Introduction

Setting up a website for your store is exciting—until you hit the techy stuff. Connecting with shopify might seem difficult but it’s really not. You just need to know the basics.

A lot of people buy their domain through ARZ Host because it’s affordable and pretty straightforward to use. But when it comes time to make that domain actually show your Shopify store, things can get confusing. You might be poking around in cPanel; not really sure what A Records or CNAMEs even are. This is totally normal. Most folks don’t deal with this stuff every day.

What you really want is to Point A Domain To Shopify into a browser and have it land right on your store—no errors, no extra steps. That’s where a bit of DNS tweaking comes in. Once the setup’s done correctly, you can forget about it and just focus on your shop. But yeah, getting it right the first time saves a ton of stress.

What is Meant by Pointing a Domain to Shopify: Explanation and Benefits

When you get a domain from somewhere like ARZ Host, it’s kinda like buying a name for your shop. But just owning the name doesn’t mean people will see your shop when they type it in. That’s where pointing the domain comes in. Essentially, what you’re doing is saying to the internet, “when someone types this name, send them to this store.” Without doing this step, the domain kind of just sits there and does nothing. 

Buying it is just the first step. The real magic happens in the DNS settings, where you control where the domain actually sends people. Think of it like setting a forwarding address. You’ve got the mailbox; now, you tell the mailman where to deliver.

Shopify does its thing through two things; an A Record and a CNAME record. The A record is basically the street address of your store because it tells browsers where the actual site is located (the servers where your store lives with Shopify). The CNAME is for the subdomain, it makes sure the www version lands on the same place. Using your domain name makes your store look much more professional.  Instead of some long Shopify-branded URL, your store has a clean, custom name that matches your brand. It’s simple stuff, but it really matters.

Prerequisites for Pointing a Domain to Shopify

Let’s go through just some basics so you are not going to get stuck at some point.

1. An active domain registered with ARZ Host.

If you already got your domain through ARZ Host, you’re good. ARZ Host offers easy domain registration and free domain names with many hosting plans, making it straightforward to have your domain ready

2. Access to your cPanel account.

Access to your cPanel account is provided by ARZ Host, which is used to manage your domain’s DNS settings.

3. A Shopify store ready to go.

You’ll need a store already created with Shopify. Doesn’t have to be fully designed or launched yet, but it needs to exist so you can connect your domain to it.

4. Know the DNS records Shopify uses.

You don’t have to be an expert, but just knowing what records need to be added will help a lot. 

• AAAA record (IPv6): This one’s optional but you’d be really wise to include it. .
•  A record (IPv4): This one’s the important one. Set the A record to your IP. This directs browsers on where to find your Shopify store.
• CNAME record for the www version: You’ll also want a CNAME for www that points to shops.myshopify.com. This way, people can get to your site whether they’re typing yourdomain.com or www.yourdomain.com.

Accessing cPanel on ARZ Host: Navigating DNS Management

• To get into your cPanel take your browser and type in your domain in the address bar and add /cpanel. So it would look like this:
  
  • https://yourdomain.com/cpanel

If that doesn’t work for whatever reason or is slow, the direct port version is also available:

• https://yourdomain.com:2083

One of these can be used to take you to the login page.

• Once you’re on the login screen just enter your cPanel username and password. These are the ones you would have received from ARZ Host when you first signed up for your hosting account. If you still can’t remember where they are, go to your welcome email or into the ARZ Host client area.
• Click the Login button, and you will land on the cPanel dashboard. 
• You’ll need to scroll down or use the search bar on the page; you’re on the lookout for something under the heading Domains.
• Afterward, look for Zone Editor and give it a tap. This is the tool for managing DNS records, meaning pretty much the place where your domain is told what to connect to.

That’s all! You can make changes to your domain’s DNS, and connect to your Shopify store.

Update A Record

OK let’s get this pointed to Shopify correctly.

First, look through the list of existing DNS records in the Zone Editor. You might see one or more A records already listed there, usually pointing to an old IP address or your hosting server. If that’s the case, go ahead and delete those old ones. Don’t worry—First, have a look at the list of existing DNS records in the Zone Editor.

There should be one or more A records in there already, typically set to an old IP address or your hosting server. In that case, delete those old ones. Don’t fret – taking them out won’t break anything, especially if you’re intending to hook your domain up to Shopify.

• After the old A records have been cleared, adding a new one is pretty straightforward. Click Add Record (or Add A Record, depending on what it says). 
• Put @ in the Name field; this is setting the record for the root domain (yourdomain.com).
•  Choose A from the Type dropdown. Then enter 23.227.38.65 as the Address.
• That’s Shopify’s primary server IP. It’s what all custom domains will need to point to.
• You will see a TTL option – that stands for Time To Live – and all that means is, how long should the server cache the record for, before looking for updates. You can leave it as the default (which is usually 14400 seconds) or if you want you can set it to something like 3600, and that will check for updates faster. Doesn’t matter either way.
• Click on Save Record. That’s it. You are done. Save the record, and you’re good to go.

Add CNAME Record: Ensuring Proper Routing

To be sure that the www version of your domain is functioning properly, do the following; quite a few people still type in the “www” by habit:

• Now return to the Zone Editor and find a CNAME record with the name “www.”
• If it’s there already, just edit it. If it’s not, click add record For the Name, type www select CNAME Records for the type. And for the Value, enter: shops.myshopify.com That is the address of Shopify for any custom domain under the “www” subdomain.
• It’s as simple as setting the browsers that when www.yourdomain.com is entered, they go to your Shopify store. Without this, your basic domain may function, but the “www” version is likely to produce an error or just a blank page. So yeah, even though it seems minimal, it actually does help a lot in keeping everything working as it should.
• Save that, and both copies of your domain will land at the same spot.

Update AAAA Record: Configuring IPv6 Support

If you If you want to keep your store even just a tad more future-proof, you might want to add an AAAA record. It loads your site on networks that use IPv6. Not everyone will notice, but some users will thank you for the better connectivity — particularly in certain countries or fresh setups.

Alright, follow these steps.

• Go to the Zone Editor in cPanel again, like you did with A and CNAME records. 
• See whether there is already an AAAA record set. If not, then add a new one in there.
• For the Name, just put @ again. That tells it what you are setting it for the primary domain.
• Select AAAA from the drop-down menu for type.
• Now paste in the value 2620:0127:f00f:5::. (Shopify’s IPv6 address. ) or try the long version
• Save it, and you’re all set now. Just one of those little things that are easy to overlook but nice to have if you want your site to be reachable and fast for as many folks as possible.

Verifying/Configuring Domain in Shopify: Completing the Setup

The DNS settings for your domain are ready. Now  you can actually connect your domain with shopify.

• Log in to your Shopify account. 
• On the left side, tap on Settings then Domains.
• You will find an option there saying “Connect existing domain.” Go click on that.
• Type in the domain name you set up earlier (like yourdomain.com) and hit verify connection.
• Shopify will check the DNS settings you added through ARZ Host and recognize the connection.
• Sometimes, Shopify doesn’t pick up the connection right away, and you’ll get a message saying manual verification is needed. Not a big deal, it just means you’ll need to add one more thing
• Shopify will give you an Exceptional TXT Record Value. It’ll be a line of completely random letters and numbers. Just copy it.
• Head back into your cPanel at ARZ Host, go into the Zone Editor, and add a new TXT record in there. Paste in the value that Shopify gave you in the right spot. Don’t change anything else there, just get it saved.
• Once that is completed, you can now return to Shopify and then click Verify connection again. It might take a moment, but it should go register once everything has been updated.

• At times it may take a couple of minutes— or even a couple of hours before it’s fully verified specifically if DNS records are still updating.

SSL and Propagation Time: Understanding Security

Once you’ve connected a domain, there isn’t much to do but wait. It doesn’t go into effect immediately, sometimes a few minutes, and sometimes a couple of 24 or even 48 hours. Completely normal. It’s called propagation or ‘DNS propagation time.’ In essence, the amount of time it takes for servers across the globe to catch up and know what they’re looking for now.

Your site might not load everywhere at this time. Some people might see the new version and some may still be getting errors out or seeing the old page. That’s the internet for you, nothing’s broken.

While you wait, make sure SSL is on in Shopify. Normally, this is done by Shopify once a custom domain has been connected, but it would be good to check under Settings > Domains just to be sure. If it says “SSL pending,” that’s fine, just give it some time.

Once everything settles and domain finishes propagating, your store will be live running with your custom domain and secure connection.

Conclusion

Pointing your domain from ARZ Host to Shopify may sound a little technical at first, particularly if you’re not one for messing with DNS settings and cPanel stuff. But once you walk through it step by step, it’s really not as bad as it sounds.

All you have to do is update a few records (the A and CNAME ones) and then inform Shopify where to locate your domain. And if it asks for that extra TXT thing, don’t worry. It’s just one more copy-paste, and you’re done.Waiting is the bummer, especially when you want to see your store live.That’s just how it is with the Internet behind the scenes.

So give it a moment. And when it does, your store will have that clean branded domain that looks much more professional than the standard Shopify link.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What if I already have an A record set up? Should I delete it first?

Yes, it is advisable to get rid of any pre-existing A records for your root domain before adding Shopify’s IP address. Keeping old ones around tends to conflict and can lead the domain’s pointing into the wrong place.

Do I need to add both: A record and a CNAME?

Yes, definitely, you need both. A covers yourdomain.com, and the CNAME makes sure www.yourdomain.com also works. As traffic types the address into the browser, without one of those, you might lose out on customers.

What’s the time it takes for the domain to start working?

Fast. At times, within an hour, but in some cases, it may take up to 48 hours. That’s just the time DNS requires updating across the Internet. So don’t worry if it doesn’t work instantly., 

Do I need the AAAA (IPv6) record?

Optional, but smart to add. It’s just one of those things that work behind the scenes. Enabling IPv6 makes your site a little more future-ready and better for loading for visitors using networks that rely on IPv6.

If you have a domain from a provider like ARZ Host (or any third party for that matter) and you would like it to be set up, simply add a new AAAA record to your DNS settings.

Will updating my DNS take my site offline?

Only if you remove the old settings before entering the new ones. There may not be any downtime if the old settings are preserved before new entries are added; even then, the downtime (if it happens at all) is usually very short.

No panic. It is always reversible. DNS changes are not forever and can be altered at any time. You  simply have to go through the records one more time and if something is off you can update that.

Can I use a subdomain in place of the main domain?

Yes. Absolutely, You can. For example “store.yourdomain.com”. For that subdomain, you’d just add a CNAME pointing to shops.myshopify.com. Same difference, just slightly different setup.

Does ARZ Host offer support if I get stuck?

Yes. You can always reach out to ARZ Host support if you find yourself really stuck or unsure of what to change. They are priceless and know their DNS stuff when it comes to helping out with Shopify settings you are trying to apply.

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