What is Maintenance mode?

Maintenance mode is a feature that allows you to temporarily take your shop offline. When Maintenance mode is on, your shop is not visible to customers, and they will see a message like "We're working on our shop right now."

When to use Maintenance mode

Taking a vacation: Customize your maintenance message to let customers know you’re away. This is a great way to keep them informed while you take a break.

Taking a break from selling: If your shop is seasonal or you simply need some relaxation away from fulfilling orders, Maintenance mode allows you to take your time without worrying about managing your store.

Making updates: Use Maintenance mode when you need to make updates without customers seeing your store.

When Maintenance mode is on, anyone who tries to visit your shop will see a message that it’s currently under maintenance, and they won’t be able to access the rest of your shop.

Update your Maintenance mode message

Your maintenance mode message is what your customers see if your shop is inactive. You can update this message in the Go to shop designer area under the Settings section.

Initial setup and launching your shop

When you first sign up with Big Cartel, Maintenance mode is automatically turned on. This allows you to set up your products, checkout, theme, and other details without the world watching your every move. Once you’re ready to launch, you can toggle Maintenance mode off to go live!

If you need to take a break or make behind-the-scenes updates in the future, you can turn Maintenance mode back on at any time.

Heads up! Shops on paid plans will still be billed for their monthly subscription while in Maintenance mode. If you want to stop being billed, you’ll need to switch to the free Gold plan or close your shop.