custom domain during setup, you'll need to configure DNS:
Go to Settings Tab
In your store editor, click the "Settings" tab.
Find Domain Status
You'll see your custom domain and its verification status.
Copy DNS Records
Copy the DNS records provided (CNAME or A records).
Update Your Domain Registrar
Log into your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.) and add the DNS records.
Wait for Verification
DNS propagation takes 1-48 hours. The status will update automatically once verified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Next Steps
AI Onboarding with Roasty
Learn more about how our AI assistant helps set up your brand settings. Learn About Roasty →
Connect Payments
Set up Stripe Connect to start accepting customer payments. Set Up Payments →
Customize Your Store
Dive deeper into customizing your store's design and layout. Manage Your Store →