---
title: Storefront and publishing
description: Preview, edit, version, publish, and verify your Runner storefront.
---

Use this section to move a storefront from an in-app preview to a verified live store. Each page covers one task and explains what every important control does.

![Runner storefront preview and controls](https://ixft9x6szo.ufs.sh/f/Cc8uxBgAYTzgkyhbRgjXIfFwWx7Qu1lJBZMSPHcazYdR0voC)

## What this covers

Choose the guide that matches your current storefront task, without confusing an editable preview with a live, purchasable store.

## Understand the four storefront states

| State | What it means | What it does not prove |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Preview** | Runner is showing a working copy inside your project. You can review pages and layouts. | The store is not necessarily public. |
| **Publish** | Runner checks and sends the current version to a public store URL for the first time. | Products, stock, shipping, payments, and checkout are not automatically verified. |
| **Publish Changes** | A live store already exists and Runner can send newer changes to it. | Unsaved or unfinished changes are not live yet. |
| **Republish** | Runner can retry after a failed publication or a completed publication that did not return a usable URL. | It is not the normal label for publishing new changes to a healthy live store. |

## Choose a task

| What you want to do | Guide | Result |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Review the current storefront | [Preview your store](./preview-your-store.mdx) | Check pages, routes, refresh behavior, and responsive layouts. |
| Make visual changes | [Use Design Mode](./design-mode.mdx) | Select an element and open the editing controls. |
| Change copy, spacing, type, or images | [Edit content, pages, and media](./edit-content-pages-and-media.mdx) | Update one visible page and save the result. |
| Inspect or change a storefront file | [Inspect and edit storefront code](./inspect-and-edit-code.mdx) | Open the conditional code editor, save a focused file change, and review its Git state. |
| Compare or recover an earlier state | [Use version history](./version-history.mdx) | Preview a version or restore it as a new current version. |
| Check whether the store is ready | [Prepare to publish](./prepare-to-publish.mdx) | Resolve or explicitly acknowledge the checks shown by Runner. |
| Put changes online | [Publish and republish](./publish-and-republish.mdx) | Start the correct publication flow for the current state. |
| Prove the customer journey works | [Verify the live store and checkout](./live-store-and-checkout.mdx) | Confirm the public catalog, cart, and checkout separately. |
| Use your own web address | [Connect a custom domain](./custom-domains.mdx) | Add, buy, transfer, renew, or diagnose an eligible domain. |
| Recover from a blocked state | [Troubleshoot preview and publishing](./troubleshoot-preview-and-publishing.mdx) | Match the message on screen to the safest next action. |

## Recommended order for a first launch

1. Review the latest version in [Preview](./preview-your-store.mdx).
2. Make and save any visual edits in [Design Mode](./design-mode.mdx).
3. Check the [publication prerequisites](./prepare-to-publish.mdx).
4. Select **Publish** and follow the confirmation flow.
5. Open the public URL and [verify the catalog and checkout](./live-store-and-checkout.mdx).
6. Add a [custom domain](./custom-domains.mdx) only after the first successful publication.

## Availability and safety

- **Design Mode** is conditional. It is intended for a ready latest version on a desktop layout and may be unavailable while Runner is working.
- **Open code editor** is conditional. Saving, committing, pushing, publishing, and verifying the live store are separate results.
- Publishing can be gated by plan or store state. Follow the message shown in your workspace rather than assuming every account has the same access.
- A publish confirmation can let you acknowledge incomplete setup. That choice can put a browseable storefront online while checkout remains paused or incomplete.

## Related guides

- [Welcome to Runner AI](../product-guide.mdx)
- [Inspect and edit storefront code](./inspect-and-edit-code.mdx)
- [Troubleshoot preview and publishing](./troubleshoot-preview-and-publishing.mdx)