diff --git a/.changeset/preview-store-pool-opt-in.md b/.changeset/preview-store-pool-opt-in.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f34aaf90368
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/preview-store-pool-opt-in.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@shopify/store': patch
+---
+
+Preview store creation now labels its requests (`source: "shopify_cli"`) and opts in to the backend's warm pool (`pool: true`). Inert until the backend enables the pool for this source; creation falls back to inline behavior otherwise, with an unchanged response shape.
diff --git a/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/create/preview/client.test.ts b/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/create/preview/client.test.ts
index e422c75e55e..e909549833d 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/create/preview/client.test.ts
+++ b/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/create/preview/client.test.ts
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ describe('preview store client', () => {
       }),
       body: JSON.stringify({
         name: 'Lavender Candles',
+        source: 'shopify_cli',
+        pool: true,
         variables: {storeCreatePayload: {country: 'US'}},
       }),
     })
@@ -153,7 +155,7 @@ describe('preview store client', () => {
     expect(got.adminApiScopes).toEqual(['read_themes', 'write_themes'])
   })
 
-  test('omits name and country variables when absent', async () => {
+  test('omits name and country variables when absent (label and pool opt-in always sent)', async () => {
     vi.mocked(shopifyFetch).mockResolvedValueOnce(
       response(201, {
         shop: {id: 123, name: 'My Store', domain: 'x.myshopify.com'},
@@ -165,7 +167,7 @@ describe('preview store client', () => {
 
     await createPreviewStore({}, {storage: inMemoryStorage('instance-1')})
 
-    expect(vi.mocked(shopifyFetch).mock.calls[0]![1]!.body).toBe('{}')
+    expect(vi.mocked(shopifyFetch).mock.calls[0]![1]!.body).toBe(JSON.stringify({source: 'shopify_cli', pool: true}))
   })
 
   test.each([
diff --git a/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/create/preview/client.ts b/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/create/preview/client.ts
index 5de06e37bab..e5038f50b9c 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/create/preview/client.ts
+++ b/packages/store/src/cli/services/store/create/preview/client.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,15 @@ function clientStorage() {
 
 export interface PreviewStoreClientOptions extends PreviewStoreRequestOptions {}
 
+// The CLI's create label + warm-pool opt-in, sent together on purpose: the
+// backend stocks warm preview stores per (country, source) cell, so the same
+// release that asks for a pooled store (pool: true) must label the request
+// (source: "shopify_cli") for the pool to have a matching cell. Both fields
+// are inert until the backend enables the pool for this source: an unstocked
+// or disabled pool falls back to inline creation and the response shape is
+// unchanged.
+export const PREVIEW_STORE_SOURCE = 'shopify_cli'
+
 interface PreviewStoreCreateRequest {
   name?: string
   country?: string
@@ -137,6 +146,8 @@ export async function createPreviewStore(
   const url = `https://${fqdn}/services/preview-stores`
   const body = JSON.stringify({
     ...(request.name ? {name: request.name} : {}),
+    source: PREVIEW_STORE_SOURCE,
+    pool: true,
     ...(request.country
       ? {
           variables: {