Shopify DNS Settings: How to Configure and Troubleshoot Your Domain

DNS settings in Shopify control how your domain name connects to your store. When configured correctly, visitors who type your domain reach your Shopify store. When misconfigured, you get broken stores, SSL errors, or email delivery failures. This guide covers where domain and DNS settings live in the Shopify admin, how to add or connect a domain, what each DNS record type does, and how to troubleshoot the most common problems.

Where Domain and DNS Settings Live in Shopify

Everything sits in one place. From the Shopify admin, open Settings, then click Domains. That page lists every connected domain and holds the controls to buy, connect, transfer, set a primary domain, edit DNS records, and add subdomains.

DNS records themselves are only editable inside Shopify for domains registered through or transferred to Shopify. If your domain is registered with a third-party provider (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare), you manage DNS records through your registrar's dashboard, and Shopify only verifies that they point to the right place.

How to Access DNS Settings in Shopify

For Shopify-managed domains:

1. Log in to your Shopify admin
2. Go to Settings > Domains
3. Click the domain you want to configure
4. Click Domain settings, then Edit DNS settings

Shopify DNS Records: What Each Type Does

A Record

The A record points your root domain (e.g., yourstore.com) to Shopify's IP address: 23.227.38.65. You should have exactly one A record for your root domain pointing to this address. Multiple A records or a wrong IP will cause the domain to fail to resolve to Shopify.

CNAME Record

The CNAME record points your www subdomain to shops.myshopify.com. This allows www.yourstore.com to reach your store. You can also add CNAME records for other subdomains to point them to third-party services.

MX Records

MX records control email routing for your domain. Shopify doesn't host mailboxes, so if you want email at your domain (e.g., hello@yourstore.com) you'll need MX records pointing to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or your chosen email provider. Shopify domains also support email forwarding if you only need incoming mail redirected to an existing inbox. Shopify does not overwrite existing MX records when you connect a domain.

TXT Records

TXT records are used to verify domain ownership and configure email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). You'll need to add TXT records when:

• Verifying your domain with Google Search Console or Meta Business Manager
• Setting up email authentication to prevent your marketing emails from going to spam
• Connecting certain third-party services that require domain verification

Adding a Domain: Buy, Connect, or Transfer

A custom domain replaces the default your-store.myshopify.com address. There are three routes, all from Settings > Domains:

• Buy through Shopify. Choose Buy new domain, search for a name, and purchase it. A domain bought this way is configured automatically, with no records to set manually.
• Connect an existing domain. Leave the domain at its current registrar and point its DNS records at Shopify.
• Transfer a domain. Move the registration itself to Shopify using Transfer domain, so DNS is managed entirely from the admin. Transfers require the domain to be unlocked at the current registrar and an authorization code.

Connecting a Third-Party Domain to Shopify

Open Settings > Domains, click Connect existing domain, and enter the domain name. From there the connection is either automatic or manual, depending on the registrar.

Automatic connection

Some registrars support a one-click connection: choose the automatic option, sign in to the registrar account when prompted, and Shopify writes the records for you. The list of supported registrars changes, so the Domains page will tell you whether automatic connection is available for your domain. If it isn't, use the manual method.

Manual connection

1. Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)
2. Find the DNS management or DNS settings area
3. Update the A record for the root domain (@) to point to 23.227.38.65
4. Update (or add) the CNAME record for www to point to shops.myshopify.com
5. In Shopify admin, go to Settings > Domains > Connect existing domain and enter your domain
6. Click Verify connection

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate, but most changes take effect within 1–4 hours. Once propagation completes and Shopify verifies the records, the domain shows a Connected status and Shopify issues a TLS/SSL certificate at no cost.

Setting the Primary Domain

The primary domain is the address shown in the browser bar and used across the store. To change it, open the domain on the Domains page, choose Change domain type, and set it as primary. Every other connected domain and the default myshopify.com address then redirects to it.

This matters for more than tidiness. Running a store that resolves on several addresses splits search signals across duplicate URLs and can leave the wrong version indexed. Pick one primary domain early, and decide whether you want the www or non-www version before you start building links to it.

Adding Subdomains

Subdomains organize parts of a site under the main domain — shop.example.com for the store, blog.example.com for content, help.example.com for a support tool. For a Shopify-managed domain, add the subdomain directly in the admin under the domain's settings. For a third-party domain, create the subdomain at the registrar and point it to Shopify (or to the third-party service) with a CNAME record.

Country Domains and International Markets

Stores selling across regions can give each market its own domain or subdomain — example.co.uk for the UK, example.fr for France, or uk.example.com as a subdomain alternative. These are assigned under Settings > Markets: add a market for the target region, assign a bought or connected domain to it, and set the market's language and currency.

A connected country domain still needs the same A and CNAME records pointing at Shopify before it will resolve. Country-code domains signal a local presence and let shoppers see prices and content suited to their region, but they also mean maintaining DNS for each one.

Common Shopify DNS Errors and How to Fix Them

"Domain not connecting" or "Verifying" stuck in Shopify admin

This means DNS hasn't propagated yet or the records are incorrect. Check your A record and CNAME values using a DNS lookup tool like dnschecker.org. Confirm the A record points to 23.227.38.65 and the www CNAME points to shops.myshopify.com. If the records look correct, wait 24 hours before troubleshooting further.

SSL certificate not provisioning

Shopify automatically provisions SSL certificates once your domain is properly connected. If SSL isn't provisioning after 48 hours:

• Confirm DNS is fully propagated (check with dnschecker.org)
• Make sure there are no CAA records blocking SSL issuance from Shopify's certificate authority
• Check that you don't have a proxy or CDN (like Cloudflare in proxy mode) interfering with certificate validation

www redirecting incorrectly or showing a different site

This usually means the CNAME record for www is missing or pointing to the wrong destination. Verify it points exactly to shops.myshopify.com with no typos.

Email stopped working after connecting domain

If you had email set up on your domain before connecting to Shopify, check that your MX records weren't overwritten. Log in to your registrar and verify MX records still point to your email provider. Shopify should not change MX records, but some registrars reset all records when you make changes.

Multiple A records causing issues

Some registrars add a default A record pointing to a parking page. If you have more than one A record for your root domain, delete all but the one pointing to 23.227.38.65. Multiple A records will cause inconsistent behavior.

Shopify DNS Settings for Third-Party Email (Google Workspace)

To use Google Workspace email with your Shopify domain:

1. Add the Google MX records provided in your Google Admin console
2. Add the Google SPF TXT record: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
3. Add the DKIM TXT record from Google Admin > Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Authenticate email
4. Optionally add a DMARC TXT record to protect against spoofing

These records don't interfere with Shopify's A and CNAME records and can coexist without issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are DNS settings in Shopify?

In the Shopify admin, go to Settings > Domains, click the domain, then Domain settings > Edit DNS settings. This is only available for domains bought through or transferred to Shopify; third-party domains are edited at the registrar.

How do you set up a domain in Shopify?

Either buy a domain through Shopify (Domains > Buy new domain), which configures itself, or connect one from another registrar (Domains > Connect existing domain) by pointing its A record to 23.227.38.65 and its www CNAME to shops.myshopify.com. A domain can also be transferred to Shopify so DNS is managed from the admin.

How long does it take for a Shopify domain to connect?

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, though most resolve within a few hours. Until then the domain may show as pending. Once Shopify verifies it, the status changes to Connected and SSL is issued automatically.

Can you use a custom email address with a Shopify domain?

Yes. Shopify domains support email forwarding for incoming mail, and for full mailboxes you connect a third-party provider such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 by adding its MX records in the domain's DNS settings.

Does Shopify support subdomains?

Yes. Subdomains are added in the admin for Shopify-managed domains, or created at the registrar and pointed to Shopify with a CNAME record for third-party domains.

The Bottom Line

Most Shopify domain work comes down to a short list: connect or buy the domain, point the A record at 23.227.38.65 and the www CNAME at shops.myshopify.com, set one primary domain, and leave MX and TXT records alone unless you are configuring email. The main thing to plan around is the propagation window before a newly connected domain goes live.

First Pier is an ecommerce agency in Portland, Maine that builds and optimizes Shopify stores. For help with domain setup, migration, or a store build, get in touch.