The update scheduled for July 21, 2026 has been successfully deployed. Please refer to the release notes for detailed list of new features and resolved bugs.

This past year and increasingly recently independent bookstores are being targeted by automated bot traffic on their sites. When this happens it causes error messages and slow loading web pages. We hear you, we share your deep frustration, and we continue to take aggressive steps to protect your digital storefronts.
 

What is "Web Scraping"?

Web scraping is an automated process where software programs (commonly called "bots" or "scrapers") are coded to visit websites at lightning speed to copy, extract, and steal data.

The update scheduled for February 4, 2026 has been successfully deployed. Please refer to the release notes for a detailed list of new features and resolved bugs.

Action Required: Order Management Shortcuts

The newly redesigned Manage Orders admin page, which was previously in beta, is now the default page, offering improved efficiency and better support for future updates. The legacy Manage Orders page, flagged as Deprecated, will be removed soon.

The 2025 holiday shopping season is fully underway. National retail forecasts show that consumers are shopping earlier and are more focused on value and gift cards than ever before. Now is the time to ensure your IndieCommerce website is ready for the peak sales period. Here is a comprehensive checklist for preparing your IndieCommerce website for the 2025 holiday season.

Section 1: Shipping & Fulfillment (Most Urgent)

Your shipping policy is the most important part of your site during the holidays. Manage customer expectations clearly to avoid disappointment.

Dear Valued IndieCommerce Member,

For 125 years, the American Booksellers Association has been dedicated to a single, non-profit mission: ensuring the success and sustainability of independent bookstores. Our IndieCommerce (IC) platform is a direct extension of that mission. It is an e-commerce solution built by booksellers, for booksellers, with features and functions developed specifically from your suggestions and feedback.

On Tuesday October 31, 2023, at 7:00 am Eastern, all websites on the IndieCommerce 2.0 platform will be moved to maintenance mode. The sites will remain under maintenance for about 20 - 30 minutes while we upgrade the platform and all sites to Drupal 10. 

For bookstores on the IndieLite platform, we have an exciting opportunity to enhance your bookstore's online presence.

Introducing the "Fast Track" Assistance Program!!

With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, more customers are seeking exceptional online shopping experiences from local retailers. Now is the perfect time to transition your bookstore to IndieCommerce 2.0.

**Benefits of IndieCommerce 2.0:**

- Advanced features and services for the same monthly fee
- Enhanced customer satisfaction
- A better shopping experience 
- Streamlined order management for your staff
- There are many more new features available here

It's easy to qualify for the "Fast Track" program..

• Currently have a live website on the IndieLite platform

Over the last couple of months, quite a few new features like Non-Shippable Store Merchandise, Subscriptions, Signed Copies, Used Books and other new features have been added to the IndieCommerce 2.0 platform.

Exciting stuff is happening with IndieCommerce 2.0. The work is progressing, and we are very happy with the feedback we've been receiving from stores that are live on the new platform. IndieCommerce 2.0 is a completely new platform with powerful new features and a fresh new design.