Connecting a third-party domain

This page was printed on Aug 08, 2020. For the current version, visit https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/domains/add-a-domain/using-existing-domains/connecting-domains.

Connecting your third-party domain to Shopify points your domain name at your Shopify store. This means that when someone enters your custom URL into their web browser, it takes them to your online store. You still use the third-party domain provider to manage your domain settings, pay for your domain, and renew it.

What are root domains and subdomains?

Root domains are what you purchase when buying a domain. An example of a root domain is shopify.com. You need to buy a root domain before you can add subdomains. Most people point their root domain to their online store.

Subdomains are additions to the root domain. A commonly used subdomain is www. This pairs with the root domain creating www.shopify.com.

For more information, refer to our guide on domains terminology.

Generic third-party domain setup guide

If you don’t see instructions for your provider, then you can follow this generic setup guide to connect your existing domain to Shopify.

1. Add the domain to Shopify

2. Connect it to Shopify

3. Verify your connection in Shopify

Add an existing domain to your Shopify store

First, you need to add your custom domain to your Shopify store. This step identifies you to Shopify as the owner of your custom domain.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Domains.
  2. Click Connect existing domain.
  3. Enter the domain that you want to connect, such as johns-apparel.info.
  4. Click Next.

Now you need to set up your existing domain to point to Shopify.

  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store.
  2. In the Sales channels section, tap Online Store.
  3. Tap Domains.
  4. Click the ... button, then select Connect existing domain.
  5. Enter the domain that you want to connect, such as johns-apparel.info.
  6. Tap Next.

Now you need to set up your existing domain to point to Shopify.

  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store.
  2. In the Sales channels section, tap Online Store.
  3. Tap Domains.
  4. Tap Connect existing domain.
  5. Enter the domain that you want to connect, such as johns-apparel.info.
  6. Tap Next.

Now you need to set up your existing domain to point to Shopify.

Set up your domain with GoDaddy, Google, or 1&1 IONOS

You can automatically connect your GoDaddy, Google, or 1&1 IONOS domain to your Shopify store. If the domain doesn't connect automatically, then you can connect it manually.

Connect your domain automatically

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Domains.
  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store.
  2. In the Sales channels section, tap Online Store.
  3. Tap Domains.
  1. From the Shopify app, tap Store.
  2. In the Sales channels section, tap Online Store.
  3. Tap Domains.

  1. Click Connect existing domain.

  2. Enter the domain that you want to connect, such as johns-apparel.info.

  3. Click Next.

  4. Click Connect automatically.

  5. In the Sign In window, log in to your GoDaddy, Google, or 1&1 IONOS account.

  6. Click Connect.

If you experience problems setting up your domain automatically, then try setting it up manually from within your third-party providers admin. If you contact third-party support, then review what to tell your third-party provider.

Connect your domain manually

  1. Log in to the account that you have with your domain provider.

  2. Find your DNS settings. Look for your domain management area, DNS configuration, or similar.

  3. Find the CNAME record in your DNS settings.

  4. Change your subdomain CNAME record to point to shops.myshopify.com Copy . For example, if you want your subdomain shop.johns-apparel.com to point to your Shopify store, then change your shop CNAME record to point to shops.myshopify.com Copy :

    Subdomain connection

  5. Save the CNAME Record (usually by clicking Save or Add record or similar).

  6. From your Shopify admin, click Online Store, and then click Domains.

  7. Click Connect existing domain:

    Connect existing domain

  8. Enter your subdomain in the text field (for example, shop.johns-apparel.com).

  9. Click Next.

  10. Click Verify connection in your Shopify admin to confirm that your custom domain has been connected to your store.

Set up your existing domain to connect to Shopify

If you've purchased your domain through a third party, then you need to edit the following DNS settings:

  • Your A record should point to Shopify's IP address, which is 23.227.38.65 Copy

  • Your www CNAME record should point to shops.myshopify.com Copy .

Editing these domain settings might have an effect on other things, such as email forwarding. You can contact your domain provider to find out how any changes might affect your DNS settings.

Some domain providers, such as Hover, GoDaddy, Google, and 1&1 IONOS, automatically set-up your domains for you in varying ways.

Steps:

  1. Log in to the account you have with your domain provider.

  2. Find your DNS settings. Look for your domain management area, DNS configuration, or similar.

  3. Edit your A record to point to Shopify's IP address 23.227.38.65 Copy

    The domain settings panel might feature drop-downs or editable fields, or you might have to check boxes or edit a table. You need to:

    • enter or choose the @ symbol, or A record
    • enter Shopify's IP address 23.227.38.65 Copy as the destination for the A record.

  4. Save the A Record (click Save, Save Zone File, Add Record, or similar).

  5. Find the CNAME record in your DNS settings.

  6. Change your www CNAME record to point to shops.myshopify.com Copy . Often, you need to provide just the prefix without the dot, but for some domain providers you need the whole subdomain. Use the existing entries as a guide, or follow your provider's instructions. CNAME records must always point to a domain name, never to an IP address.

  7. Save the CNAME Record (usually by clicking Save or Add record or similar).

Now you need to verify your connection in Shopify.

Verify your connection in Shopify

Click Verify connection in your Shopify admin to confirm that your custom domain has been connected to your store.

What to tell your third-party provider

Your third-party domain provider is familiar with the terms related to domains. When you call your provider for support, you can tell them that:

  • you want your root domain (your A record) to point to Shopify's IP address, which is 23.227.38.65
  • you want your subdomains (your CNAME records) to point to shops.myshopify.com.

If you want to set up email forwarding, then you can also tell your third-party provider that you want to use their email client (if they have one) and need to configure your MX records.

Connect a subdomain

A subdomain is a subset for your root domain at the beginning of a URL. For example, in the URL shop.johnsapparel.com, shop is the subdomain. The most popular subdomain is www. You can use subdomains to organize your website and make it easier for visitors to find the information that they're looking for.

To connect a subdomain, click Online Store > Domains > Connect existing domain and then follow the steps. If you're using a third-party domain, then you need your CNAME records to point to shops.myshopify.com. The name of the CNAME record should match the subdomain that you're adding.

Third-party domain providers

If you own a domain from one of the following providers, then click the link to get specific instructions for connecting your domain:

Where to go for help

If you have problems or need help pointing your custom domain to your Shopify store, then you should contact your third-party provider’s support team. Shopify Support will be more limited in assisting you because every provider is different.

Next steps after adding your custom domain to Shopify

After you've added your domain in Shopify, you need to choose your primary domain (the domain name that customers will see in the address bar while they browse your online store).

You can also set up email forwarding from the domain after you've added it to Shopify.

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