How to Connect a Custom Domain to Your Shopify Store

Setting up a custom domain is one of the first crucial steps in establishing your professional Shopify store. This guide walks you through the entire process, from purchasing a domain to configuring DNS settings and troubleshooting common issues.

Why Use a Custom Domain?

Your Shopify store starts with a free .myshopify.com domain, but a custom domain provides significant advantages for your business.

Builds brand credibility. Professional domains inspire immediate trust. When customers see yourstore.com instead of yourstore.myshopify.com, they perceive you as an established business, not a hobbyist testing the waters. First impressions matter—especially in ecommerce where trust determines whether someone enters their credit card information. A custom domain signals legitimacy and professionalism.

Improves SEO performance. Custom domains rank better in search results. Google treats custom domains as more authoritative than subdomain structures. Plus, your domain name itself can include keywords (like organicskincare.com) that boost relevance for search queries. Better rankings mean more free traffic from Google.

Enhances marketing effectiveness. Custom domains are easier to remember and share. TheGreenGrocer.com sticks in memory better than thegreengrocer-2024.myshopify.com. Shorter, cleaner URLs work better on business cards, social media, packaging, and word-of-mouth referrals. Marketing works better when your domain is memorable.

Increases conversions. Customers trust branded domains more and are more likely to complete purchases. Studies show professional domains can increase conversion rates by 20-40%. When someone lands on your site, a custom domain reduces hesitation and increases confidence in your legitimacy.

Before You Begin

You'll need either a domain purchased through Shopify or an existing domain from a third-party provider like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, or Cloudflare. If you haven't purchased a domain yet, buying directly through Shopify is the easiest option—it handles DNS configuration automatically.

Option 1: Buy a Domain Through Shopify (Recommended for Beginners)

This is the simplest method with automatic configuration. Shopify manages all technical DNS settings for you.

Steps to Buy a Domain Through Shopify

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings → Domains
2. Click Buy new domain
3. Enter your desired domain name and click Buy
4. Choose your domain extension (.com, .store, .shop, etc.)
5. Complete the purchase (typically $11-14/year for .com domains)
6. Shopify automatically configures all DNS settings

That's it! Your domain will be live within a few minutes. Shopify handles SSL certificates, DNS configuration, and www redirects automatically. This is by far the easiest option if you're just starting out.

Option 2: Connect an Existing Third-Party Domain

If you already own a domain from another provider, you'll need to configure DNS settings manually. Don't worry—it sounds technical but is straightforward if you follow these steps.

Step 1: Add Your Domain in Shopify

1. Go to Settings → Domains in your Shopify admin
2. Click Connect existing domain
3. Enter your domain name (e.g., yourstore.com)
4. Click Next

Shopify will display DNS records that need to be added to your domain provider. Keep this page open—you'll need these values in the next step.

Step 2: Configure DNS Records at Your Domain Provider

You have two options: Connect using A record (recommended) or Connect by domain forwarding. Most users should use A record connection for better reliability and SSL support.

For A Record Connection (Recommended):

Log in to your domain provider (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.) and add these DNS records:

A Record:
• Host/Name: @ or leave blank
• Points to/Value: 23.227.38.65
• TTL: Automatic or 3600

CNAME Record:
• Host/Name: www
• Points to/Value: shops.myshopify.com
• TTL: Automatic or 3600

Step 3: Verify Connection

1. After updating DNS settings at your domain provider, return to Shopify
2. Click Verify connection
3. Wait 24-48 hours for DNS propagation (usually faster, often 1-6 hours)
4. Shopify will confirm when your domain is connected successfully

DNS propagation time varies by provider and location. Some providers update within minutes, others take the full 48 hours. Be patient—this is normal.

Setting Your Primary Domain

Once connected, you need to choose which version of your domain is primary: the root domain (yourstore.com) or the www subdomain (www.yourstore.com). Shopify automatically redirects the non-primary version to the primary one.

1. Go to Settings → Domains
2. Find your domain in the list
3. Click Change primary domain if needed
4. Choose between yourstore.com (root) or www.yourstore.com (www subdomain)

Best practice: Choose one and stick with it. Most modern sites use the root domain without "www" (e.g., apple.com instead of www.apple.com). Shopify automatically redirects traffic from the other version to maintain SEO consistency.

Common DNS Provider Instructions

GoDaddy

1. Log in to your GoDaddy account
2. Go to My Products → DNS
3. Select your domain
4. Click Add under the Records section
5. Add the A record and CNAME record from Shopify
6. Delete any existing A records pointing to other IPs

Namecheap

1. Log in to Namecheap
2. Select Domain List → Manage next to your domain
3. Go to the Advanced DNS tab
4. Click Add New Record
5. Add the A record and CNAME record
6. Remove any conflicting A records

Cloudflare

1. Log in to Cloudflare
2. Select your domain from the dashboard
3. Go to the DNS section
4. Click Add record
5. Add the A record and CNAME record
6. Important: Set the proxy status to DNS only (gray cloud icon), not proxied

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"Domain already connected to another store"

Solution: You need to remove the domain from the other Shopify store first. Log in to that store, go to Settings → Domains, and click Remove next to the domain. If you no longer have access to that store, contact Shopify Support—they can disconnect it for you after verifying ownership.

"DNS not propagating after 48 hours"

Check these common issues:

• Verify DNS records are entered exactly as shown in Shopify (no extra spaces, correct punctuation)
• Confirm you're editing the right domain if you have multiple
• Use a DNS checker tool like whatsmydns.net to see propagation status globally
• Clear your browser cache and try a different device or network
• Contact your domain provider to verify no issues on their end

"SSL certificate pending"

This is normal. SSL certificates can take up to 48 hours to activate after connecting your domain. During this time, your store will show "not secure" warnings in browsers. Don't panic—wait for the SSL to activate. Shopify provides free SSL certificates automatically; you just need to be patient during initial setup.

"Email stopped working after connecting domain"

Why this happens: Changing DNS records can affect email if you had email hosting with your domain provider. When you point your domain to Shopify, email routing can break if you don't preserve MX records.

Solution: Add MX records from your email provider back into your DNS settings alongside the Shopify A and CNAME records. MX records handle email routing and don't conflict with Shopify's web hosting records. Check with your email provider (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) for their specific MX record values.

Best Practices After Connecting Your Domain

Use HTTPS everywhere. Shopify provides free SSL certificates automatically. Always use https:// in your marketing materials, social media links, and email signatures. Never link to the non-secure http:// version.

Set up professional email addresses. Consider setting up branded email addresses like [email protected] and [email protected] through your domain provider or a service like Google Workspace. Branded email addresses look more professional than [email protected] and build trust with customers.

Monitor your domain after launch. Check your domain after 24 hours to ensure everything is working correctly across different devices and browsers. Test on mobile, desktop, different browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox), and incognito mode to catch any caching issues.

Keep domain registration current. Set up auto-renewal to avoid losing your domain due to expiration. Losing a domain because you forgot to renew it is devastating—especially if you've built brand recognition and SEO rankings. Most registrars offer auto-renewal; enable it immediately.

What About Subdomains?

You can add subdomains (like shop.yourstore.com or store.yourstore.com) to separate your main website from your Shopify store. This is useful if you have a separate main site and want your store on a subdomain.

1. Go to Settings → Domains → Connect existing domain
2. Enter your subdomain (e.g., shop.yourstore.com)
3. Add a CNAME record at your domain provider: Host = shop, Points to = shops.myshopify.com

Next Steps After Connecting Your Domain

Now that your custom domain is live, focus on these next steps to grow your store:

• Update your branding – Add your logo and customize your theme to match your brand identity
• Set up email marketing – Use a professional email address and start building your customer list
• Configure Google Analytics – Track traffic to your new domain and understand customer behavior
• Install essential apps – Tools like volume discount apps can increase average order value
• Optimize for SEO – Update meta descriptions, title tags, and product descriptions to rank higher in search results