DNS
DNS translates domain names into IP addresses via records like A and CNAME – the basis for pointing your domain at your Shopify store.
What is DNS?
DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet’s naming system that translates readable domain names like mystore.com into the IP addresses and servers browsers actually connect to. The translation happens through DNS records: an A record points a domain to an IPv4 address, a CNAME points a subdomain to another domain name, and MX and TXT records handle email and verification respectively. Changes are not instant – they spread according to a TTL value and can take up to 48 hours.
Why does DNS matter?
DNS is what connects your own domain to your Shopify store. If a record is wrong, the entire store can be unreachable, show an error, or send customers to the wrong place – even when Shopify itself is running fine. Correct DNS also lets your SSL certificate be issued, keeps email from your domain out of spam, and routes traffic quickly through a CDN.
Common use cases
- Connect a purchased domain to Shopify. Point your root domain’s A record to Shopify’s IP
23.227.38.65. - Set up www. Point
wwwtoshops.myshopify.comvia a CNAME record. - Email and verification. Add
MXandTXTrecords to send mail from the domain and prove ownership. - Debug downtime. Check whether a wrong or missing record is why the store fails to respond.
Shopify perspective
If you buy the domain through Shopify, DNS is managed automatically in admin under Settings → Domains. If you use an external provider (e.g. GoDaddy or Namecheap), you edit the A and CNAME records yourself following Shopify’s instructions. Wait for propagation before troubleshooting, and avoid pointing the root domain at a CNAME – Shopify requires an A record there.