Connecting your domain to Shopify is a straightforward process, but the steps vary depending on whether you have an active hosting package with us or just a domain registration.
Regardless of your setup, you will need these two standard Shopify records:
- A Record: 23.227.38.65
- CNAME Record (www): shops.myshopify.com
Scenario 1: You Have a Hosting Package (Recommended)
If you have a hosting plan active with your domain, you can manage your DNS directly through your control panel. This is the most convenient method.
- Log in to your Client Area.
- Go to Services > My Services and click on your active hosting plan.
- Click Login to Control Panel.
- Locate the Manage DNS option.
- Update the A Record: Find the main A record for your domain (e.g.,
yourdomain.com) and change the IP to 23.227.38.65. - Create the CNAME: Create a new record (www) for type CNAME and the target to shops.myshopify.com.
- Save your changes. Propagation usually takes 1-4 hours.
Scenario 2: You Purchased a Domain ONLY (No Hosting)
If you only purchased a domain name, you will notice that you only have access to update your "Nameservers" in your panel. Because advanced DNS records require a server to live on, you have two choices:
Option A: Use Cloudflare (Free)
This allows you to manage DNS records for free without buying a hosting plan.
- Create a free account at Cloudflare.com.
- Click Add a Site, enter your domain, and select the Free Plan.
- Cloudflare will scan your current records. Click Continue.
- Cloudflare will provide you with two Nameservers (e.g.,
amy.ns.cloudflare.com). Copy both of these. - Log in to your Client Area, go to Domains > My Domains.
- Click the wrench icon (Manage Domain), then select Nameservers from the left-side menu.
- Select Use custom nameservers and paste the Cloudflare nameservers there. Click Change Nameservers.
- Back in Cloudflare, go to the DNS tab and click Add Record to add the Shopify A Record and CNAME listed at the top of this article.
- Important: Set the Proxy Status (the orange cloud) to DNS Only (Grey cloud) for these records to avoid SSL conflicts with Shopify. Save the records.
Option B: Add a Basic Hosting Plan
If you prefer to keep everything simple and managed under one roof (including the ability to create professional business emails), you can add a hosting plan.
- Go to Services > Order New Services in your client area.
- Select a basic hosting package and make sure to select your existing domain during checkout.
- Once active, simply follow the steps in Scenario 1 above.
Final Step: Verify in Shopify
Once you have updated your DNS using either method above, log in to your Shopify Admin, go to Settings > Domains, and click Verify Connection.
If you run into any trouble during this process, please open a support ticket and our technical team will be happy to assist you!
