There are two ways to add a domain to your Shopify store: buying the domain directly through Shopify, or connecting a domain you bought from another company (such as GoDaddy, Natro or İsimtescil) to Shopify. To connect an external domain, you usually only need to update two DNS records: point the root domain's A record to Shopify's IP address (23.227.38.65) and the www subdomain's CNAME record to shops.myshopify.com. Shopify provides the SSL certificate automatically and free of charge once the domain is verified. Domains with the .com.tr extension can't be bought through Shopify; you need to buy them from a local registrar and connect them to Shopify.
In this guide we explain domain types, connecting an external domain step by step, the specifics of .com.tr domains, email settings and how to avoid SEO losses when changing domains.
Domain options on Shopify
Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
myshopify.com domain | Given automatically when the store is created (e.g. yourstore.myshopify.com), can't be changed | Setup and testing only |
Domain bought through Shopify | Bought from the Shopify admin, DNS settings configured automatically | Fast setups that need no technical work |
External domain | Bought from another registrar, connected to Shopify with DNS records | Those with an existing domain and those using .com.tr |
The myshopify.com domain can't be changed after the store is created and remains the store's technical address in the background. You should always connect your own domain for the address customers see.
What to know before connecting a domain
You must own the domain. You need access to the account at the registrar, and the domain must be registered to you or your company.
You need access to DNS settings. Wherever your domain's DNS records are managed (the registrar, Cloudflare or a hosting company) is where you'll make the changes.
Note your current email settings. If you use business email with your domain (such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365), don't touch the MX records. Only the A and CNAME records will change.
If you have an old site, plan redirects. If you're moving to Shopify from another platform, export a list of your old URLs before connecting the domain.
Connecting an external domain to Shopify: step by step
1. Add the domain in Shopify
In your Shopify admin, go to Settings → Domains.
Click Connect existing domain.
Enter your domain (e.g. yourbrand.com) and continue.
With some registrars, Shopify can configure the DNS settings for you automatically. If this option appears, simply log in to your registrar account and approve it.
2. Update the DNS records
If automatic connection isn't possible, edit these two records in your registrar's DNS management panel:
Record type | Name (Host) | Value |
|---|---|---|
A | @ (root domain) | 23.227.38.65 |
CNAME | www | shops.myshopify.com |
If there are other A records for the root domain (such as your old hosting company's IP address), delete them; otherwise the domain points to two different servers.
If there's an AAAA (IPv6) record belonging to the old hosting, remove that too.
Don't touch email records such as MX and TXT (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
3. Verify in Shopify
DNS changes usually take a few minutes to a few hours to propagate; rarely up to 48 hours. Check the status by clicking Verify connection on the domain page in Shopify.
4. Choose your primary domain
If you've connected multiple domains (yourbrand.com, www.yourbrand.com, an old domain), choose the primary domain customers will see. Shopify automatically redirects visitors from other domains to the primary domain. Make sure this redirect is turned on.
5. Check the SSL certificate
Shopify creates the SSL certificate for connected domains automatically and free of charge. It can take a few hours for the certificate to activate. Check that the SSL status shows as "active" on the domain page.
Specifics of .com.tr domains
.com.tr domains can't be bought through Shopify. You need to buy them from a local registrar connected to TRABIS (such as Natro, İsimtescil or Turhost).
No documents required since 2022. .com.tr domains can now be registered through the TRABIS system without documents; conditions may differ for some special extensions.
Connecting works the same way. After buying a .com.tr domain, you can connect it to Shopify by adding the A and CNAME records above.
If you use both .com and .com.tr, choose one as primary and redirect the other to it; publishing the same content separately on two domains causes duplicate content issues. If you want different domains for different markets, use Shopify Markets settings.
Email and your domain
Shopify doesn't offer business email hosting with your domain. Options:
Email forwarding: for domains bought from Shopify, you can forward addresses such as info@yourbrand.com to your existing inbox.
Business email service: if you use a service such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you need to add the MX and TXT records that service provides to your DNS.
Sender domain authentication: to have Shopify's order emails sent from your own domain and avoid the spam folder, authenticate your sender domain and add a DMARC record. We explain the steps in our DMARC guide.
Avoiding SEO losses when changing domains
If you're moving to Shopify from an existing site or changing your domain:
Export your old URLs. Get a list of all the old site's pages from Search Console or a crawling tool.
Prepare 301 redirects. Map old URLs to new Shopify URLs and bulk-upload them to Shopify's URL redirects section. We explain the SEO impact of status codes in our HTTP status codes article.
Update Search Console. Verify your domain property and submit the new sitemap. If the domain is changing, use the Change of Address tool in Search Console.
Monitor the first weeks closely. Track 404 errors, indexing issues and traffic changes.
We cover common mistakes during migration in our article on setup mistakes.
Common problems
"Domain couldn't be verified" warning: DNS changes may not have propagated yet. Wait a few hours and check the records were entered correctly.
The site sometimes goes to the old hosting: there may be more than one A record left on the root domain. Delete the old A and AAAA records.
SSL won't activate: the domain's DNS records may not fully point to Shopify, or a CDN/proxy (for example Cloudflare's proxy mode) may be blocking certificate creation.
Email stopped working: MX records may have been deleted by mistake while editing DNS. Re-add your email provider's records.
Frequently asked questions
Is connecting a domain to Shopify paid?
No. Connecting an external domain to Shopify is free; you only pay the domain's annual registration fee to your registrar.
Can I change my myshopify.com address?
No. The myshopify.com domain can't be changed after the store is created. But when you make your own domain the primary domain, customers don't see this address.
Do I need to transfer my domain to Shopify?
No. Your domain can stay with its current registrar; you only need to point the DNS records to Shopify. If you prefer, you can also transfer the domain to Shopify for supported extensions.
How long does a DNS change take to become active?
Usually a few minutes to a few hours. Rarely, it can take up to 48 hours.
Let's set up your store together
Setting up domain, email and redirect settings correctly prevents access and SEO problems at launch. If you'd like to plan your Shopify store setup or platform migration together, get in touch through our Shopify store setup page.
