Find the perfect domain name
Introduction to domains
Domain essentials
What is a domain?
A domain, or domain name, is essentially a web URL or address. You’ll see the domain name after the http:// or www in a URL. Simply put, your domain is the digital equivalent of a store’s physical address, and is how your customers find and access your online business.
Add a custom domain name to your Shopify store to give your website a name that’s easy for new customers to remember, and to create a consistent online presence, however your business grows. Custom domain names, such as website addresses with .com at the end, help new customers know where to find you online, and help new ones to discover you online through search engines like Google.
With Shopify's domain registration, hosting, and easy domain management, your domain names, website builder, store, and sales are all in one place, instead of having multiple domain names across multiple sites.
Need a clever idea for a domain name?
Learn more about domains
Host your domain with Shopify?
Shopify makes it easy to host your domain. Your hosting plan costs are incorporated into your website builder account and monthly plan, so you won’t need to worry about juggling multiple subscriptions and domain registration fees.
Looking into a domain’s history
Related Content
Find more domains
Join the Shopify Community
The Shopify Community is more than a forum—get advice, ask questions, and share strategies with business owners around the globe.
Visit Shopify CommunityNeed more help?
The Shopify Help Center will support you as you learn about and use Shopify. We have documentation and videos to answer your questions as you start, build, and grow your online business.
Connecting domains
Managing domains
Domain FAQs
Think of domain names as the sign and address of your virtual storefront. It helps customers find your online store in search engines, and can drastically improve your online presence.
If a domain name is the face of your virtual storefront, think of a subdomain as another door. Here’s why adding a subdomain can help you cater to international or targeted customers, and more.
A top level domain (TLD) is the end of the link that falls after the period, such as .com. Think of it like your postal code. Top level domains can be popular real estate (such as a .com) or signal where you are located (such as a .ca for Canada), or what your business is all about (such as .sports).
Country code top-level domains (cc TLD) are the country-specific TLD (such as .uk), and is designated for businesses operating in those regions. Here’s everything you need to know about securing a cc TLD where you need it.
Think of web address hosting plans as the utilities powering your online store. Hosting powers new websites so they are visible to customers on the internet, and the security systems are working. All of Shopify’s ecommerce website builder plans include hosting services.
An SSL (which stands for Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a small digital file that lets other servers know your website can be trusted. Having an SSL certificate can also help prevent your customers from seeing a “this site is not trusted” error message when they arrive at your site or blog. Learn more about why SSL certificates are an important factor when choosing the right domain name provider.
When connecting third-party domain names to your Shopify store, or connecting your Shopify site domains to another platform, you will likely need to change your DNS settings.
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are groups of interconnected servers around the world that work together to deliver fast, reliable internet speed.