Online Shop Launch Checklist for India: GST, legal pages and Google
Tick off GST, legal pages, product pages, payments, delivery and Google before your shop opens.
- Free to use
- Runs in your browser
- No sign-up
Runs in your browser. Your ticks stay on this device.
Each item says whether it is a legal rule (with its official source), a Google rule (with its help page) or our checklist. This is not legal or tax advice: check what applies to your shop with your CA or lawyer.
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How it works
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Choose where you sell: your own website, or your website and marketplaces such as Amazon.in, Flipkart and Meesho. Press Try an example to see a shop a week before launch.
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Work through the groups and tick each item when it is done. Start with the "do these first" list, which holds the legal rules and the test order.
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Copy the open items as a to-do list or print the checklist, and come back later: your ticks stay in this browser.
About the Online Shop Launch Checklist
A checklist for opening an online shop in India, on your own website and, if you like, on marketplaces too. It covers GST registration and invoices, your privacy notice, return policy and seller details, package declarations, prices and photos, payments, cash on delivery and shipping, Search Console and Merchant Center, and what to do after launch. Each item says whether it is a legal rule with its official source, a Google rule or our checklist, and links to the free tool that helps. Your ticks are saved in your browser, and you can copy or print the list.
Legal rules, Google rules and our checklist
Legal rules come from the CGST Act and Rules (CBIC), the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and its Rules, the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 and the CCPA's Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, each with a link to the official page. Google rules come from Merchant Center Help and Google Search Central. Everything else is marked "our checklist": good practice, not a legal requirement.
What to do first
Some things are best settled before the first order: whether you need GST registration (section 32 of the CGST Act does not allow an unregistered seller to collect GST), the package declarations on products sold online, your privacy notice, return policy and grievance officer, a checkout without dark patterns, and a full test order. The "do these first" list puts these at the top until they are ticked.
What this tool cannot do
It does not register you for GST, write your policies or check your website; it links to the tools that help with each. It cannot tell which rules apply to your products, turnover or states, and it gives the main points of each rule, not the full text. It is not legal or tax advice: check with your CA or lawyer. Ticks are saved in this browser only, so they do not move to another device.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need GST registration to sell online in India?
It depends on what you sell, your turnover and where you sell. Section 22 of the CGST Act sets the turnover above which you must register (₹20 lakh a year for services, ₹10 lakh in special category states), and section 24 lists cases where you must register whatever your turnover. Until you are registered, section 32 says you must not collect GST. Ask your CA which applies to you.
What legal pages does an online shop need?
At least a privacy notice, which under the DPDP Act, 2023 must be clear, say why you collect personal data and explain how people can complain to the Data Protection Board; a return, refund and cancellation policy; terms of sale; and your business details. Under the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 you also appoint a grievance officer and show the officer's name and contact details, and complaints are acknowledged within 48 hours and resolved within a month.
What must a product page show for packaged goods?
Goods sold online must show the declarations the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules require, such as the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or importer, the product name, net quantity, retail sale price and consumer care details, plus the country of origin for imported goods. This has applied to e-commerce since 1 January 2018. The Package Label Checker checks a label for you.
How do I show my products on Google for free?
Open a Merchant Center account and send a product feed. Free listings can show products on Search, the Shopping tab, Google Images, Lens, Maps, YouTube and Gemini, though Google does not guarantee that any product will be shown. Every product needs an ID, title, link, image, price, description and availability, and in India the price includes GST and shipping costs are needed.
Where are my ticks saved?
In your browser, on this device only. Your ticks are not sent anywhere. Clearing your browser data or using a private window removes them, so copy or print the list if you want to keep a record.
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