How to Connect a Custom Domain to Your Shopify Store: A Step-by-Step Guide

A custom domain is essential for building trust and brand recognition with your online customers. Shopify makes it easy to connect your own domain, whether you’ve purchased it through Shopify or a third-party provider. Here’s a practical, X2Y.DEV-approved guide to getting your custom domain up and running on Shopify.

Why Use a Custom Domain?

• Brand Credibility: A unique domain (like yourbrand.com) looks professional and builds customer confidence.
• SEO Benefits: Search engines favor branded domains, helping you rank higher and attract more organic traffic.
• Marketing Power: A memorable domain is easier to promote across ads, social media, and offline channels.

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Step 1: Buy Your Domain

You have two options:

• Through Shopify:
  Purchase directly in your Shopify admin for seamless integration.
• Through a Third-Party Provider:
  Buy from registrars like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, or others.

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Step 2: Add Your Domain to Shopify

1. Go to Shopify Admin > Settings > Domains.
2. Click “Connect existing domain” if you already own one, or “Buy new domain” to purchase through Shopify.
3. Enter your domain name and follow the prompts.

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Step 3: Update DNS Settings (If Using a Third-Party Provider)

To point your domain to Shopify, update your DNS records with your domain registrar:

• A Record:
  Set your root domain (e.g., yourbrand.com) to Shopify’s IP address: 23.227.38.65
• CNAME Record:
  Set the “www” subdomain to point to shops.myshopify.com

How to do this:

1. Log in to your domain registrar’s dashboard.
2. Find the DNS or Domain Management section.
3. Edit the A record and CNAME as above.
4. Save your changes.

Note: DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, but it’s often much faster.

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Step 4: Verify and Set as Primary Domain

1. Return to Shopify Admin > Settings > Domains.
2. Click “Verify connection” to confirm your domain is pointed correctly.
3. Once verified, set your custom domain as the primary domain so customers always see your branded URL.

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Step 5: Enable SSL

Shopify provides a free SSL certificate for all domains connected to your store. This ensures your site is secure (https://) and builds customer trust.

• SSL will activate automatically, but it may take a few minutes to an hour after connecting your domain.

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Pro Tips

• Redirect Traffic:
  Set up automatic redirects from your old domain or from “yourbrand.myshopify.com” to your new custom domain.
• Email Setup:
  If you want a branded email (like [email protected]), use your domain registrar’s email hosting or connect to services like Google Workspace or Zoho Mail.
• SEO Check:
  Update your sitemap and submit your new domain to Google Search Console for optimal indexing.

Conclusion

Connecting a custom domain to your Shopify store is a simple but powerful step toward building a professional, trustworthy online presence. For advanced domain setups, DNS troubleshooting, or integrated email solutions, X2Y.DEV is here to help.