What FAQs Should I Add to My Storefront?

Overview

Adding FAQs to your storefront is one of the highest-value things you can do with a spare twenty minutes.

There are three reasons it matters. A storefront with FAQs simply looks more complete and more established, which builds confidence before a customer has bought anything. It answers the routine questions — where do I pick up, how does ordering work, do you deliver — before a customer has to message you to ask. And most importantly, it catches the customers you never hear from: someone who can't tell whether you deliver to their neighborhood, or whether your bread is safe for their kid's allergy, will often just close the page rather than reach out.

We also see that bakeries with FAQs published tend to do better on the platform. It's one of the markers of a storefront that's set up well.

We know it can be hard to think of what to write, so here are some ideas. Pick the ones that fit your bakery — you don't need all of them. Four or five good FAQs cover most of what customers ask. The examples below are adapted from real baker storefronts; fill in the bracketed parts with your own details.

 Ordering

How do I place an order? Orders open [Saturday morning at 9am] and close [Monday evening]. Bake day is [Wednesday], and you'll pick up the same day. If you don't see an open bake day, sign up for notifications and you'll get a text as soon as the next one goes live.

What is a bake day? A bake day is the day I bake, and you pick up shortly after. I have one most weeks unless I'm at a market or it's a holiday.

Can I buy without pre-ordering? [Only at the farmers market — I always bring extra, so come early for the best selection.] / [No, everything is pre-order only so nothing goes to waste.]

Pickup and Location

Where and when do I pick up? Orders are available for pickup starting at [2pm] on [Thursdays]. I bake and package the morning of, so please don't come earlier than that. You'll get the exact pickup address in your order confirmation.

Where are you located? We're a home-based microbakery in [your city and state]. For privacy, the exact address is shared in your order confirmation after you check out.

What if I miss my pickup? Everything is baked fresh the morning of pickup, so same-day pickup is required. If something comes up, message me as soon as you can and I'll do what I can — but missed pickups can't always be replaced or refunded.

Delivery and Shipping

Do you deliver? [Yes — if you're within [your neighborhood or delivery radius], I can deliver. Outside of that, orders are pickup only.] / [Not at the moment. All orders are pickup only.]

Do you ship? [Not currently — [your state] doesn't allow home bakers to ship baked goods.]

A clear "no" is just as useful to a customer as a yes. It resolves the question instead of generating a message.

Storage and Serving

How should I store my bread? Can I freeze it? Your loaf will stay fresh for [3–5] days at room temperature, and it's best in the first [2–3]. Sourdough also freezes beautifully — slice it, put parchment between the slices, and seal it in a freezer bag. You can toast slices straight from frozen.

How do I reheat it? Run the loaf briefly under water, then put it straight on the oven rack at 350°F for about 10 minutes — check at 8. It comes out crisp like it just came out of my oven.

Do you offer sliced bread? Yes, on pre-orders — just leave a note at checkout letting me know to slice your loaves.

Ingredients

What ingredients do you use? My classic sourdough is three ingredients: flour, water, and salt. I use [organic unbleached] flour and never commercial yeast. Anything with add-ins has its full ingredient list on the product page.

Do you use commercial yeast? Never. Everything here is leavened with my own sourdough starter.

Dietary Needs and Allergens

Worth adding if you get asked, and worth being careful with. The strongest answers are honest about the limits of a home kitchen.

Do you offer gluten-free? We don't — our sourdough is naturally leavened with wheat flour, so there's no gluten-free version. Some items are naturally lower in gluten, but nothing here is safe for celiac.

Are your products nut free? Many of my products aren't baked with nuts, but I bake in a home kitchen where nuts are present, so I can't guarantee any item is nut free.

I have a serious allergy — what should I do? Message me before you order. Every product has its full ingredient list, but everything is baked in a home kitchen where other allergens are present.

Do you have vegan or dairy-free options? [The country loaf is vegan. The sandwich loaf has honey and gets a milk wash before baking.] Allergens are listed on every product page and on the label.

Payment, Refunds, and Changes

What forms of payment do you accept? You can pay by card right through the Simply Bread platform. I also take [cash at pickup with exact change] and [Venmo]. Card payments include a small platform fee.

When is payment due? All orders are paid in full when you place them. Your order isn't confirmed until payment goes through.

What's your refund policy? Because everything is made to order in small batches, all sales are final — once you order, ingredients and oven time are set aside for you. If there's ever a problem with your order, tell me within [24 hours] of pickup and I'll make it right.

Can I change or cancel my order? You can adjust or cancel any time before the [Wednesday 9pm] cutoff. After that I've already prepped, so I can't make changes.

Custom and Large Orders

Do you take custom orders? Yes — if you're planning a gathering or want a special batch of something, reach out and I'll see what I can do. I bake in small batches, so the earlier the better.

How far ahead do I need to ask? Custom orders usually need about [two weeks]. You can ask any time before that to get on the calendar, and if you need something sooner I'll try to fit it in.

About Sourdough

Useful if you sell to people new to sourdough, or if your process is a selling point.

What is sourdough? Bread leavened with a live starter — fermented flour and water — instead of commercial yeast. The slow fermentation is what gives it the tang, the chew, and the easier digestibility.

What makes yours different? My loaves are long-fermented and [milled fresh in-house], which builds deeper flavor and a better texture than a fast commercial rise.

A Few Tips on Writing Them

Two to four sentences is plenty. Long enough to actually answer, short enough that a customer reads it on their phone.

Write in your own voice. The FAQ section is one of the few places where customers hear you rather than the app, and a little personality lands well.

Put the specific detail in. "Pickup is Thursday from 2pm" saves a message. "Pickup details vary" creates one.

Don't include your street address or personal phone number. Your FAQ section is public — name your general area and let the order confirmation carry the exact address.

Revisit it when things change. If you move your cutoff, add a pickup location, or stop delivering, the FAQ is the easiest thing to forget and the most confusing thing to leave stale.

A Quick Way to Get Started

Look at the last ten or fifteen messages customers sent you. Most will fall into two or three buckets. Write those answers first — you already know them by heart, because you've typed them before.

Questions?

If you have any questions or need help getting set up, reach out to us at support@simply-bread.co or call or text 760-452-3607. We’re happy to help.