A Record
An A record is a DNS record that points a domain name to an IPv4 address so traffic to your domain reaches the correct server.
What is an A record?
An A record (address record) is a DNS record that translates a domain name into an IPv4 address, such as 23.227.38.65. When a visitor types your domain, the browser looks up the A record to learn which server it should contact. The equivalent for IPv6 addresses is called an AAAA record, and A records are usually managed in the DNS zone at your domain provider.
Why does an A record matter?
For an online store, the A record is what connects your own domain to the platform that actually serves the shop. If it points to the wrong place — or is missing — the site becomes unreachable or traffic lands on an old server. Every A record has a TTL (time to live) that decides how long DNS resolvers cache the answer, so changes can take hours to take effect. That is why you should plan domain changes well ahead of a campaign, not right before one.
Common use cases
- Connecting a root domain to Shopify: the root domain (
yourdomain.com) is pointed to Shopify’s IP23.227.38.65with an A record. - Switching hosting or platform: you update the A record to the new server’s IP address.
- Troubleshooting availability: you check with
digornslookupwhether the domain points to the right place. - Lowering TTL before a migration: a low TTL makes the change propagate faster.
Shopify perspective
Shopify asks you to set the root domain’s A record to 23.227.38.65 and the www subdomain as a CNAME to shops.myshopify.com. A CNAME cannot be used on the root domain itself, which is why an A record is required there. After the change, Shopify handles the SSL certificate and delivery via a CDN automatically — just wait for DNS to propagate before checking the connection.