How to Find Shopify Stores [9 Free & Paid Methods for 2026]

TL;DR: Use Google search operators (site:myshopify.com "your niche") for free discovery. Use the free Store Inspector extension to verify and analyze any store. For lead generation with contacts, use a Shopify store database with verified emails.

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You need to find Shopify stores. Maybe you're an agency looking for clients. Maybe you're researching competitors. Maybe you're a SaaS vendor looking for prospects.

The problem? There are 4.5+ million active Shopify stores out there. Finding the right ones takes forever if you don't know where to look.

This guide covers nine methods to find Shopify stores in 2026. From free Google tricks to paid databases with verified contacts. Each method includes time estimates, costs, and when to use it.

Whether you're doing lead generation (finding potential customers to sell to) or competitor research, there's a method here for you.

Why Find Shopify Stores?

Before we dive in, here's why people search for Shopify stores:

The method you choose depends on your goal. Lead gen needs contact data. Competitor research needs tech stack info. We'll cover both.

How to Tell If a Website Uses Shopify

Before finding stores at scale, you need to verify individual sites. Here are four quick ways to check if any website runs on Shopify.

Check 1: Add /admin to the URL

Type any website URL and add /admin at the end.

https://example.com/admin

If you see a Shopify login page, it's a Shopify store. This works even on custom domains.

Check 2: Look for myshopify.com

Some stores still use their default Shopify subdomain. Look for URLs like:

storename.myshopify.com

You might see this in checkout URLs or redirects.

Check 3: View the source code

Right-click the page and select "View Page Source" (or press Ctrl+U). Then search for:

• cdn.shopify.com
• Shopify.theme
• shopify-section

If you find any of these, it's Shopify.

Check 4: Use a browser extension

The fastest method. Install a tech detection extension like Store Inspector or Wappalyzer. Visit any site and click the icon. You'll see instantly if it's Shopify, plus what theme and apps they use.

Free tool: Store Inspector detects themes, apps, pixels, and traffic tiers in one click. No signup required.

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9 Ways to Find Shopify Stores

Method 1: Google Search Operators

The classic free method. Use Google's site: operator to find stores on Shopify's default domain.

Time: 5-15 minutes | Cost: Free

How it works:

Type this into Google:

site:myshopify.com "sustainable fashion"

Replace "sustainable fashion" with your niche. Google will show stores that match.

More examples:

Limitations:

This only finds stores using the default myshopify.com domain. Most serious stores use custom domains like brandname.com. You'll miss those.

Best for: Quick niche discovery when you just need a few examples.

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Method 2: BuiltWith

BuiltWith is a technology profiler that tracks what websites are built with. They have 2.7+ million Shopify stores in their database.

Time: 10-30 minutes | Cost: Free tier / $295+ paid

How it works:

1. Go to trends.builtwith.com/websitelist/Shopify
2. Browse the list of Shopify stores
3. Filter by country, state, or technology
4. See what other apps each store uses

What you can filter:

• Country and state
• Technology stack (apps, analytics, etc.)
• Product count ranges
• Shopify Plus status

The catch:

The free tier is limited. Full exports and advanced filtering require a paid plan starting at $295/month. That's steep for most agencies.

Best for: Tech stack research when you need to know what apps stores use.

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Method 3: Shopify Store Databases

Store databases are built specifically for lead generation. They combine store data with contact information and filtering tools.

Time: 5-10 minutes | Cost: $49-250/month

Why databases beat manual research:

• Pre-filtered by traffic, revenue, and apps
• Verified contact information (emails, LinkedIn)
• Export to CSV for your CRM (customer database)
• Updated regularly

What to look for in a database:

StoreInspect is built for this exact use case. Search stores by niche, traffic tier, and tech stack. Export with verified founder emails so you can skip the research and start the outreach.

Example workflow:

"Fashion stores, 10k-50k traffic, using Mailchimp but not Klaviyo, with verified founder email"

That's a qualified lead list in minutes. No manual research.

Best for: Agencies and SaaS vendors doing regular prospecting. The time saved pays for the subscription.

Browse Shopify stores by category →

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Method 4: Facebook Ad Library

Stores running Facebook ads are active, funded, and growing. The Facebook Ad Library shows every active ad on Meta's platforms. It's completely free.

Time: 15-30 minutes | Cost: Free

How to use it:

1. Go to facebook.com/ads/library
2. Set your country and select "All ads"
3. Search for niche keywords like "organic skincare" or "sustainable fashion"
4. Click on ads to see the advertiser
5. Visit their website and verify it's Shopify

Pro tips:

• Ads running 30+ days are likely profitable. Facebook shows when each ad started. Long-running ads mean they're making money.
• Check ad volume. More ads usually means more budget.
• Look at creative variety. Stores testing multiple creatives are serious about growth.

Why this finds great leads:

Stores spending on ads have budget. They understand ROI. They're growth-minded. These are premium prospects for agencies.

Best for: Finding high-value prospects when quality matters more than quantity.

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Method 5: Social Media Discovery

Many Shopify store owners promote on Instagram and TikTok. You can find them through hashtags and trending content.

Time: 20-60 minutes | Cost: Free

Instagram:

Search these hashtags:

• #shopifystore
• #shopifybusiness
• #dtcbrand
• #ecommercebusiness
• #smallbusinessowner

Look at the profiles. Many link directly to their Shopify stores.

TikTok:

Search for:

• "small business check"
• "shopify haul"
• "packing orders"
• "small business tiktok"

TikTok Shop sellers often cross-sell on their own Shopify stores.

Pinterest:

Search product categories. Click through pins to the source websites. Many direct-to-consumer brands drive traffic from Pinterest to Shopify.

Best for: Trend discovery and finding emerging brands before they blow up.

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Method 6: Shopify's Official Resources

Shopify itself publishes lists of successful stores. These are curated and already vetted.

Time: 10-20 minutes | Cost: Free

Where to look:

Shopify Blog - Success Stories

shopify.com/blog/shopify-stores features 50+ stores organized by category. You'll find brands like Allbirds, Gymshark, and Fashion Nova. These are successful, established brands.

Shopify Plus Customer Stories

Enterprise-level stores with case studies. Great for agencies targeting bigger clients.

Shopify Partner Directory

Find stores working with specific Shopify partners. Useful for identifying sophisticated merchants.

Best for: Finding inspiration and successful store examples for research.

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Method 7: Industry Directories and Roundups

Many websites curate lists of top ecommerce stores. These are goldmines for discovery.

Time: 15-30 minutes | Cost: Free

Where to find them:

• Ecomm.design - Curated Shopify store designs
• Good Design Awards - Award-winning ecommerce sites
• "Best [niche] stores" articles - Google "best sustainable fashion brands" or "top DTC beauty brands"
• Niche publications - Industry blogs often feature store roundups

Search tip:

Google "best [your niche] Shopify stores" or "top [category] online stores" to find curated lists.

Best for: Finding quality stores in specific niches without doing the curation yourself.

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Method 8: Chrome Extensions for Detection

Browser extensions let you identify Shopify stores as you browse. Install once, then check any site with one click.

Time: Instant per site | Cost: Free

Options:

How to use for discovery:

1. Install the extension
2. Browse competitor sites, industry blogs, social media
3. When you land on an interesting store, click the extension
4. See if it's Shopify plus their full tech stack

This works great combined with other methods. Find stores through social media or ads, then verify and analyze with the extension.

Best for: Verifying individual stores and analyzing their tech stack. Pairs well with other discovery methods.

Install Store Inspector for free →

Learn how to see what apps a Shopify store uses →

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Method 9: Competitor Research Tools

Tools like SimilarWeb and SEMrush can identify Shopify stores through technology filtering and traffic analysis.

Time: 30+ minutes | Cost: $200+/month

SimilarWeb:

• Filter websites by technology (including Shopify)
• See traffic estimates and sources
• Compare competitors side by side

SEMrush / Ahrefs:

• Find sites ranking for ecommerce keywords
• Check their technology with integrations
• Analyze their organic strategy

The tradeoff:

These tools are expensive. $200-400/month for plans with technology filtering. They're overkill for just finding Shopify stores, but useful if you need deep competitive intelligence.

Best for: Deep competitive analysis on high-value targets. Not for bulk discovery.

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How to Qualify Stores Before Outreach

Finding stores is step one. Qualifying them is step two. Not every store is worth your time.

Deep dive: See our complete guide on how to qualify Shopify leads before outreach for the full STAMP scoring framework.

Signals of a good prospect:

Red flags:

• Very low traffic (under 1k/month)
• No social presence
• Minimal product catalog
• Free theme with no customization

Pro tip: A smaller list of 50 qualified stores beats a huge list of 500 random ones. Quality over quantity always wins in outreach.

Learn how to get Shopify store owner emails →

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Which Method Should You Use?

Here's a quick comparison:

For agencies doing regular prospecting:

Use a store database. The time saved on research pays for the subscription in the first week.

For occasional competitor research:

Combine Google operators + Chrome extension + Facebook Ad Library. All free, covers most use cases.

For deep competitive analysis:

Add SimilarWeb or SEMrush to get traffic data and SEO insights.

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FAQ

How many Shopify stores are there?

As of 2026, there are 4.5-6.5 million active Shopify stores worldwide. About 2.67 million are in the United States. The platform grew roughly 20% in 2024.

Can I find any Shopify store?

Most Shopify stores can be found through one of these methods. Stores using custom domains are harder to find with Google operators but show up in databases and tech detection tools.

Is it legal to research Shopify stores?

Yes. You're accessing publicly available information. The store's website, technology choices, and business information are all public. For contact outreach, follow CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and other email regulations.

What happened to Shopify Exchange?

Shopify Exchange was a marketplace for buying and selling Shopify stores. It shut down in November 2022. Alternatives for buying stores include Flippa, Empire Flippers, and business brokers.

What's the best free method?

Google search operators (site:myshopify.com) for discovery. The free Store Inspector extension for verification and tech stack analysis. Facebook Ad Library for finding funded stores.

What's the best method for lead generation?

A Shopify store database with verified contacts. Manual methods work but don't scale. If you're doing regular prospecting, the time saved justifies a subscription.

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Summary

Finding Shopify stores comes down to your goal:

• Quick discovery: Google search operators (free)
• Tech research: BuiltWith or Chrome extensions (free/paid)
• Lead generation: Store database with contacts (paid)
• Active advertisers: Facebook Ad Library (free)
• Emerging brands: Social media discovery (free)

For agencies and SaaS vendors doing regular outreach, a database with verified contacts is the most efficient path. You skip hours of manual research and get straight to qualified leads.

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Ready to find Shopify stores for your next campaign?

For individual store analysis: Install the free Store Inspector Chrome extension. Detect themes, apps, pixels, and traffic tiers on any Shopify store in one click.

For lead generation at scale: StoreInspect helps you find stores by niche, traffic, and tech stack. Export with verified founder emails so you can skip the research and start the outreach.

Get Store Inspector Free → | Find Leads with StoreInspect →

Or browse our directory of top Shopify stores by category to start your research.