Shopify Tasks to Outsource
to a Virtual Assistant

Updated: October 2026 · By the MyVirtualExpert team

Running a Shopify store means wearing every hat: merchandiser, support desk, marketer, bookkeeper's helper and shipping coordinator. As sales grow, so does the pile of small, repeatable tasks that keep the store running. Almost all of that work happens in a browser, which makes it a natural fit for a virtual assistant (VA).

This checklist covers the Shopify tasks store owners in the USA and Canada most often hand off, what you should keep for yourself, and how to set a VA up so they are useful from the first week.

1. Order management

Order work is steady, time-sensitive and easy to document, so it is often the first thing owners hand off.

• Daily order review: checking new orders for missing details, odd addresses or items flagged by Shopify's fraud analysis, and escalating anything suspicious to you.
• Fulfillment follow-up: confirming orders reached your 3PL, dropshipping app or warehouse, and chasing any that are stuck.
• Tracking updates: making sure tracking numbers are added and customers get their shipping notifications.
• Returns and exchanges: handling return requests according to your written policy, sending return labels and updating order notes. Refund approval can stay with you.

2. Customer support

Fast, friendly replies protect your reviews and repeat sales. A VA can work your inbox or help desk (Shopify Inbox, Gorgias, Zendesk or plain email) during your business hours.

• "Where is my order?" questions, answered with tracking links and saved replies
• Product questions answered from your product pages and an FAQ document you approve
• Address changes and order edits before fulfillment
• Live chat coverage during your busiest hours
• Tagging conversations so you can see which issues come up most often

If support is the biggest drain on your time, a dedicated customer support virtual assistant can own this queue end to end.

3. Product listings and catalog upkeep

Catalog work is detailed and never quite finished. It is also where small mistakes, like a wrong price or a missing size, quietly cost sales.

• Uploading new products from supplier sheets, including variants, SKUs, weights and tags
• Writing or tidying product descriptions from your notes and brand guidelines
• Resizing and renaming images and adding alt text
• Filling in SEO titles and meta descriptions for products and collections
• Updating collections, seasonal tags and sale prices on the dates you set
• Bulk edits through CSV import and export

4. Inventory and supplier admin

• Updating stock levels from supplier or warehouse reports
• Flagging low-stock and out-of-stock items before they become a problem
• Preparing draft purchase orders for your approval
• Following up with suppliers on delivery dates and keeping a simple tracker

You still decide what to order and at what price. The VA keeps the information organized so those decisions take minutes instead of hours.

5. Reviews, social media and email marketing support

• Replying to product reviews and flagging negative ones for your attention
• Scheduling social posts from a content calendar you have approved
• Building email campaigns in Klaviyo, Shopify Email or Mailchimp from your templates
• Testing discount codes before a promotion goes live
• Answering comments and DMs with approved responses

For ongoing campaign work, a marketing virtual assistant can take on more of the execution.

6. Reporting and bookkeeping support

• A weekly summary of sales, orders, returns and top products from Shopify Analytics
• Matching payouts to orders and organizing receipts for your bookkeeper or accountant
• Tracking ad spend and results in a simple spreadsheet

Your accountant should still handle tax filings, sales tax setup and financial advice. The VA's job is to keep the records tidy and on time.

What to keep for yourself

• Pricing, margins and discount strategy
• Supplier selection and contract negotiations
• Brand direction and the final say on new products
• Refunds above a limit you set, and any payments to suppliers
• Store owner settings, payment providers and payout details

How to give a VA safe access to Shopify

Shopify lets you add staff accounts with specific permissions, so you never need to share your owner login. Give your VA access only to the areas they work in (for example Orders, Products and Customers) and leave out finances and store settings unless there is a clear reason. Apply the same idea to your help desk and email platform: one login per person, so access can be changed or removed at any time.

Every MyVirtualExpert VA signs an NDA before starting. For more on protecting your data, read our guide on whether it is safe to hire an offshore virtual assistant.

How many hours does a Shopify store need?

It depends on your order volume and how much of this list you hand off. A simple way to estimate: track your own time on store admin for one normal week.

All plans are month-to-month with no setup fee, and your VA works your time zone. Full details are on our pricing page, and you can see how we support online stores on the e-commerce virtual assistant page.

Your first week with a Shopify VA

• Start with two or three task areas, usually order checks and customer emails.
• Record short screen videos of how you do each task. They become your training library.
• Write down your policies: returns, refunds, shipping times and tone of voice.
• Set a daily check-in for the first two weeks, then move to weekly.
• Add tasks gradually once the first ones run smoothly.

Looking for ideas beyond Shopify? Our list of 40 tasks to delegate to a virtual assistant covers admin, sales and finance work too.

Frequently asked questions