Connect a Domain to Shopify: Guide for IONOS, Strato & More

This guide shows you how to connect a domain to Shopify that you bought from an external provider such as IONOS, Strato, INWX or GoDaddy. You'll learn which DNS records you need, where the pitfalls are with German providers and what to do if Shopify shows "not connected" or "SSL pending". The domain is one of the last steps before launch; you'll find the overall process under Starting a Shopify store.

Do you even need your own domain?

Technically, no. Every store automatically gets a free address following the pattern your-store.myshopify.com. You can start selling with it right away. For a serious store, you should still use your own domain:

• Trust: An address like yourstore.de looks more professional than a Shopify subdomain.
• Independence: The domain belongs to you. If you switch store platforms later, you take it with you, and your Google rankings and links are preserved.
• Email: With your own domain, you can use addresses such as info@yourstore.de.
• Advertising: For ad accounts such as Meta, you usually have to verify your own domain before you can properly start with Meta ads for your Shopify store.

You need one domain per store, not per product. All products run under the same address. The myshopify address is enough for building and testing; you should buy the domain before launch and before your first ad campaign at the latest.

You don't need hosting for this. It's included in your Shopify plan. You only buy the domain and point it to Shopify. If you don't have a name yet: tips on finding a name and checking trademarks are in Finding a store name and logo.

Buy your domain from Shopify or externally?

Both work. For German stores, buying externally is usually the better choice.

According to the Shopify Help Center, .de isn't on the list of extensions you can buy through Shopify. For a German audience, though, .de is the obvious choice, because customers know and trust it. A .com is worth adding if you want to sell internationally.

Step by step: connect a domain to Shopify from an external provider

These values come from the official Shopify guide (as of October 2026). Check them there quickly before you start, in case Shopify changes them.

Step 1: Change the DNS records at your provider

Log in to your domain provider and open the domain's DNS settings. Then set these records:

If your provider rejects the short IPv6 address, use the full form 2620:0127:f00f:0005:0000:0000:0000:0000. You can leave the TTL at the default value. Don't touch the MX records for your email; your inbox keeps working.

Step 2: Add the domain in Shopify

1. In the Shopify admin, open Settings > Domains.
2. Click Connect existing domain.
3. Enter the domain without "www", e.g. yourstore.de, and click Next.
4. Click Connect domain.

If you see "Domains aren't available on your current plan" instead, you're usually still in the trial. According to Shopify, domain services are only available with a paid plan. As soon as you've chosen a plan, even with the introductory offer, the feature is there.

Shopify now checks the records. According to Shopify, it can take up to 48 hours until the domain is fully live and the SSL certificate has been issued. Often it's much faster. Shopify issues the SSL certificate itself. You don't need to buy anything for it from your domain provider.

GoDaddy, Hostinger, .store domains and other providers

The principle is the same with every provider: you find the DNS management (often called "DNS zone", "DNS settings" or "Records") and set the three records from the table there. For GoDaddy, Hostinger, Namecheap, Squarespace, Wix and a few others, Shopify has its own step-by-step guides in the overview of third-party domains. You connect cheap .store or .shop domains in exactly the same way. If your provider doesn't accept "@" as a hostname, leave the field empty or enter the domain itself, depending on what the interface requires.

Specifics with IONOS

With IONOS, according to the Shopify guide for IONOS, there are two ways: an automatic connection or manual setup. Manually, you proceed like this:

1. In your IONOS account, open Domains & SSL, choose the domain and click DNS under Aktionen (Actions).
2. Edit the existing A record with hostname @ via the pencil icon and set it to 23.227.38.65.
3. Via Datensatz hinzufügen (Add record), create a CNAME with hostname www and target shops.myshopify.com.
4. Check whether an old AAAA record still points to IONOS and change it to the Shopify value.

If Shopify requires additional verification, create a TXT record at IONOS with the hostname shopify_verification and paste in the value from Shopify.

A typical symptom with IONOS: you open the domain and land on an IONOS placeholder page. In that case, an old A or AAAA record usually still points to IONOS, or the change hasn't propagated everywhere yet.

Specifics with Strato

With Strato, you'll find the DNS settings under Domains > Domainverwaltung (domain management), via the gear icon next to the domain and the DNS tab. Two things are different from other providers:

• The "www" subdomain must exist. Strato only sets a CNAME for subdomains. So create www as a subdomain first if it's missing. Then expand "Subdomains anzeigen" (show subdomains) under the domain, choose www and manage the CNAME record there.
• A CNAME deactivates other records for the same name. According to the Strato FAQ (German), all other DNS settings for that name become inactive once a CNAME is activated. This only affects www, not your root domain and not your emails to @yourstore.de.

Strato states that DNS changes can take up to 24 hours. Also check whether an AAAA record of the root domain still points to Strato, and switch it to the Shopify value.

Set the primary domain

As soon as the domain shows as "Connected" in Shopify, make it your primary domain. Only then does Shopify redirect all other addresses, including your-store.myshopify.com, to your domain. According to the Shopify Help Center:

1. Open Settings > Domains.
2. Click the domain that should become primary.
3. Choose Change domain type, select Primary domain and save with Change domain type.

A store always has exactly one primary domain. You can set up additional domains, such as the .com alongside the .de, as redirects. These redirects also matter for Shopify SEO, because Google then indexes only one address of your store. If you want separate domains with their own language for different countries, that works through Shopify Markets, see Shopify Markets: multiple languages and currencies.

Problems and solutions

The causes and solutions come from Shopify's troubleshooting for connected domains. Important: Shopify Support has no access to the settings at your domain provider. If the problem lies there, only their support can help you.

Moving an existing website with the same domain to Shopify

You already have a site on WordPress, Wix, Jimdo or a website builder and want to use the domain for Shopify? That works, but only one site can be reachable under the root domain. As soon as the A record and CNAME point to Shopify, the old site is gone at that address. Here's how to proceed:

1. Finish building the store in the background. The old site stays online, and the Shopify store stays closed with a password.
2. Find out where the domain is managed. If it's included in the website builder's package, change the DNS records there, if the provider allows it. Otherwise, transfer the domain to a registrar with the auth code. Allow a few days for this.
3. Secure your email. If your inboxes are attached to the old package, only cancel it once the emails have been moved. As long as you only change the A record and CNAME, the MX records, and with them your emails, stay untouched.
4. Switch over on launch day and then create URL redirects in Shopify from the most important old addresses to the new pages, so links and Google rankings don't lead nowhere.

With many pages, blog articles or an existing store with customer data, getting help is worthwhile. What to look for when choosing is covered in Hiring Shopify experts: costs, selection & process.

Once the domain is working, the store is technically ready. What you should still check before removing the password page is covered in Launching your Shopify store: the checklist.

FAQ

How long does it take until the domain is connected to Shopify?

Often a few minutes to hours. Shopify gives 48 hours as the upper limit until the domain is fully live and the SSL certificate has been issued. If it still says "not connected" or "SSL pending" after 48 hours, a DNS record is usually wrong or an old record is still active. Then it's worth comparing with the official values.

Can I take my domain with me if I switch from Shopify to WordPress?

Yes. If you bought the domain externally, you simply change the DNS records to point to the new host. Whether switching is worthwhile at all is compared in Shopify vs. Etsy vs. WooCommerce vs. Wix. If you bought it through Shopify, you can transfer it to another provider. For extensions such as .com, .net and .org, a transfer under ICANN rules is usually possible no earlier than 60 days after purchase. You can't buy a .de domain through Shopify anyway.

Can I change the domain later?

Yes, at any time. You connect the new domain as described above and make it your primary domain. You can leave the old domain connected, and Shopify will redirect it to the new one. That's important so old links and Google rankings don't lead nowhere. Your Shopify subscription is independent of this.

Can I run several stores with different domains from one account?

You can manage several stores with the same login, but each store is a separate store with its own subscription. What that means for costs and administration is explained in Shopify account & plan: multiple stores, changing plans, canceling. Each domain can only be connected to one store. Multiple domains for the same store are possible, though, for example a .de as the primary domain and a .com as a redirect.

Do I need extra hosting for my domain?

No. Shopify hosts your store; that's included in the plan. You only need the domain itself. A hosting package from IONOS or Strato is unnecessary for Shopify. A small package can only be useful if you want to use email inboxes for your domain through it.

.de or .com for a store with a German audience?

For a German audience, .de is the obvious choice, because customers know it and perceive it as trustworthy. Note that you can't buy .de through Shopify, only from an external provider. If available, also secure the .com and redirect it to the .de.

What happens to my domain if I give up the store?

An externally purchased domain is a separate contract with the provider and keeps running until you cancel it there or turn off automatic renewal. For a domain bought through Shopify, automatic renewal is active by default, and you can turn it off. If you want to keep it, according to Shopify you have to transfer it before deactivating the store. Shopify doesn't refund domain purchases.

Do I need to add privacy protection (WHOIS privacy) when buying a domain?

For .de domains, the data of private owners isn't shown publicly in WHOIS anyway, so paying extra is unnecessary there. For extensions such as .com, the protection can make sense, and many registrars offer it for free. As a merchant, your address is in your imprint (Impressum) anyway, so it's not a big gain in privacy.

As of: October 2026. DNS values and menu paths according to the Shopify Help Center. The interfaces of IONOS and Strato may change.