How To Point A Domain To Shopify

Introduction: Understanding Domain Pointing and Its Importance

Setting up a website for your store is exciting—until you hit the techy stuff. One part that trips people up is to point a Domain To Shopify. It sounds complicated at first, but it doesn’t have to be a headache. Most of it comes down to understanding where to click and what info to plug in. Once you’ve done it once, it all makes a lot more sense.

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 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 normal. Most folks don’t deal with this stuff every day.

What you want is to type your domain 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, which you can learn through our guide on our Blog.

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. You’re telling the internet, “Hey, when someone types this name, send them to my Shopify store.” Without that step, the domain just kinda sits there, doing nothing.

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

Shopify works by connecting through two main things: an A Record and a CNAME. The “A” Record is like the street address; it tells browsers where the actual site is located (Shopify’s servers). The CNAME is more for the subdomain, the ‘www’ version of your site, making sure both versions land in the same place.

Using your own domain makes your shop look way more professional and builds trust. 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: Essential Requirements

Before you start messing around with settings, there are a few things you’ll want to have in place first. Nothing too crazy, just some basics to make sure you’re not stuck halfway through.

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. Here’s what Shopify expects:

• A record (IPv4): This is the main one. Set the A record to this IP: 23.227.38.65. This tells browsers 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 ensures people get to your site whether they type yourdomain.com or www.yourdomain.com.
• AAAA record (IPv6): This one’s optional but really smart to include. The value is: 2620:0127:f00f:5::.
  • If your DNS doesn’t support that short format, you can use the full version:
    • 2620:0127:f00f:0005:0000:0000:0000:0000.

Adding the IPv6 record isn’t required, but it’s a good idea. It helps make your site more future-ready, supports devices on IPv6 networks, and can improve how reliably people reach your store, especially from newer systems or regions where IPv6 is more common.

Accessing cPanel on ARZ Host: Navigating DNS Management

• To get into your cPanel, open your browser and type your domain in the address bar, followed by /cpanel. So it would look something like this:
• https://yourdomain.com/cpanel
• If that doesn’t work or feels slow, you can also use the direct port version, which is:
• https://yourdomain.com:2083
• Either one will get you to the login page.
• Once you’re on the login screen, just enter your cPanel username and password. These are the ones you got from ARZ Host when you set up your hosting account. If you can’t find them, check your welcome email or the ARZ Host client area.
• If you’ve got two-factor authentication (2FA) turned on—and you probably should—it’ll ask you for a six-digit code. Just open your authentication app, type in the code, and hit Continue.
• Then click the Login button, and that’ll take you to your cPanel dashboard.
• Now that you’re in, scroll down a bit or just use the search bar at the top. You’re looking for the Domains section.
• Once you find it, click on Zone Editor. That’s the tool you’ll use to control DNS records—basically, the place where you tell your domain what to connect to.

You’re now at the point where you can start making changes to your domain’s DNS and connect it to your Shopify store.

Update A Record: Setting Up Domain Redirection

Alright, it’s time to point your domain 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—removing them won’t break anything if you’re planning to connect your domain to Shopify anyway.

Once the old A records are cleared out, it’s time to add a new one.

• Click Add Record (or Add A Record, depending on how it shows up).
  • For the Name field, just put @ —, which tells you you’re setting the record for the root domain (like yourdomain.com).
  • For the Type, select A from the dropdown menu.
  • Then for the Address, enter:  23.227.38.65
  • That’s Shopify’s main server IP. It’s the one all custom domains need to point to.

You’ll also see a TTL option, which stands for Time To Live. It just means how long the server should cache the record before checking for updates. You can leave it as the default (usually 14400) or, if you like, set it to something like 3600 for faster update checks. There’s no stress either way.

Once that’s done, save the record, and you’re good to go.

Add CNAME Record: Ensuring Proper Routing

Next, you’ll want to make sure the www version of your domain works, too. Many people still type in “www” out of habit, so it’s a good idea to have that set up properly.

• Go back into the Zone Editor and look for a CNAME record with the name www. 
• If it’s already there, you can just edit it. If it’s missing, click on add record
  • For the Name, type www,
  • select CNAME Record for the type.
  • And for the Value, enter: shops.myshopify.com

That’s Shopify’s address for all custom domains using the “www” subdomain.

This is a simple thing: it tells browsers that when someone types in www.yourdomain.com, they should go to your Shopify store. Without Managing CNAME Records, your plain domain might work, but the “www” version could show an error or a blank page. So yeah, even though it feels like a small step, it helps keep everything working smoothly.

Once you’ve saved that, both versions of your domain will point to the same place. This is clean and professional.

Update AAAA Record: Configuring IPv6 Support

If you want your store to be a bit more future-proof, it’s worth Adding An AAAA record. It helps load your site on networks that use IPv6. Not everyone will notice the difference, but some users will benefit from better connectivity, especially in certain countries or newer setups.

So here’s what you do.

• Go back to the Zone Editor in cPanel, just like you did for the A and CNAME records. Look to see if there’s already an AAAA record set. If there is, you can edit it. If not, go ahead and add a new one.
• For the Name, just use @ again. That tells it you’re setting it for the main domain.
• Choose AAAA as the type.
• Then, in the value box, paste this: 2620:0127:f00f:5::
• That’s Shopify’s IPv6 address.
• If the DNS system you’re using complains about the short format, no worries—you can use the full version instead: 2620:0127:f00f:0005:0000:0000:0000:0000
• Save it, and that’s it. You’re done. 

It’s one of those small steps that’s easy to skip but helpful if you want your site to be accessible and quick for as many people as possible.

Verifying/Configuring Domain in Shopify: Completing the Setup

Now that your domain’s DNS settings are in place, it’s time to link it up inside Shopify.

• Start by logging into your Shopify admin. Then, head to the main dashboard, where you usually manage your products and settings.
• On the left-hand side, click on Settings, and then choose Domains.
• You’ll see an option that says “Connect existing domain” — go ahead and click that.
• Now, just type in the domain name you set up earlier (like yourdomain.com) and hit verify connection. 
• If everything is set up correctly, 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 might get a message saying manual verification is needed. This is no big deal—it just means you’ll need to add one more thing.
• Shopify will give you an Exceptional TXT Record Value. It looks like a string of random letters and numbers. Copy that.
• Now, head back to your cPanel at ARZ Host, go into the Zone Editor, and add a new TXT record. Paste the value Shopify gave you into the right spot. Don’t change anything else—just make sure it’s saved.
• Once that’s done, go back to Shopify and click Verify connection again. It might take a little time for it to register, but it should go through once everything’s updated.
• Nothing to stress about—just one of those little steps that sometimes come up depending on how your domain is set up.

Sometimes, it takes a few minutes—or even a few hours—before it is fully verified, especially if the DNS records are still updating. So, if it doesn’t work instantly, don’t panic. Just wait a bit and try again later.

SSL and Propagation Time: Understanding Security

Once you’ve connected your domain, there’s a bit of a waiting game. DNS changes don’t kick in right away. Sometimes, it takes a couple of minutes, and other times, it can drag out to 24 or even 48 hours. It’s totally normal. It’s called DNS propagation—basically, the time it takes for servers around the world to catch up and recognize your new settings.

During this time, your site might not load everywhere just yet. Some people might see the new version, and others might still get an error or see the old page. It’s just how the internet works; nothing’s broken.

While you’re waiting, it’s a good idea to make sure SSL is turned on in Shopify. That’s the thing that puts the little lock icon in the browser and makes your site start with https instead of http. Shopify usually enables it automatically once your domain is connected, but check it under Settings > Domains just to be sure. If it says “SSL pending,” that’s fine—just give it some time.

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

Conclusion: Best Practices for Seamless Domain Integration with Shopify

Pointing your domain from ARZ Host to Shopify might seem a bit much at first, especially if you’re not used to messing around with DNS settings and cPanel stuff. But once you walk through it step by step, it is not as bad as it sounds.

You just need to update a couple of records—A and CNAME—and then tell Shopify where to find your domain. And if it asks for that extra TXT thing, no worries. It’s just one more copy-paste, and you’re done.

The waiting part can be a little annoying, especially when you’re excited to see your store live. But that’s just how the internet works behind the scenes. Give it time, and it’ll all fall into place. Once it does, your store will have that clean, branded domain that looks way 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’s usually best to remove any existing A records for your root domain before adding Shopify’s IP. Leaving old ones can cause conflicts and make the domain point to the wrong place.

Do I need to set up both the A record and the CNAME?

Yep, both are needed. The A record covers yourdomain.com, and the CNAME ensures that www.yourdomain.com also works. Depending on how visitors type your address, without one of them, visitors might not reach your store.

How long does it take for the domain to start working?

It can be fast—sometimes within an hour—but in some cases, it might take up to 48 hours. That’s just the time DNS needs to update across the internet. So don’t worry if it doesn’t work instantly.

Do I really need the AAAA (IPv6) record?

It’s optional, but adding it is a smart move.  It’s one of those things that helps in the background. By enabling IPv6, you make your site a bit more future-ready and improve how it loads for visitors using networks that rely on IPv6. 

If you’re using a domain from a provider like ARZ Host (or any third party really), and you want to set it up, just create a new AAAA record in your DNS settings.

Will my website go offline while I update the DNS?

If done right, no. As long as you don’t delete the old settings before adding the new ones, there shouldn’t be any downtime. But even if there is a slight delay, it’s usually very short.

What happens if I make a mistake in the DNS settings?

No panic. You can always go back and fix it. DNS changes aren’t permanent and can be edited anytime. Just double-check the records and update them if something’s off.

Can I use a subdomain instead of the main domain?

Yes, you can. For example, you could have something like store.yourdomain.com. You’d just set up a CNAME for that subdomain pointing to shops.myshopify.com. It’s the same idea, just a slightly different setup.

Does ARZ Host offer support if I get stuck?

Yes. If you’re really stuck or not sure what to change, you can contact ARZ Host’s support team. They’re invaluable and knowledgeable with DNS stuff, especially if you give the Shopify settings you’re trying to apply.

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