What Happened to Linkpop by Shopify?
For a while, Linkpop looked like a very smart move from Shopify. It gave merchants a free “link in bio” page directly connected to Shopify checkout, so creators could send followers from Instagram, TikTok, or any other social media platform straight to a shoppable landing page.
Then, in 2025, Shopify quietly shut Linkpop down.
This article walks through what Linkpop was, why it mattered, what happened to it, and what the shutdown means for creators and merchants.
What Was Linkpop?
Linkpop was Shopify’s own link-in-bio tool. It launched in 2022 during Shopify’s push into social commerce. With Linkpop, creators and merchants could:
- Create a simple bio page under a linkpop.com/username URL
- Add links, videos, and content
- Sync products directly from a Shopify catalog
- Let customers buy without leaving the page, using the built-in Shopify checkout
From 2022 to 2024, Shopify featured Linkpop in tutorials, guides, and social commerce content worldwide. It fit naturally into Shopify’s ecosystem: log in with your Shopify account, connect your store, and drop your Linkpop URL into your social profiles.
Was Linkpop Really Good?
Linkpop never gained significant traction. It never came close to bigger players like Linktree.
The app received only about 70 reviews on the Shopify App Store with an average rating of 1.9/5
In early 2025, users started reporting that Linkpop felt broken. Edits wouldn’t save, pages wouldn’t update, and the app behaved strangely.
Merchants began noticing:
- Difficulty updating Linkpop pages
- Delays or failures when editing content
- A sense that development had stopped
Behind the scenes, the retirement had clearly begun.
Linkpop Shutdown Announcement
The real confirmation arrived by email. In June 2025, Shopify notified users that Linkpop would officially retire on July 7, 2025. According to the announcement:
- Linkpop will be shut down on July 7
- Users wouldn’t be able to edit existing Linkpop pages after that date
- No new Linkpop pages could be created
- New signups had already been closed
- Users who need a link-in-bio tool should look for alternatives in the Shopify App Store
Some users also reported that new accounts had already been restricted starting June 11, 2025.
Shopify never publicly explained why it decided to shut down Linkpop.
What Exactly Changed on July 7, 2025?
Once the shutdown date passed, Linkpop effectively stopped functioning as a real product.
Users reported that:
- You could no longer log in to your Linkpop account
- You couldn’t edit existing pages
- You couldn’t create new pages
- You couldn’t install the Linkpop app in Shopify
- Stored data became inaccessible or deleted
By September 2025, e-commerce news sites had confirmed the service was fully unavailable.
What the Shutdown Meant for Merchants and Creators
For people who depended on Linkpop, the shutdown caused real-world problems.
Common issues included:
- Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X bios still point to non-functional Linkpop pages
- QR codes on packaging, flyers, and menus lead to dead pages
- Loss of analytics and click-tracking data
- Needing to rebuild link-in-bio pages from scratch
- Rushed changes due to the sudden cutoff date
For many creators, Linkpop wasn’t just a tool. It was part of their brand. Losing access to those URLs forced a painful transition.
This caused major issues for merchants. One Shopify seller explained the problem directly on Reddit, saying that every QR code printed on their product packaging pointed to a Linkpop page that might soon stop working. As they described it:
“I have QR codes on my packaging that go to my Linkpop and I’m unclear what happens next month when they retire it. In the announcement they said we won’t be able to create new ones or edit our Linkpop but unclear if existing ones will remain. Has anyone tried pushing back on this? Any other info out there about what happens after July 7?”
You can read the full Reddit post here: Reddit post
What Linkpop Users Should Do Now?
If you relied on Linkpop before, your business should not stop. There are basically two options you can try:
Option 1: Move to Another Link-in-Bio Tool
Many tools quickly positioned themselves as great Linkpop replacements, including:
- Nuebio By Nuelink
- Linktree
- Beacons
- Taplink
- Bio Site
Most of these allow you to rebuild your link page, customize it, and link to product pages or your main store.
Option 2: Host Your Own Link-in-Bio Page
This option gives you complete control:
- Create your own link-in-bio page.
- Add your links with buttons or grid blocks
- Track everything via UTM parameters and your existing analytics
The advantage of this approach is that you have complete control over how your link-in-bio page looks, and you can be sure that no third-party tool will suddenly shut down and leave you without a backup plan. The downside is that it requires technical skills to set up and manage.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What was Linkpop by Shopify?
Linkpop was Shopify’s free link-in-bio tool that allowed creators and merchants to build simple landing pages, add links, and sell products using Shopify checkout.
- When did Shopify launch Linkpop?
Shopify launched Linkpop in 2022 as part of its push into social commerce.
- Why did people use Linkpop?
Because it offered a fast, free way to create a “link in bio” page with direct, built-in Shopify checkout for social media traffic.
- Why did Linkpop start malfunctioning in 2025?
In early 2025, users noticed bugs because the product had quietly entered its “sunset phase,” meaning Shopify was preparing to shut it down.
- When did Shopify announce the shutdown?
Shopify notified users in June 2025 that Linkpop would retire in the next month.
- When did Linkpop officially shut down?
Linkpop was officially retired on July 7, 2025, and the service stopped functioning after that date.
- What happened to Linkpop accounts after the shutdown?
Users could no longer log in, update pages, create new pages, or install the Linkpop app inside Shopify.
- Did Shopify explain why Linkpop was shut down?
No. Shopify did not provide a detailed public explanation for the retirement.
- Did Shopify replace Linkpop with another tool?
No. Shopify did not introduce a direct replacement for Linkpop.
- What are good alternatives to Linkpop?
Popular alternatives include Nuebio, Linktree, Beacons, Taplink, Bio Site, and many others