Buying a domain through Shopify

To help you set up your domain and manage all your domain settings from your Shopify admin, you can buy a domain through Shopify. If this domain is the first domain that you add to Shopify, then it's automatically configured to be the web address that’s displayed to customers. If you already use a domain with your store, then the new domain automatically redirects to your primary domain.

After you buy your domain through Shopify, you can do the following tasks in the Domains section of your Shopify admin:

• edit your domain settings
• create subdomains
• set up forwarding email addresses
• pay for your domain
• renew your domain

Caution

Domains purchased through Shopify are registered for one year, and can be renewed annually. After you buy a domain, you can’t change the URL that you chose during purchase. Domain purchases are non-refundable.

Considerations before you buy a domain through Shopify

Caution

Your store's contact information can't have any special characters, including characters with symbols, when you purchase a domain. For example, you can't include ß,ä, or * in the address. To purchase the domain, replace the characters with the equivalent characters in English. For example, straße can be replaced with strasse and Å with A. After you purchase the domain, you can change your address back.

Before you buy a domain through Shopify, review the following considerations:

• Email hosting services aren't provided on Shopify. Instead, you can connect your Shopify-managed domain to a third-party email hosting service.
• Some domain extensions include WHOIS privacy, which is a service that keeps your personal contact information hidden from public domain registration records. If you want WHOIS privacy, then make sure that your domain extension isn't on the WHOIS exceptions list.
• Some domain extensions have specific residency or business registration requirements. Make sure that you can meet these requirements, because you might need to verify your registration information. If you can't meet these requirements, then your domain might be suspended.
• A new TLS (Transport Layer Security) certificate, also known an SSL certificate, is created automatically when you buy a domain through Shopify. You don't need to buy SSL encryption for your domain.
• You need to pay the registration fee every year to renew your domain subscription. Domain renewals are charged separately from your Shopify plan subscription fees. The exact pricing depends on which domain extension you choose.
• Domain hosting services are only available with a paid Shopify plan. If you want to deactivate your store or your Shopify account, but you want to keep using your domain, then you need to transfer your domain before you deactivate your store. You can transfer your domain to one of the following options:
  • a different Shopify store
  • another domain provider
• When purchasing .se domains, the contact information should be in the following format:
  • The postal code can't include spaces.
  • The first 0 in your phone number can't be included.
  • Your Swedish Identity Number must consist of 10 digits and a hyphen in the format of YYMMDD-XXXX.

Buy a domain through Shopify

Before you buy a custom domain through Shopify, check the price and availability of your domain name by using Shopify's domain name generator. The exact price of domains that are bought through Shopify depends on which TLD (top-level domain) extension you choose. The availability of TLDs is subject to change.

The domain name generator displays the availability of your chosen domain name, as well as other available TLDs and alternative domain names. If your chosen domain name or TLD isn't available, then you can choose one of the suggested options or start a new search.

Step 1: Select the domain name that you want to buy

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Domains.

2. Click Buy new domain.

3. Enter the domain name that you want to buy.

4. Review the available domain extensions and their prices.

5. Click Buy for the domain that you want to buy.

Step 2: Review the domain purchase summary

1. Automatic domain renewal is active by default. You can toggle Auto-renew this domain every year to activate or deactivate automatic renewal.
2. Review the Contact information section to confirm that the Shopify store owner's email address and information are correct. You can click the icon to adjust your contact information.
3. Confirm whether this domain extension includes WHOIS Privacy, a service that keeps your personal contact information hidden from public domain registration records:
   • If the domain name that you enter includes WHOIS privacy, then a message is displayed that the domain includes WHOIS privacy.
   • If you don't receive this message and you want WHOIS privacy on your domain, then click Cancel and select a different domain extension that isn't on the WHOIS exceptions list.
4. In the Payment method section, choose a payment method for your domain.
5. Read the ICANN policy and the Domain Registration Agreement.
6. Click Buy domain.

It can take up to 48 hours for your domain to start working. If this domain is the first domain that you add to Shopify, then it's automatically configured to be the web address that's displayed to customers. If you already use a domain with your store, then the new domain automatically redirects to your primary domain. You can set the new domain as your primary domain.

When you buy your domain through Shopify or transfer a third-party domain to Shopify, the A record and CNAME record for your domain are automatically added and set to the default DNS records for Shopify. You won't need to modify your default A record or CNAME record for your Shopify store to point to your Shopify domain. If you have modified the A record or CNAME record and want to reset them to the default, then you can reset your DNS records for the A record, CNAME record, and the AAAA record.

Step 3: Verify your email address for domain registration

After you buy a domain, you need to verify your email address to complete your domain registration. Check your email account for several emails from Shopify that you need to review. These emails include the following details:

• Confirming your purchase.
• Verifying your email address.
• Managing how your data is shared.

If you don't receive any domain verification emails, then check your email's spam or junk folder.

You can also check for any problems with the email address that you entered when purchasing the domain, including the following examples:

• Check that the email address doesn't use the same domain as the one that you're registering. For example, if you're registering example.com, then you can't get a verification email sent to info@example.com because the domain isn't fully active yet and emails can't be received.
• Check for any typing or spelling errors in the email address that you entered when purchasing the domain.
• If you didn't already do so, then try using a gmail.com email address.

You can change the email address in your Shopify admin for registering your domain.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Domains.

2. Click the domain that you want to check the email address for.

3. Click Domain settings > Edit contact information.

4. In the Email field, check the email address and make any necessary changes or corrections.

5. If you make any changes to the email address, then click Save.

6. In the email that you then receive, you might need to do one of the following:

   • Click a link and then follow the instructions to confirm the changes that you made to the email address in your Shopify admin.
   • Fill out a form and then submit it to Shopify Support to confirm the changes that you made to the email address in your Shopify admin.

7. If you successfully correct or change your email address, then you should automatically receive the domain verification emails that you need to review.

You can also try to resend the verification email from your Shopify admin. If you still don't receive any emails about your domain purchase, or you don't have the option to resend the verification email from your Shopify admin, then contact Shopify Support.

If you don't verify your email address within 15 days, then your domain might be suspended.

Note

If you already own a domain through Shopify that's registered with the same first name, last name, and email address, then your email address might be verified automatically. If your email address is verified automatically, then you won't receive an email about verifying your email address.

Troubleshooting domain purchases

An error during the checkout process when buying your domain through Shopify might be caused by one of the following factors:

• the domain is already taken
• there was an issue with your payment
• there was a system error during the transaction

There are a few steps you can take to try to resolve the issue:

• verify your domain details
• verify your payment details
• confirm that you have a stable internet connection
• try a different payment method

If you complete the troubleshooting steps and you're still unable to buy your domain, then contact Shopify Support.

If you experience any issues after the domain has been purchased and registered, then refer to Troubleshoot issues with domains connected to Shopify.

Verifying your registration information

Some country-specific domain extensions have certain residency or business registration requirements that you need to meet when you buy a domain through Shopify.

There are also specific registry organizations that manage the registrations for certain domain extensions. If you're the domain owner, then these registry organizations can contact you periodically to verify that you meet their residency or business registration requirements.

When you buy a domain through Shopify, your store's information is automatically used to complete your domain registration. This information includes your business name, personal name, address, and phone number.

If a registry organization contacts you to verify your domain, then you need to provide proof of your registration information. Each registry organization has different requirements for what kinds of documentation you can provide, such as a passport, business bills, or proof of business address. If you change your business address or have difficulty proving your registration information, then contact Shopify Support.

Caution

Before you share any personal documentation, make sure that you're contacted by the registry organization for your specific domain extension.

Review the following details to learn about the domain registration requirements for certain countries:

• Belgium (.be)
• Canada (.ca)
• France (.fr)
• Germany (.de)
• Hungary (.hu)
• Italy (.it)
• Sweden (.se)

Belgium domain registration requirements for .be domains

When you buy a .be domain, you need to confirm your contact information with Belgium's domains registrar, DNS Belgium.

After you buy your domain, you might receive an email from DNS Belgium for validation and verification purposes, and you need to follow the instructions in the email.

You don't need to be a resident or business operator in Belgium to be able to register a .be domain.

Domain names can be any length from 3 to 63 characters, excluding the .be top-level domain (TLD).

If you have any problems with registering and verifying a .be domain, then contact DNS Belgium.

Canada domain registration requirements for .ca domains

When you buy a .ca domain, you need to complete a registration agreement from the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA).

After you buy your domain, you receive an email with a link to the registration agreement. You need to review and accept the agreement terms.

Registrants must meet specific Canadian Presence Requirements (CPR). During domain registration, you need to select your appropriate CPR category from the following eligible categories:

• Canadian citizens
• Corporations in Canada
• Canadian educational institutions
• Aboriginal peoples indigenous to Canada
• Government entities in Canada

For registrant contact information for .ca domains, mandatory fields include your first name, last name, email address, organization name for non-individuals, phone number, and address.

CIRA might carry out Registrant Information Validation (RIV) to confirm Canadian presence for domain registration, and you need to provide documents such as a Canadian passport.

Domain names can be up to 63 characters long, excluding the .ca top-level domain (TLD).

France domain registration requirements for .fr domains

When you buy a .fr domain, you need to meet the domain registration requirements of the Association française pour le nommage Internet en coopération (AFNIC) registry.

To satisfy the regional presence requirements for registering a .fr domain, individuals and organizations must be located in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein.

If you're registering a .fr domain for an organization to be the owner, then providing the organization's VAT number, trademark number, and SIREN/SIRET number can help to have the registration quickly validated.

You can't have special characters in the first name and last name fields when buying a .fr domain. Acceptable characters include Latin letters, hyphens, apostrophes, and spaces.

Germany domain registration requirements for .de domains

When you buy a .de domain, you need to provide a valid and verifiable, legal address in Germany.

You can't buy or register a .de domain through Shopify without a German address that meets the requirements.

You might be able to use an alternative domain registrar service that can provide you with an administrative local presence in Germany, or you can hire a third-party service that provides this, but Shopify can't provide support for these methods.

Hungary domain registration requirements for .hu domains

When you buy a .hu domain, the registrant must be an organization. Individuals can't be the owner of an .hu domain.

You need to submit the Business Registration Certificate that's issued to you by the relevant business registry authority of the country where your business is incorporated.

You also need to complete and submit one of two registration forms, which depends on whether your business has a local presence in Hungary or not, as determined by the criteria regarding domain applicants.

The forms can't be handwritten, and they must be printed on company letterhead, or be stamped and signed on every page by the registrant's legal representative.

When you have the forms completed and ready to submit, you need to contact Shopify Support with them.

As well as your Business Registration Certificate, you need to provide the following forms:

• If your business has a local presence in Hungary:
  • 3C Domain Name Registration Form
  • Consent Request Local Presence Supplement
• If your business doesn't have a local presence in Hungary:
  • 3C Domain Name Registration Form

Italy domain registration requirements for .it domains

When you buy a .it domain, you need to submit your Italian fiscal code (Codice fiscale) as an individal registrant, or your VAT number if the domain's being registered by an organization in Italy.

You can register a .it domain only if you have individual citizenship or residence, or a business registered office in the countries of the European Economic Area (EEA), or in the Vatican, the Republic of San Marino, and Switzerland.

If you're registering a .it domain from outside of Italy, then you need to provide your personal ID number from the country that you're located in.

Sweden domain registration requirements for .se domains

When you buy a .se domain, you need to submit your Swedish personal identity number from your national identity card if you're registering a domain as an individual, or your Swedish business registration number if you're registering a domain as organization.

If you're registering a .se domain as an organization outside Sweden, then you need to submit your VAT number.

With .se domain registration, it's important that the formatting of certain information is correct, including the following examples:

• Use A and O, and not Å, Ä, or Ö, when you input your information.
• The Swedish personal identity number must be submitted in the format YYMMDD-XXXX.
• The postal code can't include any spaces.

Next steps after buying a domain

After you buy a domain, you can take the following actions:

• Set up email forwarding addresses
• Set up third-party email hosting
• Configure automatic renewal for your domain
• Add subdomains
• Set up international domains

WHOIS exceptions

The following domain extensions don't include WHOIS privacy when you buy a custom domain through Shopify. If you buy one of these domain extensions, then your personal contact information is available in public domain registration records.

List of top-level domain extensions that don't include WHOIS privacy.

.abogado	.ac	.ae	.aero	.africa
.ag	.ai	.alsace	.am	.ar
.archi	.as	.asia	.at	.au
.auto	.barcelona	.bayern	.be	.berlin
.br	.brussels	.bzh	.cat	.cd
.ch	.cl	.cm	.cologne	.coop
.corsica	.cx	.cz	.de	.ec
.es	.feedback	.fi	.fm	.fr
.frl	.gd	.gg	.gl	.gr
.gs	.gy	.hamburg	.hk	.hm
.hn	.hr	.ht	.hu	.il
.im	.in	.io	.is	.je
.jobs	.jp	.kg	.ki	.kr
.la	.law	.lc	.li	.lt
.lu	.lv	.ly	.ma	.md
.melbourne	.mn	.ms	.mu	.mx
.my	.nl	.no	.nrw	.nu
.nyc	.nz	.paris	.pe	.ph
.pl	.pm	.pr	.pro	.pt
.pw	.qa	.quebec	.re	.rio
.ro	.ru	.ruhr	.sb	.sc
.scot	.se	.sg	.sh	.si
.so	.sr	.srl	.st	.sx
.sydney	.tc	.tf	.tk	.tl
.tm	.to	.travel	.tw	.ua
.us	.uy	.vc	.ve	.vg
.vlaanderen	.vote	.voto	.wf	.wien
.yt	.za