Shopify Store Set Up

How to Add Customers on Shopify

Last modified: April 20, 2026

Updated April 20, 2026 Expert reviewed

Key Takeaways

You can add customers manually in Shopify admin under Customers > Add Customer -- only first name, last name, and email are required to save a profile.

For bulk additions, use Shopify's CSV import tool to upload hundreds or thousands of customer records at once, with columns for name, email, address, tags, and marketing consent.

Always get written or digital consent before adding customer data, especially if you operate in regions covered by GDPR, CCPA, or PIPEDA -- verbal consent is not enough.

Use customer tags from day one to segment your list by source, purchase behavior, or location, making targeted email campaigns much easier later.

To add customers on Shopify, go to your Shopify admin, click Customers in the left menu, then click Add customer. Fill in the customer’s name, email, and any other details, then hit Save. You can also bulk import customers using a CSV file. This guide walks through both methods step by step, along with required fields, tagging, and privacy rules you need to follow.

Whether you are migrating from another platform, adding contacts from a trade show, or building your customer list from scratch, Shopify gives you two main ways to add customers: manually one at a time, or in bulk through a CSV file upload.

Key Takeaways

How to Add a Customer Manually on Shopify

The manual method works best when you need to add one or a handful of customers. Here is exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Check You Have Permission

Before entering anyone’s details into your store, confirm you have their consent. Privacy laws like GDPR (EU), CCPA (California), and PIPEDA (Canada) require that customers agree to have their personal data stored. If you are transferring customers from another platform, keep a copy of the old records as proof of original consent.

For new contacts collected at events or in-store, use a signup form with a clear checkbox stating that the customer agrees to have their information stored. Do not rely on verbal agreement - it will not hold up if challenged.

Step 2: Open the Customers Section

Log into your Shopify admin at yourstorename.myshopify.com/admin. In the left sidebar, click Customers. This opens your full customer list, where you can search existing profiles or add new ones.

Step 3: Click “Add Customer”

In the top-right corner of the Customers page, click the Add customer button. This opens a blank customer profile form.

Step 4: Fill In Customer Details

The form has several fields. Not all are required, but knowing which ones matter will save you time and keep your data clean.

Required fields:

First name and Last name - at minimum, you need one of these
Email address - needed if you plan to send order confirmations, receipts, or marketing emails

Optional but recommended fields:

Phone number - useful for SMS marketing or order delivery updates
Address (street, city, state/province, zip, country) - pre-fills at checkout, reducing cart abandonment
Company - helpful for B2B stores or wholesale accounts
Notes - internal-only field visible to your staff, not the customer. Use it for context like “Met at NYC trade show March 2026”
Tags - covered in detail below

Two checkboxes at the bottom of the form are worth paying attention to:

Customer accepts marketing - only tick this if you have explicit consent. Sending marketing emails without consent violates most anti-spam laws.
Tax exempt - tick this for wholesale buyers, resellers, or non-profit organizations that qualify for tax exemption in your jurisdiction.

Step 5: Save the Customer

Click Save in the top-right corner. The customer profile is now live in your store. They will not receive any notification unless you manually send them an account invite email from their profile page.

How to Bulk Import Customers Using a CSV File

If you have dozens or hundreds of customers to add - for example, when migrating from WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or a spreadsheet from your old POS system - the CSV import method is far faster than adding each one manually.

Prepare Your CSV File

Shopify accepts a specific CSV format. You can download a sample template from the Shopify admin import screen. The key columns are:

First Name, Last Name
Email
Phone
Accepts Marketing (yes/no)
Tags (comma-separated within the cell)
Address1, Address2, City, Province, Province Code, Country, Country Code, Zip
Note
Tax Exempt (yes/no)

Save your file as UTF-8 encoded CSV. This prevents character issues with accented names or international addresses.

Upload the CSV

In your Shopify admin, go to Customers, then click Import in the top-right area. Select your CSV file and click Import customers. Shopify will process the file and show a summary of how many records were added, updated, or skipped due to errors.

If a customer email already exists in your store, Shopify will update that record with any new information from the CSV rather than creating a duplicate. This makes re-imports safe if you need to update addresses or tags in bulk.

Using Customer Tags for Segmentation

Tags are one of the most underused features in Shopify’s customer management. A tag is a label you attach to a customer profile - you can add as many as you want, and they are searchable and filterable.

Practical tag examples:

vip - customers who have spent over a certain amount
wholesale - B2B buyers with different pricing
tradeshow-nyc-2026 - where you collected the contact
newsletter-only - signed up for emails but has not purchased yet
return-risk - customers with a high return rate

To add tags manually, open a customer profile and type the tag in the Tags field. Press Enter or add a comma to confirm each tag. In a CSV import, put all tags for one customer in a single cell, separated by commas.

Tags power Shopify’s customer segments feature, which lets you create automatic groups based on tag values, spending history, location, and more. Setting up tags from day one saves significant time later when you start running targeted email or discount campaigns.

Common Mistakes When Adding Customers

These are the errors that cause the most problems, based on what store owners frequently run into:

Duplicate email addresses - if two rows in your CSV have the same email, Shopify merges them. This is usually fine, but can overwrite address data you wanted to keep. Review your CSV for duplicates before importing.
Ticking “accepts marketing” without consent - this can result in spam complaints, email provider bans, and legal penalties under GDPR or CAN-SPAM. Only mark this if the customer has actively opted in.
Skipping tags - adding 500 customers with no tags makes them impossible to segment later. Always tag during import, not after.
Wrong CSV encoding - saving as ANSI instead of UTF-8 corrupts special characters. Always use UTF-8.
Forgetting to send account invites - adding a customer to Shopify does not give them a login. If you want them to create an account and view order history, you need to send an account invite from their profile page after saving.

Privacy and Consent: What You Actually Need to Do

Privacy compliance is not optional, and the rules vary by region. Here is a practical breakdown:

GDPR (EU/UK) - you need explicit, documented consent to store personal data. You must also honor deletion requests (“right to be forgotten”). Keep records of when and how consent was given.
CCPA (California) - customers have the right to know what data you store and to request deletion. You do not need consent to collect, but you must disclose and delete on request.
PIPEDA (Canada) - requires meaningful consent and limits data collection to what is necessary for the stated purpose.
CAN-SPAM / CASL - these govern email marketing specifically. CAN-SPAM (US) requires an unsubscribe link and honest subject lines. CASL (Canada) requires express opt-in before sending commercial emails.

For most Shopify store owners, the practical steps are:

Add a consent checkbox to any form where you collect customer details
Keep a record of when each customer gave consent (a screenshot, a database timestamp, or the original signup form)
Only tick “accepts marketing” in Shopify for customers who have explicitly opted in
Have a process for handling data deletion requests - Shopify lets you delete customer data from the admin under the customer’s profile

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FAQs

Can I import a customer list to Shopify?

Yes. Go to Customers in your Shopify admin and click Import. Shopify accepts CSV files with columns for name, email, phone, address, tags, marketing consent, and tax exemption status. You can download a sample CSV template from the import screen. If an email in your CSV matches an existing customer, Shopify updates that record instead of creating a duplicate. Save your file as UTF-8 to avoid encoding problems with special characters.
What are the steps to add customers on Shopify if they make a purchase?

Customers who complete a purchase through your Shopify checkout are automatically added to your customer list. Shopify captures their name, email, shipping address, and phone number during checkout. You do not need to add them manually. Their profile will appear under Customers in your admin, and any future orders will be linked to the same profile as long as they use the same email address.
How can store owners manage customer consent for marketing?

When adding a customer manually, there is a “Customer accepts marketing” checkbox on the profile form. Only tick this if the customer has given clear, documented permission to receive promotional emails. For CSV imports, set the “Accepts Marketing” column to “yes” or “no” for each row. Shopify also tracks the marketing consent date automatically, which helps with GDPR and CAN-SPAM compliance if you ever need to prove when someone opted in.
How do I bulk import customers to Shopify?

Go to your Shopify admin, click Customers, then click Import. Upload a CSV file with columns for first name, last name, email, phone, address fields, tags, accepts marketing (yes/no), and tax exempt (yes/no). Shopify processes the file and reports how many records were added, updated, or skipped. If a customer email already exists, the record is updated rather than duplicated. Always save your CSV as UTF-8 to prevent character encoding issues.
Can customers create their own account on my Shopify store?

Yes. In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Customer accounts and choose whether accounts are optional, required, or disabled. When set to optional or required, customers can create an account during checkout or from a login page on your storefront. You can also send account invites to customers you have already added manually, giving them a link to set their own password and access their order history.
How do I export my customer list from Shopify?

In your Shopify admin, go to Customers. You can export all customers or filter the list first (by tag, location, or spending amount) and export only the filtered group. Click Export, choose CSV format, and Shopify will email the file to your admin email address. The exported CSV includes name, email, phone, address, order count, total spent, tags, and marketing consent status.

Adding customers to Shopify takes just a few clicks for individual profiles and a single CSV upload for bulk lists. For more ways to manage your Shopify customer list and order settings, check out our full guide on Shopify customers and orders set up.

Written by:

Lindsey Perry

I have 5+ years of experience with Shopify and 15+ years of experiences on other eCommerce platforms. My theme reviews are designed to help store owners find the best theme for them.