- Short answer
- Third-party domain: add a CNAME for the subdomain pointing to shops.myshopify.com, then connect it under Settings > Domains.
- A record
- Not needed for a subdomain, even when it becomes your primary domain
- TXT record name
- Only if Shopify asks: shopify_verification_ plus the subdomain part, such as shopify_verification_shop
- DNS update time
- Up to 48 hours to propagate; TLS or SSL pending meanwhile
- Bought through Shopify
- Add it under the domain's Subdomains; Shopify adds the CNAME
How do you point a subdomain at Shopify?
You need to own the root domain first, and it can keep serving your other website while the subdomain runs your store.
- At your DNS provider, add a CNAME record: the Host or Alias is the subdomain (how you type it depends on the provider), the target is shops.myshopify.com, and many providers require a period at its end. No A record is needed, even for a primary domain.
- In Shopify, go to Settings > Domains, click Connect existing, enter the full subdomain, click Next and follow the prompts.
- If Shopify can't find the CNAME, fix the record and click I updated DNS records.
- Settings
- Domains
- Settings
- Domains
When does Shopify ask for a TXT record?
The subdomain guide only says your domain "might require" extra verification; Shopify's ownership page names one case, a domain already connected to another Shopify store, and none of the domain pages we read in October 2026 names another.
If asked, copy the TXT value Shopify lists on the domain's page in Settings > Domains, then add a TXT record named shopify_verification_ plus the subdomain part: shopify_verification_shop for shop.example.com. Shopify's check can take a few minutes.
What happens after you connect the subdomain?
Any DNS update can take up to 48 hours to propagate, with TLS or SSL pending meanwhile; the pages we read give subdomains no separate time. It's ready when the Domains page reads Connected.
Then you can make the subdomain your primary domain, and your other domains, including myshopify.com, redirect to it unless one is set as an alias. Shopify's video shows the switch.
- What happens to your DNS records when you reset DNS settings on a Shopify-managed domain?
- Can the Shopify order status page use your own domain instead of shopify.com?
- Can you turn off IPv6 for a domain connected to Shopify?
- How do you move a domain to another Shopify store?
- Can Shopify connect your domain automatically?
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